An Assessment of Rural Poor Women's Group Activities for Self-reliance and Sustainable Development in Myanmar

SHG model from MYRADA, India has been replicated as Self Reliance Group (SRG) micro credit model in Myanmar and this empirical research attempts to study as an assessment of rural poor women’s group (SRGs) activity for self reliance and sustainable development of groups and socioeconomic impact on individual members.

Key findings under this qualitative research show that the rural poor women group activity could provide accessibility to sufficient credit services and socioeconomic development of its individual members. Resulting from the index of group performance assessment, overall credit management by individual groups has been conducting properly under the supervision and facilitation of the current project. But, majority of the groups under study are not very satisfactorily performing for specific factors - loan repayment rate, effective linkages, and meeting attendance- explaining their group’s self reliance capacity and sustainability. Findings also reveal to confirm that poorest of the poor people are excluded in any micro credit scheme.

Although there might have critical dual findings, some problems, and constraints in different aspects, their micro credit activities enable the group culture of rural poor women and empowerment through working together in informal groups while formal registered groups are not being allowed to form.

Eventually, despite the fact that SHG model was originated from MYRADA, India, CDRT project could internalize it as Self Reliance Group (SRG) for rural poor women through modifying and localizing to make it functional and sustainable approach for social mobilization strategy of a community development project in Myanmar.