The study entitled “Impact of Self Help Groups on empowerment of women member” was carried out during 2010- 11 in two Panchayat Samitis namely, Akola and Patur of Akola district in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra on the basis of maximum number of Self Help Groups. The findings of the study revealed that, after joining SHG, majority of respondents were involved in banking transaction, promoting thrift activity of members (78.57%) and (70.71%) respectively. It was also observed that 90.00 per cent respondents were in high level category of psychological empowerment followed by 63.57 per cent were observed in medium level category of cultural empowerment and 21.43 per cent of the respondent swere high empowerment regarding cultural empowerment. Majority of the respondent (70.00%) were in medium level of category of social empowerment and 21.43 per cent of the respondent were high empowerment regarding social empowerment. Little more than half (51.43%) of respondents were included in medium level category of economic empowerment and more than one third (39.29%) of the respondent were in high empowerment regarding economic empowerment. After joining SHG more than half (55.01%) the respondents were highly empowered and 35.00 per cent were medium empowerment regarding political empowerment. Distribution of overall impact of self help group on empowerment revealed that, more than three fifth (61.43%) of respondents were medium empowered followed by 37.86 per cent high empowered and 00.71 per cent were in low empowerment category of overall impact on empowerment. Not a single respondent was underpowered after joining SHG.

Keyword: Self Help Groups; empowerment of women.