Danish Ahmad|Itismita Mohanty|Laili Irani|Dileep Mavalankar|Theo Niyonsenga
Participation in microfinance based Self Help Groups in India: Who becomes a member and for how long?
University of Canberra|Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar|Public Health Foundation of India|University of Canberra|Population Council Institute|Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar|Public Health Foundation of India|University of Canberra
microfinance widely promoted developmental initiative provide poor women affordable financial services poverty alleviation one popular adaption south asia selfhelp group shg model india adopted 2011 part federal poverty alleviation program secondary approach integrating health literacy services rural women however evidence limited joins continues shg programs paper examines determinants membership staying members outcomes integrated microfinance health literacy program one indias poorest populated states uttar pradesh across range explanatory variables related economic sociodemographic arealevel characteristicsusing secondary survey data uttar pradesh community mobilization project comprising 15300 women shgs nonshg households rural india performed multivariate logistic hurdle negative binomial regression analyses model shg membership durationwhile general poor women likely shg members based income threshold limit governmentsponsored bpl cards women poorest households likely become members less likely stay members classified using assetbased wealth quintiles additionally poorer households compared marginally poor less likely become shg members borrowing reason including health reasons women moderately poor households likely continue members borrowing health nonincomegenerating reasons study found increasing number previous pregnancies associated higher membership likelihood contrast another study india reporting negative associationthe study supports view microfinance programs need examine inclusion retention strategies favour poorest household using multidimensional indicators capture poverty myriad forms