Empowering Women Through Self- Help Groups(shgs) Approach : Empowering Women through Self-Help Groups: The Case of Gurmuu Development Association Project, Oromia Regional State

Though sustainable economic and social development cannot be achieved without fully empowering women, the situation of women in the world in general and Ethiopia in particular are challenged by multifaceted problems. Poverty and lack of empowerment are the most critical problems affecting the majority of women in Ethiopia. Accordingly, this study focuses on assessing the impacts of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) program is empowering and improving the miserable life of women or not. In Ethiopia women constitute more than half of the population. Hence, empowering women is a must if we are to build healthy and prosperous society. In Ethiopia SHG Approach is one of the development models where poor people are equipped with the knowledge to enable them get out of poverty and start to participate in socio-economic and political aspects of life. Therefore, women need to be enabled and encouraged through SHG programs, to give voice to their concerns, to make their own socio-economic decisions and protect themselves and their family from poverty. The results of the present study showed that the SHG project has a positive impact in empowering the members, their families and the community as well.