Impact Analysis of Women Dairy Self-help Groups on Women Empowerment for Strengthening Atma Nirbhar Bharat

The study examined women's empowerment by analyzing their participation in dairy-based self-help groups in Rajasthan. Women empowerment through dairy was calculated using the concept of the Women Empowerment in Agriculture Index. Heckman's two-stage analysis was conducted to analyze the impact of dairy self-help groups (SHGs) on women's empowerment. The findings indicated that the women empowerment index for members was higher than for non-members. The Heckman results showed that the 'participation dummy' was positive and significant, indicating that participation in SHGs had a positive impact on women's empowerment. Additionally, herd size, land holding, and formal training also had a positive and significant impact on women's empowerment. Therefore, it is recommended that women be encouraged to participate in SHG-based microfinance programs.