:: SHG Movement - Mahalir Thittam ()

  Mahalir Thittam is a Government of Tamil Nadu initiative started in the year 1992  to empower poor women by forming them into self help groups and building their capacities.

It was envisioned that these SHGs to begin with, would be involved in thrift and credit activities.Subsequently they would not only engage in productive economic activities but would be instrumental in dissemination of knowledge about health,nutrition,literacy,education,etc and help prepare women to take up leadership positions.

:: Strategy

  In order to attain the main objective of socio economic Empowerment and capacity building, Mahalir Thittam focusses on the following:

  • Formation of SHGs
  • Capacity building of SHG members on group procedures, banking, taking up economic/income generation activities, etc.
  • Credit linkage to SHGs through banks
  • Creating SHG federations at Panchayat, Block and district levels.
:: Mahalir Thittam - Current status
  • 3,58,251 SHGs
  • Membership - 57,56,026 women
  • Total savings - Rs. 161569.03 Lakhs 
  • 628 NGO partners