WOMEN EMPOWERMENT THROUGH MICRO-ENTERPRISES: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF KUDUMBASHREE UNITS IN KERALA Ebrahim Kunju Sulaiman Associate Professor, School of Management and Business Studies, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, India. Email: sulaim25@yahoo.co.in Abstract Micro-enterprises foster the economic status of women as an effective mean to eradicate poverty. The income generating activities under individual and group initiatives to meet the livelihoods of the poor women are massively promoted under the schemes of Kudumbashree programmes in the state of Kerala. The study critically analyses the impact of micro-enterprises units run by the Kudumbashree programme in poverty eradication process and to compare the economic status of entrepreneurs before and after their membership in the enterprise. The study was conducted with the help of structured interview schedule administered to the 100 sample Kudumbashree micro-enterprise units in the state of Kerala. The analysis shows that the income level of the members of the units have a gradual progress after they become a member of the units. Keywords: Kudumbashree, Micro-Enterprises, Women Empowerment, Self-Help Groups Introduction Poverty alleviation has been an important and explicit objective of the comprehensive development strategy that had been structured over the years by India’s policymakers. It is felt that the problem of poverty can be solved through concerted efforts of the Government. Sustainable livelihood opportunities can be provided to the deprived and the destitute by means of lending asset and creating facilities. Women households are the most suffered victims of deprivation and destitution. Therefore, any programme for poverty alleviation must aim at improving the living environment of the women folks. The micro-enterprises and self-help groups are better means through which their living conditions can be improved. Entrepreneurship through Self-Help Groups (SHG) enables the rural poor to earn their own livelihood besides participating in the process of development. A typical rural women’s self-help group is a good example of capacity building for prospective entrepreneurs (Figure 1). Its aims to include enabling members with no educational or industrial or entrepreneurial background to become self- dependent and self-reliant by developing and enhancing the decision-making capacity of members and instilling in them the strength and confdence for solving their problems. They provide poor people a forum where they can learn about collectively mobilising and managing money and matters. Inspired by the innovations in participatory development in the early and mid 1990s, the Government of Kerala initiated Kudumbashree(KDMS) in 1998 to alleviate poverty by empowering women through collective action. Under KDMS programme, micro-enterprise development is being started with low capital, low risk and low proft at the initial stage. It expects that these enterprises will switch on to low to medium capital and then to low to medium risk. In an advanced stage, some of these enterprises can reach medium capital and medium proft with appropriate technology and market. Food processing, dairy products, IT, and Bio- technology are the thrust sectors of micro enterprise units. There are several enterprises related to ethnic delicacies, tender coconuts and products, agriculture nurseries, soap making units, remedial education centres, paper bag making, integrated coconut processing (Kerashree), tissue culture, yathrashree (chain hotels), courier services and direct marketing. KDMS conducted a series of training programmes and also developed specifc module for training potential micro entrepreneurs. In this context, the present study becomes more useful and relevant