Women’s empowerment has become a pivotal driver of sustainable rural development, and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have emerged as crucial grassroots institutions that extend beyond savings and credit to foster socio-economic transformation. This study investigates the role of SHGs in Falta C.D. Block, South 24 Parganas, by analyzing members’ socio-economic status, assessing factors influencing women’s empowerment, and identifying key challenges with corresponding recommendations.The study draws on primary data from a survey of 500 SHG members, supported by interviews and FGD, and secondary sources including census records, reports, and literature, employing descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and multinomial logistic regression to examine determinants of empowerment and satisfaction.Findings show that SHGs significantly improve women’s income, savings, decision-making, and political participation, with education, occupation, training, funding, and family support as key determinants of empowerment; yet challenges such as irregular loan repayment, weak managerial skills, poor coordination, low awareness, and family resistance persist, underscoring the need for diversified skills, literacy, structured awareness campaigns, flexible credit, and family sensitization to ensure SHG sustainability.In conclusion, SHGs in Falta C.D. Block demonstrate remarkable potential as vehicles of women’s empowerment and rural transformation, but their success depends on continuous capacity-building, institutional innovation, and inclusive policy support.
