Organising Poor Women: The Andhra Pradesh Experience

DETAILS : 

• Editor :S. Mahendra Dev , Ravi Kanbur , S. Galab , G. Alivelu
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Academic Foundation
  
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 1, 2013
  
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
  
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 299 pages
  
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 8171889387
  
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-8171889389
  
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 650 G 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Organising Poor Women: The Andhra Pradesh Experience is a seminal work that examines one of the world’s largest and most successful experiments in social engineering and poverty alleviation. The book documents the transformative journey of the Self-Help Group (SHG) movement in Andhra Pradesh, specifically focusing on the "Velugu" (Indira Kranti Patham) project.

The book explores how the state moved beyond traditional "top-down" welfare to a "bottom-up" empowerment model. It details:

• Social Mobilization: The process of organizing millions of rural women into a tiered structure of SHGs, Village Organizations (VOs), and Mandal Samakhyas.
• Financial Inclusion: How the "Bank Linkage" model turned "unbankable" poor women into disciplined savers and borrowers, breaking the yoke of local moneylenders.
• Social Change: The impact of these groups on addressing issues like child marriage, domestic violence, and access to healthcare and education.
• Economic Diversification: The shift from mere survival to micro-entrepreneurship and collective bargaining.

It serves as a critical case study for policymakers, NGOs, and sociologists interested in how institutional platforms for the poor can drive systemic gender and economic justice.

ABOUT THE EDITORS

S. Mahendra Dev

One of India’s most prominent developmental economists, Dr. S. Mahendra Dev has served as the Director and Vice Chancellor of the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR) in Mumbai. He is a former Chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), Government of India. His research focuses heavily on inclusive growth, rural poverty, and food security. He has been a pivotal voice in advocating for institutional reforms that empower the rural poor.

Ravi Kanbur

Ravi Kanbur is a world-renowned economist and the T.H. Lee Professor of World Affairs at Cornell University. He has previously served as the Chief Economist for the Africa Region of the World Bank and was the Director of the World Bank's World Development Report. Kanbur is famous for his work on global inequality and the "bridging" of academic economics with practical policy. His involvement in this book brings a global comparative perspective to the Andhra Pradesh model.

S. Galab

Dr. S. Galab is the Director of the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS) in Hyderabad. He is arguably the leading authority on the grassroots impact of the Self-Help Group (SHG) movement in Andhra Pradesh. His work is characterized by "longitudinal studies"—tracking the same families over decades to see how social mobilization truly changes lives. He has been a key advisor to the government of Andhra Pradesh on rural development strategies.

G. Alivelu

Dr. G. Alivelu is a Professor at the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS). Her expertise lies in industrial economics and gender studies, specifically regarding women's labor participation and urban/rural development. Her contribution to the editorial team ensures a sharp focus on the micro-level socio-economic data that validates the successes (and highlights the challenges) of the women's empowerment initiatives.