Vol. 1, Issue 12, Part I (2015)

Abstract
In the world, although women community is equal to men in population, it is the matter of concern that yet in the modern sophisticated world, women are treated as second citizen or subordinate to men. Although various efforts have been made to improve the status of women, women folk has not taken their maximum use and remain still backward. In India, majority of the poor are living in rural areas, and where women are its main component, so, it is impossible to think for developing the nation without developing the women folk of the society. In this regard, women empowerment is the right way for developing this section of the society. Among the various measures, micro-finance through self-help groups (SHGs) is now considered as a modern tool to empower women. In India, most of the micro-finance programmes are implemented by the SHGs which are extending support to the needy poor women of rural areas for taking up employment as well as income generating activities. Considering the importance of the issue, this paper makes an attempt to study the pattern and impact of micro-finance services on rural women by taking Dhakuakhana Development Block of Lakhimpur district as area of study.