Despite women’s numerical significance, and their remarkable contribution to the economic development, they are placed to the disadvantage position with no or weak authority and decision making power in the control and management of resources and in social affairs. Though OSRA is mainstreaming the issue of gender in all its programs, it believes that specific programs that enhance the capacity of marginalized and disadvantaged women have of paramount significance to empower them.
In this respect, OSRA adopts self help group (SHG) approach. The SHG approach encourages the poor self potential through promoting saving and creating access for internal loan among them. The groups can also mobilize external resources through linkage with financial institutions to meet their members’ interest.
OSRA has been supporting women to get organized under SHGs and provides them capacity development trainings on business management and enterpreuineral skill, saving and credit and various inputs to start their own income generating activities. As a result, they are able to engage in various income generating activities which has led to improve household incomes, saving culture thereby contributes to the betterment of family lives.