Title: Women entrepreneurship enticed family prosperity - an empirical evaluation of performance of microenterprises under Kudumbashree mission in Kerala, India

Authors: S.R. Shehnaz; S. Suresh Kumar

Addresses: Department of Commerce, TKM College of Arts and Science, University of Kerala, Kollam, Kerala, 691005, India ' Department of Commerce, TKM College of Arts and Science, University of Kerala, Kollam, Kerala, 691005, India

Abstract: Kudumbashree, meaning the family's prosperity is one of the flagship programmes of the Government of Kerala, centred on woman empowerment has been successful in giving hope to millions of impoverished women and their families in Kerala. Kudumbashree considers microenterprises as a growth engine that triggers development process. Besides improving the standard of living of the families, women empowerment can go a long way in building gender equality and social acceptance of labour in the community. This study focuses on review of the production, marketing, asset management, profitability, government support and women empowerment issues faced by the microenterprise units under Kudumbashree. The study is based on primary data obtained from 279 samples (93 each from three districts) in Kerala, the 100% literate state of India, using factor analysis revealed seven principal components that accounted for variations in performances of microenterprise units under Kudumbashree mission in Kerala.

Keywords: Kudumbashree; microenterprises; women empowerment; poverty alleviation; gender equality; family prosperity; financial inclusion; standard of living; India.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2019.102514

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2019 Vol.38 No.1/2, pp.120 - 140

Received: 31 Aug 2017
Accepted: 26 Oct 2017
Published online: 30 Sep 2019 *

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