Reaching Families through Women and Reaching Community through Families - A Success Story of Women Empowerment in Kerala: The Case of Kudumbashree

Abstract

Early and mid 1990s witnessed revolutionary changes in Kerala, the most important among them being the evolution of participatory development. Drawing strength from this innovative change and its success in the state, government of Kerala established ‘Kudumbashree’ mission on 17^th May, 1998 to eradicate poverty from the state in ten years by empowering women through collective action.

In order to facilitate collective action, three-tiered community based organizations of poor women, known as Community Development Societies (CDS), were formed as a part of capacity-building exercise. True vision of development, poverty alleviation and empowerment differentiate the functioning of Kudumbashree from all other poverty alleviation programs implemented in the third world countries. The entire concept of Kudumbashree is based on the economic empowerment of indigent masses particularly the poor women of Kerala.