Sustainable Development of Rural Women

Dr. M Hilaria Soundari is Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Research, Gandhigram, Tamil Nadu.  She is a social Activist, an academician and a researcher.  She bolongs to the Congregation of the Sisters of the Cross of Chavanod.  She was awarded UGC-NET JRF/SRF and completed her doctoral degree in the Department of Applied Research, Gandhigram Rural Institute in 2003.  Now, as a faculty member in the same department, she teaches courses on research methodology, development research and social work.  She is an expert in participatory research techniques and computer applications in research including SPSS and Ethnograph.  She is the principal investigator of UGC-Major Research Project, ‘Achieving MDGs: Role of Marginalized Women and Micro-Credit’.  She served the marginalized and downtrodden at the grassroot level for 12 years.  She organized Self-Help Groups (SHGs) for Dalit women and children under an empowerment promoting agency, DEEPAM.  She has published a number of scholarly articles in renowned national and international journals.  She has also authored two books.  She has participated and presented papers in international conferences held in USA, Netherlands, Switzerland, China and Germany.