Change agents in economic and social spheres are as important as economic and sociological theories. Yet, so little is known about them. Rarely women as change agents and entrepreneurs are written about and almost never the rural women as economic and social entrepreneurs. However, a change is visible in the field of researches on women, with the offshoot of Self Help Groups (SHGs) as the saviour of the poor. There started a flood of research studies by the research scholars, academicians, government agencies, bankers and international agencies. Women SHG members as individual/collective entrepreneurs, their leadership style, their spread effect and spin off effects, impact of microfinance on quality of life, empowerment of women–all these aspects have been critically analyzed, juxtaposed against their global counterparts; structural and organizational aspects of micro finance institutions also have been examined in detail. While many such studies are functional oriented, others are empowerment oriented, quite a few outreach oriented, some focused on comparative models of micro finance and others are impact studies. Of late, a paradigm shift is noticed towards identifying indicators and perfecting the methodologies for impact studies. The present compendium documents the growing literature in the field which may be helpful for the researchers, to identify the virgin field, awaiting fresh initiatives and in sharpening their methodological issues.
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