DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-HELP GROUP TO PROMOTE FAMILY PLANNING AWARENESS AND ADOPTION

Abstract

Funding agencies and government organizations are increasingly using women-led self-help groups (SHGs) as platforms for implementing development initiatives. However, there remains limited evidence on whether SHGs serve as effective and equitable channels for delivering health or livelihood interventions. In the present study community self-help group was created to encourage, educate and reassure the use of family planning methods between females of selected areas of Greater Noida UP. Out of 40 women, 5 were taken as a sample by using total enumeration sampling technique. Structured knowledge questionnaire was used to collect the data. The intervention led to a consistent and statistically significant improvement in participants’ knowledge scores, rising from a mean of 14.4 in Post-Test 1 to 29.8 by Post-Test 6 (p=0.000). The steady increase and decreasing standard deviation reflect both enhanced understanding and uniform knowledge retention among the Community Self-Help Group members. The progressive increase in scores highlights the effectiveness of stepwise teaching and the power of community-based self-help groups in enhancing awareness and empowering rural women.