Copyright © 2025 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

@article{178334,
        author = {Asst. Prof. Teena Kodian},
        title = {Kudumbashree and the Rise of Women's Collective Power in Kerala},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2025},
        volume = {11},
        number = {12},
        pages = {4612-4615},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=178334},
        abstract = {This paper examines how Kudumbashree, Kerala's ground-breaking program to eradicate poverty and empower women, has changed the state's socioeconomic landscape by empowering women to work together. At the local government level, Kudumbashree is run by Neighbourhood Groups (NHGs), Area Development Societies (ADSs), and Community Development Societies (CDSs) as part of a three-stage community-based structure that was established in 1998. With 3,17,724 NHGs, 19,470 ADSs, and 1,070 CDSs, Kudumbashree has 48,08,837 women as members as of February 1, 2025. The network, which is open to all adult women (one per household), promotes entrepreneurship, self-help, financial inclusion, and participatory governance. The investigation uses a case study methodology and only uses secondary data from academic publications, government reports, Kudumbashree charge publications, and earlier empirical research. This analysis demonstrates how Kudumbashree has made it possible for women to participate in local governance, become more economically independent, and question gender norms. The paper also discusses persistent issues that could prevent it from reaching its full potential, such as structural injustices and legal restrictions. All things considered, Kudumbashree shows itself to be a significant and flexible model for social transformation and community-driven, gender-sensitive development.},
        keywords = {Kudumbashree, Women Empowerment, Community Development, Participatory Governance, Inclusive Development, Financial Inclusion},
        month = {May},
        }