The Government has stressed the need for expanding the women’s Self-Help Group movement, as a tool of empowerment and promoting economic well being Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh said the National Rural Livelihood Mission would connect at least one woman from every poor household across the country with self-help groups in five years.

An official statement, said that present number of three crore women who are members of SHGs, have to be raised to seven crore in five years. Ramesh also said there is an urgent need to bring in flexibility in lending norms of organized banks to Self Help Groups.