Women empowerment refers to the creation of an environment for women where they can make decisions of their own for their personal benefits as well as for the society. It refers to increasing and improving the social, economic, political and legal strength of the women to ensure equal right to women to claim their rights. The overall development of the nation remains as a paradox until and unless the women get empowered. The under privileged rural women are still far from empowerment. Unemployment, illiteracy and low social recognition have made them so. Economic empowerment is undoubtedly the key and it may lead to all other kind of empowerment. This is more true in the context of women. Therefore, Self-Help Group has emerged as most successful strategy in the process of socio-economic and political empowerment of rural women. The concept of women’s empowerment appears to be the outcome of several important critique and debate generated by women’s movement throughout the world particularly by third world feminists.

KEYWORDS: Women empowerment, poor women, Unemployment, Self Help group