2025 · GS Paper 2 · Q6 · 10 marks
Women's social capital complements in advancing empowerment and gender equity. Explain.
In short
Women's social capital, their networks, norms and trust, complements legal and economic empowerment by turning individual disadvantage into collective bargaining power. DAY-NRLM's 90 lakh self-help groups of about 10 crore women show how peer trust opens credit and voice.
Model answer
Ghissu Editorial · Verified 4 Oct 2026 · 268 words
Bonding capital and credit
DAY-NRLM organises about 10 crore women in over 90 lakh SHGs, where peer trust replaces collateral and bank linkage opens formal credit.
Bridging capital and markets
Kerala's Kudumbashree links neighbourhood groups to panchayats for microenterprise, giving women income and a public role.
Linking capital and policy
Bihar's JEEViKA women demanded prohibition in 2015, and the state enacted it in 2016.
Voice for informal workers
SEWA, founded by Ela Bhatt in 1972, won credit, insurance and recognition for self-employed women.
Resources still needed
In Naila Kabeer's terms, networks become agency only with assets, yet women operated only about 14% of landholdings (Agriculture Census 2015-16).
Dark side of bonding
Closed kin networks can enforce patriarchy, as khap diktats checked in Shakti Vahini (2018) show.
Elite capture
Groups can exclude Dalit and poorer women, and "sarpanch-pati" proxies leave power with men.
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Question from the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2025 paper. Answer written by Ghissu's engine and checked against our editorial standards. Found an error? Tell us and we correct it within 48 hours.