Navigating the Watershed: Challenges and Opportunities for Women's Empowerment in Rural Development

Women empowerment in rural development encompasses economic, social, human, and legal dimensions, aiming to enhance women's quality of life and capacity as agents of economic progress. This review evaluates women's empowerment within the context of watershed development programs implemented through Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in India. Watershed initiatives focus on sustainable resource management, integrating participatory approaches to build community resilience and address socio-economic disparities. SHGs emerge as pivotal mechanisms, fostering social cohesion, enhancing financial literacy, and enabling women to engage in income-generating activities. However, systemic barriers—such as entrenched gender norms and limited institutional support—challenge their scalability and inclusivity. The study underscores the need for gender-sensitive policies, combining hard and soft adaptation strategies to maximize community engagement and equity. Highlighting successful SHG-driven models and participatory evaluation frameworks, this paper provides actionable insights to enhance women's roles in sustainable watershed governance and rural innovation systems.