LEVERAGING THE POWER OF WOMEN’S GROUPS AND FINANCIAL SERVICES TO IMPROVE KNOWLEDGE AND BEHAVIORS FOR IMPROVED CHILD AND MATERNAL NUTRITION
Microfinance institutions (MFIs), self-help promoting institutions (SHPIs), and their self-help groups (SHGs) reach about 90 million poor women in India, bringing them together regularly to participate in financial activities that support their livelihoods.
Since 2007, Freedom from Hunger and the Microcredit Summit Campaign, in partnership through the Health and Microfinance Alliance (HMA), have worked with 38 MFIs and SHPIs across nine states in India that collectively reach more than 7.3 million women with financial services.
This Implementation Note summarizes the experience of HMA in integrating health and nutritional services into the activities of such groups, including health financing, health and nutrition education, and relationship-building with local health and nutritional services.