Signature projects

Increasing the uptake of social security schemes among SHG members

  • calendarAug 4, 2025
  • time 2 min

The Self-Help Group (SHG) model has played a key role in advancing financial inclusion for women in India. However, most SHG programs have struggled to achieve the broader goals of women’s empowerment. Most women in rural India still lack access to financial services such as the social security scheme. A key barrier has been low awareness of the security scheme, its benefits, complex policy processes, and confusing documentation and implementation procedures. To address these challenges, a targeted initiative was launched by MSC to enhance awareness and simplify access to government-backed social security schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY).

This initiative aimed to help SHG members, particularly women in rural areas, better protect themselves and their families through improved social security coverage.

MSC led a multifaceted intervention that combined systems innovation, policy simplification, and grassroots-level engagement to boost social security uptake among SHG members. Recognizing that low awareness and complex procedures were major barriers, MSC developed and institutionalized Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in collaboration with government stakeholders to streamline policy implementation. It focused on claim settlements under PMSBY and PMJJBY. To ensure last-mile impact, MSC designed and rolled out hyper-local communication strategies, including vernacular audiovisual tools and community-based outreach through SHG networks. These tools were tailored to address behavioral barriers and explain complex insurance concepts clearly.

The initiative resulted in a significant increase in the uptake of social security schemes, with over 13 million SHG members in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha enrolling. This greatly enhanced their financial security and overall well-being.

The Gates Foundation commissioned the project.

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