The challenge
Anti-poverty programs were top-down and women had little access to credit or a voice locally.
The case
Launched by the Kerala state government in 1998, Kudumbashree organizes women into neighborhood groups that are linked to ward- and village-level bodies and to local government. Groups run savings and lending, start small businesses from catering to waste collection, and help local councils identify who needs support and plan anti-poverty projects. By 31 March 2025 the network had 4,808,837 women in 317,724 neighborhood groups, covering a large share of Kerala's households, and many members have gone on to win local elections.
Why it worked
Giving community groups a formal role in local government made them durable and influential. The evidence is mostly descriptive, so its effect on poverty hasn't been rigorously measured.
Sources
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