For the past 27 years, ASSEFA has been successfully facilitating community-led mass wedding programmes through Women Self-Help Group (SHG) Federations across rural areas in Tamil Nadu, India.
The primary intention of this initiative is to address several social and economic challenges faced by families in villages.
In many rural communities, several young women and men remain unmarried even after reaching marriageable age due to socio-economic constraints. These include factors such as dowry expectations, extreme poverty, physical disabilities, or the absence of parental support. Recognizing these challenges, the Women SHG Federations supported by ASSEFA identify such eligible brides and grooms irrespective of caste or religion and facilitate their marriages through community-organized mass wedding ceremonies.
The weddings are conducted on an auspicious day, and the entire expenses are voluntarily borne by the local community, including SHG members, village leaders, and well-wishers. This collective effort not only helps the couples begin their family life with dignity but also strengthens social harmony, unity, and solidarity within the community.
Over the years, this initiative has grown into a powerful community movement. So far, 2,968 couples have been married across 57 locations through mass weddings organized by Women SHG Federations under the facilitation of ASSEFA.
The most recent mass wedding ceremony (March 05, 2026) was organized in Thonugal village in Virudhunagar District, Tamil Nadu, where 16 couples were married in the presence of thousands of community members, local leaders, well-wishers, and women SHG members. The couples were blessed by the gathering, making the event not only a celebration of marriage but also a symbol of collective responsibility and community solidarity.
