Women's Strategic Studies

Women's Strategic Studies

Analyzing the Barriers to Rural Women Employment Development in Shushtar Township

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Zahra Soltani 1
majid Goodarzi 2
Mohammad Vardipor 3
1 Associate Professor of Geography and Rural Planning, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
2 Associate Professor of Geography and Urban Planning, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
3 Masters Student of Geography and Rural Planning, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
10.22095/jwss.2025.465388.3503
Abstract
Rural women's employment is considered one of the key factors in the sustainable development of rural areas and plays an important role in improving the economic, social, and livelihood conditions of these communities. However, the development of women's employment in rural areas faces various obstacles and challenges that can prevent the full realization of their potential. Shushtar County, as one of the regions with high agricultural capacity and related industries, is no exception. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the factors hindering the development of rural women's employment. This research is applied in terms of its objective and descriptive-analytical in terms of its method, with data collected using a questionnaire. The statistical population consisted of rural women aged 18 to 65 in Shushtar County, and a sample size of 365 was determined using the Cochran formula. Simple random sampling was used, and the questionnaires were distributed and collected through rural municipalities. After reviewing the theoretical foundations and interviewing experts, five factors—educational, cultural, social, institutional, and environmental—were identified as the main hindrances. The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The results showed that all fit indices of the structural equation model were confirmed, and the five factors had a negative and significant impact on the development of rural women's employment. Among these, environmental factors showed the greatest hindering effect. The findings can assist policymakers in developing effective solutions to reduce the barriers to rural women's employment.
Keywords
Employment barriers
rural women
structural equation modeling
Shushtar Township

Subjects

  • ثقفی، مهدی، روانشناس، عباس، و پهلوانی‌نیا، زهرا (1393). واکاوی بر نقش اشتغال زنان روستایی در فرایند توسعه روستایی با تأکید بر موانع و مشکلات (مطالعه موردی؛ بخش تیمور آباد شهرستان هامون). همایش ملی توسعه پایدار روستایی در افق 1404، اصفهان، https://civilica.com/doc/319473.
  • داورخانی، فضیله (1385). توسعه روستایی و چالش‌های اشتغال زنان. پژوهش‌های جغرافیایی، 55 (13)، 40-25.
  • رضوی، ناصر، و رضایی‌نسب، آزاده (1400). واکاوی موانع اجتماعی- اقتصادی در توسعه‌ی کارآفرینی و اشتغال زنان روستایی (موردمطالعه: بخش سنندج). پژوهشنامه اسلامی زنان و خانواده، 8(13)، 67-54.
  • شریفی، زینب، ایروانی، هوشنگ، و دانشورعامری، ژیلا (1398). بررسی گرایش زنان روستایی به اشتغال (موردمطالعه: زنان روستایی شهرستان نجف‌آباد). زن و جامعه (جامعه‌شناسی زنان)، 10(37)، 236-217. https://dorl.net/dor/20.1001.1.20088566.1398.10.37.10.9.
  • علی‌پور، محمدصادق (1397). اثر تحصیلات عالی زنان روستایی بر اشتغال در نقاط روستایی ایران. نامه انجمن جمعیت‌شناسی ایران، 13(26)، 88-67. https://dorl.net/dor/20.1001.1.1735000.1397.13.26.3.5.
  • فرضی‌زاده، زهرا، متوسلی، محمود، و طالب، مهدی (1392). بررسی جامعه‌شناختی، توانمندی اجتماعی و اقتصادی، درک بومی از آن، عوامل مؤثر بر رشد آن و موانع در جامعه زنان روستایی. توسعه محلی (روستا – شهری)، 5 (1)، 40-1. https://doi.org/10.22059/jrd.2013.35610.
  • کلهر، رضوان، و نعمتی، فواد (1396). بررسی اثرات اقتصادی توسعه­ی اشتغال خانگی بر زنان روستایی شهرستان کنگاور استان کرمانشاه. همایش ملی بررسی راهکارهای مدیریت توسعه کارآفرینی روستایی در ایران، سبزوار، https://civilica.com/doc/635838.
  • محمودیان، حسین، و رشوند، مرجان (1391). اشتغال زنان فارغ التحصیل آموزش عالی و عوامل جمعیتی و اجتماعی مؤثر بر آن (مطالعه موردی: شهر تهران). زن در توسعه و سیاست، 10(1)، 104- 83... doi: 10.22059/jwdp.2012.24770.
  • میرلطفی، محمودرضا، علوی‌زاده، امیرمحمد، و بدخش، یوسف (1393). آسیب‌شناسی اثرات توسعه مشاغل خانگی در مناطق روستایی. پژوهش و برنامه‌ریزی روستایی، 3(5)، 11- 1.
  • مینویی، سیده‌‌بیگرد (1400). بررسی عوامل مؤثر در طراحی محیط اشتغال زنان از بعد توانمندسازی محیطی. فصلنامه مطالعات فرهنگ و هنر، 6(1)، 29-17. https://civilica.com/doc/1499860.
  • هاشم‌پوروزوانی، شیما، و مختاری، حسام (1401). رویکرد اسناد بین‌المللی به اشتغال زنان و نهاد خانواده. اولین همایش ملی تحولات قانون‌گذاری در زمینه استحکام خانواده و مدیریت اختلافات، دامغان، https://civilica.com/doc/1582110.

 

  • Abbott, P. & Wallace, C. (2015). Sociology of women. Translated by Manijeh Najm Iraqi, Tehran: Nei Publishing.
  • Cicowiez, M., Akinyemi, O., Sesan, T., Adu, O., & Sokeye, B. (2022). Gender-differentiated impacts of a Rural Electrification Policy in Nigeria. Energy Policy, 162, 112774.
  • Cole, M. (2022). Education, equality and human rights: issues of gender, 'race', sexuality, disability and social class. Taylor & Francis.
  • Crescenzi, R., Ganau, R., & Storper, M. (2022). Does foreign investment hurt job creation at home? The geography of outward FDI and employment in the USA. Journal of Economic Geography, 22 (1), 53-79. doi: 10.1093/jeg/lbab016
  • Ghose, B., Haque, F., & Al Mamun, A. (2023). Factors Influencing Post-Marriage Education and Employment among Bangladeshi Women: A Cross-Sectional Analysis, Women, 3(3): 396-407.
  • Huang, Q., Zheng, X., & Wang, R. (2022). The impact of the accessibility of transportation infrastructure on the Non-Farm employment choices of rural laborers: Empirical analysis based on China’s micro data. Land, 11(6), 896.
  • Hutchings, K., Moyle, C. L., Chai, A., Garofano, N., & Moore, S. (2020). Segregation of women in tourism employment in the APEC region. Tourism Management Perspectives, 34, 100655.
  • Islam, M. S. (2021). Role of Islamic microfinance in women’s empowerment: evidence from rural development scheme of Islami bank Bangladesh limited. ISRA International Journal of Islamic Finance, 13(1), 26-45.
  • Kelly, S. & Price, H. (2019). Vocational education: A clean slate for disengaged students. Social Science Research, 38, 810-825.
  • Kuma, B., & Godana, A. (2023). Factors affecting rural women economic empowerment in Wolaita Ethiopia. Cogent Economics & Finance, 11 (2): 2235823.
  • Lei, L., Desai, S., & Vanneman, R. (2019). The impact of transportation infrastructure on women's employment in India. Feminist economics, 25(4), 94-125.
  • Maneja, C.A. (2002), Women weaving and the web: an Analysis of rural Indian women's Agency in Attaining economic empowerment. master of arts thesis in communication, culture and technology/,Washington, D.C
  • Mouly, J., & Costa, E. (2022). Employment policies in developing countries: a comparative analysis. Taylor & Francis.
  • Termine, P. & Percic, M. (2015). Rural Women’s Empowerment through Employment from the Beijing Platform for Action Onwards, 46, 33-41.
  • Voumik, L. C. Nafi, S. M. Kuri, B. C. & Raihan, A. (2022). How tourism affects women's employment in Asian countries: an application of Generalized Method of Moments and Quantile Regression. Journal of Social Sciences and Management Studies, 1(4), 57-72.
  • Xie, F. Liu, S. & Xu, D. (2022). Gender difference in time-use of off-farm employment in rural Sichuan, China. Journal of Rural Studies, 93, 487-495.
  • Zheng, H. Ma, W. Guo, Y. & Zhou, X. (2022). Interactive relationship between non-farm employment and mechanization service expenditure in rural China. China Agricultural Economic Review, 14(1), 84-105.
Women's Strategic Studies
Volume 27, Issue 105
Autumn 2024
Pages 155-179