Identify and Prioritize the Driving and Inhibiting Factors Relevant to the Development of Rural Women Entrepreneurship (Case Study: Lahijan City)

Abstract

The current research seeks to identify and prioritize the driving and inhabiting factors relevant to the development of rural women entrepreneurship in Lahijan city. Research methodology was qualitative and of a case-study type, and data collection was performed by using participative observation and in-depth interviews with 10 rural entrepreneur women that were selected based on the purposive sampling method. According to the results obtained from the content analysis of the interviews, driving factors in the selective class “balanced and endogenous development” were categorized in two categories including contextual and structural factors, which delicacy and precision in performing work, interest in the working field, using the support of the people, appropriate environmental condition, and holding training courses were the most important priorities. In addition, inhibiting factors were categorized in two selective categories: 1-”the problems relevant to implementation sector problems” including two areas namely weakness of infrastructures and also supportive and policy-oriented insufficiency of government and organizations; and 2-”the problems relevant to manufacturing sector” including problems relevant to the supply chain, distribution and monitoring. In this regard, the lack of adequate space, the lack of mutual trust, the lack of government support of manufacturers, a high rate of bank interests, the lack of attention to the problems in the area of production, intense market volatility, fluctuations in input prices, and damages caused to goods due to pest, were the most important obstacles to the development of rural women entrepreneurship in Lahijan city.