Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Member of the Research Group for Entrepreneurship Development and Sustainable Rural Employment Studies, Jihad University, Hamedan, Iran.
2
Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Agricultural Education and Extension, Faculty of Agriculture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran.
3
M.A. in Sociology, Member of the Research Group for Entrepreneurship Development and Sustainable Rural Employment Studies, Jihad University, Hamedan, Iran.
4
Ph.D. Student of Agricultural Dvelopment, Department of Agricultural Education and Extension, Faculty of Agriculture, Bu-Ali-Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
5
Ph.D. Student of Extension and Education Agricultural, Department of Extension, Communication and Rural Development, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran.
Abstract
This study aims to formulate strategies for the sustainable development of rural areas with an emphasis on entrepreneurship and home-based businesses in Hamadan province. The research is applied-analytical and exploratory in nature. The SWOT technique was used in this study to identify the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities for sustainable rural development with an emphasis on entrepreneurship and home-based businesses in Hamadan province. The statistical population of the study consisted of members of village councils, village heads, and rural entrepreneurs, covering 73 districts of Hamadan province. Based on stratified sampling with proportional allocation, 30 districts from 9 counties were selected. The sample size was determined as 384 according to the Cochran formula. The results revealed that the most significant strength identified was the natural, cultural, and religious attractions, as well as historical monuments in the villages of the studied area. The most notable weakness was the deteriorating infrastructure and lack of welfare, recreational, and basic services in rural areas. Furthermore, 15 strategies for sustainable development in Hamadan province, focusing on entrepreneurship and home-based businesses, were extracted using the SWOT technique. The most important strategies include: 1) creating and expanding legitimate spaces for women's participation in political-legal, socio-cultural, economic, physical, and operational dimensions, 2) investing and allocating sufficient financial resources to villages, and 3) creating appropriate conditions for voluntary women’s participation in rural employment programs. Additionally, promoting diverse crop cultivation in villages and other strategies mentioned in the article are outlined.
Keywords