Strategic Analysis of Entrepreneurship Development in Rural Women's Microcredit Funds (Case study: Badrah County)

Introduction
In contemporary Iranian society, women represent a substantial portion of the population and possess significant untapped potential. Under appropriate socioeconomic conditions, they can play a pivotal role in driving economic, social, and cultural development. Women constitute nearly half of the rural population and, despite their integral involvement in rural production systems, there remains a pressing need to foster a sense of belonging and opportunity for them as a distinct social group within rural communities. According to numerous scholars, one effective pathway toward advancing rural development lies in promoting entrepreneurship within these areas. Given the availability of human capital and local resources, rural regions have the potential to become key arenas for fostering entrepreneurial initiatives. The role of microcredit funds in poverty alleviation and rural development further underscores their strategic importance. Given that rural poverty remains a persistent challenge, improving livelihood conditions in rural households and encouraging entrepreneurship among rural women is essential. Field investigations and interviews with experts regarding microcredit funds for rural women in Badreh County reveal several obstacles impeding entrepreneurial development. In some cases, these challenges are so significant that targeted field research is necessary to identify the prerequisites for enhancing entrepreneurial activities within such funds. Although the economic necessity of women’s participation in productive activities is widely acknowledged, the enabling environment for rural women's entrepreneurship has yet to be adequately established. One contributing factor is the limited emphasis placed by microcredit institutions on creating platforms conducive to employment generation specifically for rural women. Thus, this study seeks to address the following research question: What are the internal factors (strengths and weaknesses), external factors (opportunities and threats), and strategic development pathways for entrepreneurship within microcredit funds targeting rural women in Badreh County?
 
Methodology
This study adopts an applied research approach and falls under the category of sequential exploratory mixed-methods research (qualitative followed by quantitative). Initially, we conducted a SWOT analysis to identify the internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external (opportunities and threats) factors influencing entrepreneurship development within rural women’s microcredit funds in Badreh County. Subsequently, we prioritized and weighted these factors using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) through pairwise comparison questionnaires administered via the software "Expert Choice." The study involved 18 experts and managers associated with microcredit funds for rural women in Badreh County, selected through purposive sampling. Data collection was carried out using semi-structured individual interviews, focus group discussions, field observations, and note-taking. Qualitative data were analyzed through thematic content analysis, guided by strategic frameworks and SWOT matrix interpretations. To ensure the validity of findings, multiple verification strategies were employed, including triangulation of data sources, maximum variation sampling, and peer debriefing with members of the research team.
 
Findings
The research identified key internal and external factors affecting the development of entrepreneurship in rural women’s microcredit funds in Badreh County. Among internal factors, "family labor support in entrepreneurial activities" emerged as the most significant strength, while "the presence of unskilled labor within the funds" was identified as the primary weakness.
Regarding external factors, "favorable conditions for collecting and processing livestock hair and wool" represented the most promising opportunity, whereas "multiple domestic and professional responsibilities of rural women fund members" posed the most critical threat.
The study also proposed several development strategies, including:

Encouraging members to initiate family-based or cooperative businesses in agricultural and handicraft sectors.
Designing and implementing skill-building training programs tailored to the needs of fund members in agriculture and crafts.
Promoting successful female entrepreneurs at national, provincial, and local levels to reshape societal perceptions of women in business.

These strategies aim to create a supportive ecosystem conducive to the growth of rural women’s entrepreneurship.
 
Discussion and Conclusion
The findings of this study provide a comprehensive overview of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats influencing entrepreneurship within microcredit funds for rural women in Badreh County. These insights carry both theoretical and practical implications for policymakers and practitioners engaged in rural development.
From a theoretical perspective, the study contributes to the conceptual understanding of rural women’s entrepreneurship, particularly in the context of microcredit mechanisms and their developmental potential.
From a practical standpoint, the findings offer actionable recommendations for designing and implementing targeted interventions, including:

Offering cooperative loans through economic organizations to facilitate income-generating activities.
Planning and executing group-based income-generating projects involving fund members.
Conducting vocational training sessions aligned with members’ needs to enhance entrepreneurial skills.
Prioritizing entrepreneurship education to diversify business opportunities for rural women.
Organizing annual festivals at provincial and national levels to honor successful fund members and exemplary microcredit institutions.
Developing media programs—radio, television, and online—to showcase successful women entrepreneurs and promote positive role models.
Increasing credit limits for active rural women entrepreneurs based on business initiation criteria.
Ranking microcredit funds and granting preferential facilities to high-performing ones.
Encouraging fund managers to pool unused resources and explore new opportunities for advancement.
Utilizing entrepreneurial bricolage as a strategy to overcome resource limitations and generate innovative solutions amid environmental constraints.

By adopting such strategies, rural women’s microcredit funds can not only address existing challenges but also unlock latent potentials, thereby contributing meaningfully to sustainable rural development and women's empowerment.