Strategic Planning to Empower Rural Women in Kermanshah Province through Entrepreneurship Application of Meta-SWOT Technique

The present research was carried out with the aim of strategic planning of empowerment of rural women of Kermanshah province through entrepreneurship in a descriptive–analytical way. Data was collected through interviews and questionnaires. Meta-SWOT software was used to analyze the data. Participants in the research are 18 experts on rural women's affairs in the agricultural jihad organization, Imam Khomani relief committee, Governor's office, Welfare, Rural Cooperative Organization, General Development of Cooperative, Work and Social Welfare of the Province and Razi University who were selected purposefully to identify and prioritize rural women's entrepreneurship empowerment strategies based on the 5 steps of the Meta-SWOT technique. According to the results, two factors, "high capacities in agriculture of the province", and "the presence of medicinal and comestible plants" had the highest weights, which indicated their importance compared to other factors in the development of entrepreneurship empowerment of rural women in Kermanshah province. The results of the investigation of environmental factors also indicated that the factor of "complete lack of coordination between executive organs " with the highest power and effectiveness was an obstacle to the development of rural women entrepreneurship in Kermanshah province. Based on the strategic plan, three important strategies for empowering women's entrepreneurship are "promoting social solidarity and facilitating the communication network between rural women"; "compilation of laws and providing fields for supporting rural women's home productions and markets" and "creating the necessary contexts and platforms to support the handicrafts brand of agricultural and livestock products".