Factors Affecting the Economic Empowerment of Villagers in East Azerbaijan Province

Economic empowerment improves the quality of life the villagers, especially disadvantaged groups. This action can be done through active and conscious participation and ensuring well-being. In order to determine how to meet the necessary conditions for it, the present study was conducted to investigate the factors affecting the economic empowerment of villagers in East Azerbaijan province using a survey research method. For this purpose, a researcher-made questionnaire was drafted. After testing the face validity (by experts) and reliability (by pilot study), 384 household heads were selected as a sample from the statistical population. Cochran's formula was employed to calculate the minimum required sample size. Stratified random sampling method with proportional assignment was applied to select the samples. Data analysis was performed through SPSS software. The results of regression and path analysis showed that 55.9 percent of the dependent variable’s variation was explained using seven factors, including "access to the credits", "conduction of the Hadi Plan", "ecological sustainability", "access to information resources", "agricultural experience", "purchasing power of agricultural inputs", and "accumulation of loan". Based on the conclusions, some applicable suggestions were provided to improve and strengthen the economic empowerment of villagers.