The role of Tourism in improvement of rural women's entrepreneurship: A comparative Study of Kandovan and Eskandan villages in Osku District

Iranian rural women have been working side by side with men in many activities. But in recent years، due to social، economic and cultural changes، the role of women in many rural activities has declined، causing many social and economic problems in rural areas. Tourism is one of the activities in which there are too many opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship for women. Women are able to get involved with the business of tourism easily at the same time that they may perform their daily activities such as taking care of children، cooking and housekeeping. This study has been conducted by using a survey method، collecting the research data through documentary and field research methods. Questionnaires and interviews have been employed to collect the data. The study population consisted of women and girls in Kandovan and Eskandan rural areas. A total of 210 women were randomly selected from the two rural areas. The findings of this research indicate that tourism prosperity rural areas can create many opportunities for women. Tourism development grants the rural environment a stimulus and motivation for women entrepreneurship and self employment. The results of the comparison indicate that there are significant differences between the characteristics of entrepreneurial women in the two villages. The average value of indicators of women’s entrepreneurship in Kandovan is at a higher level than women''s entrepreneurship in Eskandan.