Investigating the amount of economic, social, psychological, and family Empowerment of Rural Women who Are Member of Microfinance Credits in Sistan Area

The aim of this study was to investigate the amount of economic, social, psychological, and family empowerment of rural women who are member in the microfinance credits in Sistan area in 2017. The main research tool was a researcher-made questionnaire which its validity was confirmed. The statistical population of the study included 318 rural women who were members of Sistan microfinance credits. According to Morgan table, 170 subjects were selected through random cluster sampling. The results of data analysis indicated that the lowest power of the subjects was in the family dimension and their maximum power was psychological. In addition to, the economic, social, psychological, family, and the general empowerment of subjects in the role of the head of household were significantly more than those who were not head of household. Besides, there were a positive and significant correlation between variables economic, psychological and total empowerment of subjects and numbers of loan received by them. Moreover, the variables of times of receiving loan and income rate explained 31.2% of the changes in the total empowerment of the subjects. Encouragment of rural women to gain loan in order to improvement of business is one of the suggestions of the study.