Women's challenges in urbanizing rural areas: A case study of Mohammadshahr in Karaj

According to the “confronting” approach, urbanizing rural areas is one of the new phenomena that have emerged in Iran over the last few decades as a consequence of unbalanced development and rising migrations. These regions' characteristics reflect both pastoral and urban issues. Due to the disproportionate number of female immigrants in these regions, gender has become a major research topic. Consequently, women in rural-urban areas confront numerous development-related obstacles, as traditional rural values and norms continue to predominate. Moreover, urbanization has presented new challenges, especially in terms of development. This study seeks to investigate the access of women to social, economic, and cultural resources, which are essential for social development. Additionally, it seeks to investigate the opportunities and obstacles women face in Mohammadshahr’s social development process.Observations and interviews with women were used to collect data for a qualitative analysis.  32 women were interviewed individually, and three groups of women, each with 16, 8, and 5 participants, were also interviewed using the technique of purposive sampling.The study’s findings indicate that women face a variety of obstacles that can be classified into four distinct domains: economic, social, political, and environmental. In the realm of the economy, women encounter obstacles such as a dearth of suitable employment opportunities, restricted access to resources, and a lack of practical skills. In the social realm, inadequate public awareness and inadequate practical training contribute to the difficulties women confront. Political factors include the absence of regional development communities and the dearth of managerial and leadership opportunities for women.  As a final environmental factor, inadequate security measures for women are present.The findings of this study emphasize the significant role that legal, cultural, social, and political factors play in contributing to women’s overall lack of empowerment. It is evident that women’s limited participation in social development is a result of the region's enduring cultural traditions. Additionally, it is essential to acknowledge that women's challenges and opportunities in the context of social development in Iran’s urbanizing rural areas are influenced by the broader process of women's development and cannot be examined separately