Factors Influencing the Increase of Women's Participation in the Rural Economy of Shaft County

Rural women's participation in various rural activities not only enhances their social presence but also contributes to increased income for rural households and improved livelihoods. This research investigates and identifies the influential factors in enhancing women's participation in the rural economy of Shaft County. The descriptive-survey research method is employed, with a statistical population of 66 members of village councils and residents from various villages in the county. The validity of the items, confirmed by experts, exhibits reliability using Cronbach's alpha test, with scores of 0.841, 0.837, 0.871, and 0.78 for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, respectively, indicating a good and acceptable level. Subsequently, through factor analysis utilizing the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method, the designated items are categorized, and the crucial components for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats are identified, comprising 3, 1, 2, and 1 components, respectively. The variance shares of the first to third components for opportunity points are 31.05, 22.33, and 13.564. For weaknesses, the variance share of the only component is 59.154. The variance shares of the first and second components for opportunity points are 32.316 and 29.964. Lastly, the variance share of the single component for threat points is 70.537. The total explained variance for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats is 66.943, 59.154, 62.281, and 70.537, respectively. The results highlight that the key factors driving women's participation include a suitable cultural platform, financial support, and the role of women in sustainable development, women's employment in agriculture and related industries for tourism development and environmental conservation, and tourism attractions and handicraft sales. Weaknesses mainly stem from a lack of training, insufficient technical facilities for handicraft production, financial constraints, cultural shortcomings, and underestimation of women's participation. Opportunities focus on surplus production, government support, and the establishment of organizations and cooperatives, alongside increasing literacy levels. Threats are rooted in cultural, economic, and social barriers.