Studying the Effects of Women empowerment on the Evolution of Human Settlements (Case study: RFLDL Project Settlements in Sarayan County)

Abstract

Purpose- How to move toward community empowerment is one of the most crucial challenges in local and regional development programs. This is essential for the role of women in measures and programs for sustainable development that is founded on environmental activities. One of the South Khorasan province's local development measures is the RFLDL project in Sarayan county, and one of its selected techniques for achieving the project's main objectives is the local women empowerment. This study aims to evaluate the geographical and spatial aspects of the effects of women empowerment in the implementation area of the RFLDL project in Sarayan county. Design/methodology/approach- The current research is practical in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of nature and method. Among the households whose women participated in the RFLDL project, 273 women was determined using Cochran's formula. Findings- The findings demonstrated that local women empowerment has increased greatly over the past ten years as a result of implementing the RFLDL project in the studied area. Women empowerment has resulted in improving the economic environment of human settlements and increasing the income of residents through the creation of small and home-based employment. In addition, self-confidence has improved, self-esteem has developed, and group participation has been promoted. The settlements are changing more and more in terms of ecology. Additionally, the development of human settlement ties and the strengthening of spatial links have benefited greatly from women empowerment. Research limitations/implications- The spread of the Coronavirus complicated efforts to collect data in the studied villages and significantly decelerated the article's production. Accordingly, surveys and interviews were conducted online to lessen the negative effects of this constraint. Practical implications- The development of human settlements and their transformations are significantly accelerated by women empowerment through spatial dynamism. Originality / value- The findings of the research are mentioned in this article, and according to the guidelines, the sources used, such as theses, articles and books all are cited. The use of traditional statistical indicators and the investigated villages within the RFLDL project's purview in Sarayan county provide the value and originality of this research.