The Role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Women’s Empowerment and Environmental Protection in the Rural Areas (Case Study: Rural Areas of County Roshtkhar)

Local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), being regarded as the clear representation of the participation of people, pave the way for fulfilling the objectives of sustainable development. The main goal of this study is to investigate the circumstances and consequences of local NGOs in empowering rural women in protecting the environment of Roshtkhar city. The data needed for this study have been obtained through semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of the founding boards and active members of NGOs (n =27). The results of the current study that utilized the conventional coding process indicate that in the villages studied, NGOs protect and improve the environmental performance and lead to the economic empowerment of the rural women.