The Contribution of Cooperation in Removing the Deprivation of Female Heads of the Household with a Future Research Approach

Cooperatives have been a subject of interest to policymakers in the field of poverty alleviation for a long time. They are capable of empowering women who are the chiefs of households, which is a significant aspect of poverty in Khuzestan Province. Therefore, the primary inquiry of this investigation is: What are the most critical cooperative development strategies for the alleviation of poverty among women who are the leaders of households in Khuzestan Province? The research employs a futures research approach and scenario-building method with the Scenario Wizard software, and is founded on documentary studies and expert opinions. In 2024, the experts consisted of 40 academics, executive management, and administrators of women's cooperatives in Khuzestan Province. Non-probability judgmental sampling was implemented. Four scenarios were identified by the results. The first part of the scenario includes the two most desirable scenarios (all factors, with favorable conditions), as well as suitable economic conditions with the support of the authorities and the development of infrastructure. The second scenario is solely in the culture component and considers static conditions. The third scenario suggests that the current situation be maintained while strengthening infrastructure and empowering women under static conditions. The crisis scenario illustrates the unfavorable situation of women's cooperatives. The most critical attributes include the following: improving the quality of women's education, enhancing the level of support through educational infrastructure and the presence of women, focusing on cultural issues that are relevant to the advancement of women's work, and increasing attention to the cooperative sector in the economy and the opinion of the authorities.