Authors: Samar Othman
This study aimed to identify economic empowerment programs and its relation with socio-economic empowerment in the Northern Governorates of the West Bank: Nablus Governorate as a model.
The study approached the literature as a multi-dimensional phenomenon, which addressed both theoretical and applied research. The significance of this recent study is the first, which dealt with this theme, to the author knowledge, which in turn encourages other researchers to work on further research on this important issue.
The study adopted the quantitative research approach using the sampling survey method. The questionnaire is appropriate for the exploratory nature of the research. A 42-item questionnaire was formulated which was divided into three sub-scales as follows: the general information of the participants; the second section dealt with the economic empowerment programs scale (22 items); and the third section included the socio-economic empowerment scale (20 items). The convenience sample method was utilized which comprised of a sample size of (180) male and female beneficiaries of the economic empowerment programs at the Ministry of Social Development in Nablus Governorate. The collected data was statistically analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS).
The findings revealed that participants experienced a high level of the economic empowerment programs in the Ministry of Social Development in Nablus Governorate, and these programs had a high impact in their socio-economic empowerment. The mean scores were (3.92, 4.11) respectively. The study revealed the determinant impact of the economic empowerment programs on increasing the socio-economic empowerment among beneficiaries of economic empowerment programs at the Ministry of Social Development in Nablus Governorate. It was found that when the economic empowerment programs increases, the socio-economic empowerment increasing and vice versa.
These findings confirm the value of the economic empowerment programs on increasing the socio-economic empowerment among beneficiaries of economic empowerment programs at the Ministry of Social Development in the Palestinian society in general, and among the beneficiaries of economic empowerment programs at the Ministry of Social Development in Nablus Governorate in particular, and recommend the need to work on the sustainability of these programs; because of its impact in the life of beneficiaries, the society, and the marginalized and poor individuals, the need to develop such programs, in a way that serves the process of sustainable economic and social development, and further research is essential in the area of the economic empowerment programs and its relation with socio-economic empowerment using the qualitative research design.
Keywords: Economic empowerment programs, Ministry of Social Development, socio-economic empowerment.
Samar Othman, MA. Social Worker, Faculty of Social Sciences, Al-Quds Open University, Ramallah, Palestine. Independent Researcher, Nablus, Palestine. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
