Cooperatives provide the opportunity for poor people to raise their incomes; they are democracies empowering people to own their own solutions; they increase security for the members; and they contribute directly and indirectly to primary education for children, gender equality and reducing child mortality. Rural women cooperative in Khorashad village is one of the most successful organizations in grassroots level that during 17 years ago played a major role in enhancing socio-economic status of its members and creating various job opportunities for them, organizing marketing their productions and finally enhancing revenues and welfare of their members ’ families. In this article, authors studying and assessing development impacts of rural women cooperative in Khorashad village, Birjand in south khorasan province - east of Iran. Statistical population of this research, include rural women that were active members of rural women cooperative in Khorashad village during 2011- 2013 (about 280 rural women). Findings of the Research showed that rural women cooperative in Khorashad village, played a major role in empowering rural women in this region because of by it, they could get various loans with low level of interest and establishing various vocations by these loans such as carpet weaving and various aspects of handicrafts, confectionery, and etc. Also rural women in Khorashad village by their cooperative, accessed to higher socioeconomic situation in their families and local community and more independence from their wives because of their income generation and better situations and more opportunities for continuing education of their children in Khorashad village, Birjand city and other places in the country.

Keyword: Cooperative; Development; Rural women