Social Work Intervention for Empowerment and Psycho-Social Sustainability of Rural Women Entrepreneurial Families in Sri Lanka: A Secondary Data Analysis

Rural women’s entrepreneurship has emerged as an important mechanism for promoting economic empowerment, poverty reduction, and rural development in Sri Lanka. Despite its growing contribution to household welfare and local economic development, rural women entrepreneurs continue to face numerous economic, socio-cultural, and psychosocial challenges that limit entrepreneurial sustainability and long-term empowerment. This study aimed to propose Social Work interventions to enhance the empowerment and psychosocial sustainability of rural women entrepreneurial families in Sri Lanka. Specifically, the study examined the factors influencing women’s participation in entrepreneurship, the contribution of rural women entrepreneurship to local economic development, the effects of powerlessness and socio-cultural constraints on entrepreneurial development, the psychosocial challenges faced by women entrepreneurs, and the effectiveness of existing government policies and programmes. The study employed a qualitative secondary data analysis approach based on peer-reviewed journal articles, government reports, policy documents, and publications of national and international organizations published primarily between 2020 and 2025. Data were analysed using thematic analysis guided by Empowerment Theory, Ecological Systems Theory, Feminist Theory, and Social Capital Theory. The findings reveal that women engage in entrepreneurship due to economic necessity, aspirations for financial independence, family welfare considerations, and opportunities for personal empowerment. Rural women entrepreneurship contributes significantly to income generation, employment creation, poverty reduction, and community development. However, entrepreneurial development is constrained by limited access to finance, socio-cultural barriers, gender inequalities, and inadequate institutional support. Furthermore, women entrepreneurs experience psychosocial challenges including financial stress, work–family conflict, emotional exhaustion, and social isolation. The study concludes that Social Work can play a vital role in promoting sustainable entrepreneurship through integrated interventions at individual, family, community, institutional, and policy levels. Such interventions can enhance economic empowerment, psychosocial well-being, and sustainable rural development in Sri Lanka.