Women-Led Rural Enterprises and Sustainable Livelihood Development: A Systematic Review of Enablers, Constraints and Transformative Pathways
Nibedita Mishra, Swapnamay Ghosh, Sai Kumar Periginji and Harshitha Chikene
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Abstract:
The establishment of women-headed rural enterprises is seen as an option for livelihood diversification, poverty alleviation, empowerment and local economic development. In this systematic review, recent multidisciplinary literature is critically analyzed to uncover the asset bases, institutions, and market structures that facilitate the conversion of enterprise participation into sustainable livelihood outcomes. It is established that credit and training are necessary but not sufficient. Enterprise success will depend on women’s agency, productive assets, capabilities, inclusion in technology and finance, collective institutions, infrastructure, remunerative markets and public support. Collective organizations can help women gain access to finance, information, self-confidence, negotiation skills and institutions, but limiting social norms, care work, weak service delivery, and the small size of finance and value chains will trap women in low-income activities. Sustainability requires the continuation of the enterprise, diversified income, resilience, well-being, benefit ownership, and environmental responsibility. This review provides a ladder of sustainability consisting of mobilisation and opportunity recognition, capability building, market access, and business growth, culminating in resilience.
Keywords:
Agripreneurship, Microfinance, Rural enterprises, Self-help groups, Social capital, Sustainable entrepreneurship, Sustainable livelihoods, Women empowerment.
Citation: Nibedita Mishra, Swapnamay Ghosh, Sai Kumar Periginji and Harshitha Chikene (2026). Women-Led Rural Enterprises and Sustainable Livelihood Development: A Systematic Review of Enablers, Constraints and Transformative Pathways. Horizon J. Hum. Soc. Sci. Res. 8 (S), 20–30. https://doi.org/10.37534/bp.jhssr.2026.v8.nS.id1391.p20
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