Empowering Women Social Entrepreneurs in Sabah

This chapter examines women-led social entrepreneurship in Sabah, Malaysia, through the lens of Institutional Theory, focusing on how women navigate, challenge, and reshape institutional boundaries in rural and Indigenous contexts. Although social entrepreneurship in Malaysia is still emerging, women in Sabah integrate cultural heritage, environmental sustainability, and community empowerment into innovative business models. Drawing on thematic qualitative interviews with Sabahan women social entrepreneurs, the chapter identifies key themes: challenges such as cultural expectations, limited resources, and structural gaps; the strengths of agency, resilience, and community innovation; and strategic interventions to enhance women-led enterprises. Each theme reflects the interaction between the regulative, normative, and cultural-cognitive pillars of institutional theory and the social entrepreneurship ecosystem. By amplifying women’s voices and lived experiences, the chapter offers insights for policymakers and development agencies to strengthen the social enterprise ecosystem and promote gender-equitable entrepreneurship for community resilience and social innovation.