Breaking barriers: Institutional and cultural constraints to sustainability in women-led rural tourism enterprises in Malaysia

Women-led rural tourism enterprises play a crucial role in fostering inclusive rural development in Malaysia; however, they encounter complex institutional and cultural challenges that threaten their sustainability. This study aims to examine the institutional and cultural constraints affecting the sustainability of women-led rural tourism enterprises in Malaysia and to explore the strategies women entrepreneurs employ to navigate and overcome these constraints. This investigation utilizes a qualitative interpretivist framework enhanced by AI-supported evidence synthesis to methodically examine peer-reviewed research and policy documents concerning women’s entrepreneurship in rural tourism. A comprehensive screening and thematic analysis were conducted on ten studies based in Malaysia, covering regions such as Kelantan, Sabah, Terengganu, Kedah, Perlis, Selangor, and Penang, to uncover barriers, resilience strategies, and sustainability outcomes. The findings indicate ongoing barriers to formal finance, disjointed and bureaucratic policy execution, and entrenched patriarchal norms that limit mobility, decision-making, and access to markets. Women entrepreneurs exhibit remarkable adaptability by leveraging Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (ROSCAs) and social networks, diversifying their products and markets, and strategically adopting digital technologies. By combining various theoretical perspectives, we present a cohesive conceptual framework that connects structural constraints to agency-driven adaptations and sustainability outcomes, specifically in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals 5, 8, and 10. The implications for policy encompass grant criteria that are sensitive to gender, microfinance options designed for informal enterprises, ongoing mentorship and capacity-building initiatives, as well as branding strategies that are specific to regions in order to enhance market reach. The study methodically demonstrates the potential of AI tools to enhance transparency and reproducibility in qualitative synthesis while preserving the role of interpretive judgement. The framework provides a foundation for tailored interventions and future longitudinal, comparative, and digital-inclusion studies focused on women’s rural tourism entrepreneurship.