Exploring the State of Mental Well-Being Among B40 Women
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54313/journalmp.v4i.132Keywords:
Sustainable Development Goals, Women Entrepreneurs, Mental Well-being, Social SupportAbstract
The solution projects under The All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on the Sustainable Development Goals (APPGM-SDG) have played a significant role in empowering the local communities, particularly women through Income Generation (IG) and Community Learning Center (CLC) projects. The initiative consists of twelve modules on entrepreneurship skills and handholding, with a minimum of 10 to 25 beneficiaries from the B40 category who are mentored by the Solution Provider (SP) throughout the following three to four months. Each project was awarded a RM40,000 grant to provide the beneficiaries with skills and knowledge that will allow them to be independent entrepreneurs. It was discovered through the four case studies that adhered to SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) that certain female beneficiaries were experiencing such high levels of life pressure that negatively impacted their mental health due to a lack of necessary coping strategies to manage the stress and uncomfortable emotions. The reasons vary, ranging from personal issues and societal pressures to the inherent challenges of entrepreneurship. The finding shows that the project’s method of group activities or social groups enhances the beneficiaries’ mental health by providing them with encouragement, hope, and drive to succeed in life. It is also highly recommended to provide mental health awareness as one of the compulsory modules in the solution projects to equip women with appropriate coping techniques for overall success.
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