http://repo.lib.sab.ac.lk:8080/xmlui/handle/susl/4452 Open access biannual refereed journal 2026-04-20T15:42:52Z http://repo.lib.sab.ac.lk:8080/xmlui/handle/susl/4458 Front materials 2024-06-01T00:00:00Z http://repo.lib.sab.ac.lk:8080/xmlui/handle/susl/4457 Sociocultural Discourses of Suicide in Sri Lanka: An Overview of Literature Rasnayake, Susantha; Ellalagoda, Jagath; Jayasena, Chandima Suicide and self-harm are some sort of the critical public health concerns in Sri Lanka. In the global context, Sri Lanka still reports a very high rate of deaths by suicide despite and its declining trends during the last few decades. Meanwhile, studies had described different sociocultural factors that trigger suicidal behaviours. Thus, synthesizing previous works on sociocultural factors of suicide will be vital in forming preventive strategies. This paper, therefore, aims to answer what are the sociocultural factors triggering suicide and how they could be connected with historical and structural social dynamics in Sri Lanka. The study used content analysis to analyze 84 peer-reviewed articles selected via Google Scholar using appropriate search terms. The study finds that masculinity and feminine properties of Sri Lankan culture are essential factors in describing suicidal behaviour. Socio-political and structural changes that occurred in the post-independent era also been contributed to increasing suicide. Further, literature widely recognized issues around love, sex, and romance as critical risk factors that trigger suicide and self-harm among young people. Moreover, men’s alcoholism and domestic violence are crucial aspects of suicide in Sri Lankan society. The review concludes that suicidal behaviour has been established in the social context as a form of problem-solving or a method of escaping from the distress caused by issues related to everyday social life rather than mental problems. Thus, preventive measures must address these socio-cultural dynamics, while addressing the essential mental health problems that contribute to suicide in Sri Lanka. 2024-06-01T00:00:00Z http://repo.lib.sab.ac.lk:8080/xmlui/handle/susl/4456 The Role of Microcredit on Women Empowerment in Sri Lanka: Evidence from Samurdhi Program Beneficiaries in Weligama Divisional Secretariat Division Ilma, A. A. F.; Shantha, M. S. Empowerment of women is one of the important issues in developing countries, especially in Asia and Africa. Also, one of the most important concerns of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals is the empowerment of women. Women have less access to resources that can generate income, finances and land. National governments and their development partners have viewed microcredit as a strategic tool for the empowerment of vulnerable groups, notably women. The main aim of microcredit is to empower women. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to identify the role of microcredit on women's empowerment in the Weligama District Secretariat Division (DSD). To address the research objectives the researcher chooses pragmatism, a mixed approach (quantitative approach and qualitative approach) where the researcher studied the sample as 140 women in the Weligama DSD. A sample was selected under a simple random sampling technique. The data were analyzed using the Pearson Correlation Coefficient and Multiple Linear Regression model with the support of SPSS. The results of the study, reflect that self-employment, income generation and living standards have a clear positive relationship with women empowerment. The finding also pointed out that self-employment highly influences women's empowerment. Finally, this study provided recommendations for Samurdhi banks and other relevant parties to further formalize Samurdhi Bank’s micro-credit facilities for poor women. 2024-06-01T00:00:00Z http://repo.lib.sab.ac.lk:8080/xmlui/handle/susl/4455 Impact of Financial Literacy on the Performance of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Special Reference to Colombo District Janithri, G. G. K.; Thathsarani, U. S.; Medin, Z.Y. The research explores how financial literacy levels influence various indicators of firm's performance, including profitability, growth, and sustainability, within the context of SMEs. The performance of the SME will be measured as an indicator of their business performance. The study analyzed the financial literacy of SME owner-managers, specifically focusing on their financial behavior and handling, financial knowledge, financial attitudes, and financial awareness of their firms’ performance. Therefore, a quantitative investigation based on "Prospect Theory" and Exchange Theory has been performed. To obtain the necessary data, a repre-sentative convenience sampling method was employed on a sample of 170 SMEs in the Colombo district. The study utilized primary data collected via a question-naire. Analysis were conducted using Structural Equation Modelling, alongside reliability and validity tests. The study showed a positive correlation between business performance and financial literacy. Independent variables like financial behavior, knowledge, attitudes, and awareness significantly impact SME perfor-mance. Financial literacy directly affects the performance of sustainable business-es, confirming that a strong understanding of finance improves company perfor-mance. Thus, increasing financial literacy is crucial for developing successful en-trepreneurial strategies. This study also concluded that business owners and staff ought to have greater levels of education. It should be encouraged knowledge sharing among employees and the hiring of more skilled workers, according to the exchange theory's rationale. Therefore, policymakers and business owners should set up training programmes to advance financial literacy. 2024-06-01T00:00:00Z