The central promise of the 2030Social work practice AgendaSustainable development goals for Sustainable Development is to ‘leave no one behind’. This commitment is closely aligned with the core values of the social workSocial work profession, including human rights, social justiceSocial justice, and equality. In the face of rapidly intensifying global challenges, the Sustainable Development GoalsSustainable development goals (SDG) offer a vital framework for social workersWorkers to address deep-rooted inequalitiesInequality. Understanding how social workersWorkers perceive and experience social inequalitiesSocial inequality and discriminatory practices—both within and among countries—is essential to advancing this agenda. Adopting a qualitative researchQualitative research design, the study involved 16 in-depth interviews and four focus group discussions with social workSocial work practitioners from GermanyGermany, MalaysiaMalaysia, South AfricaSouth Africa, and IndiaIndia. The findings reveal that the diversity of practices and methods employed by social workSocial work practitioners is significantly influenced by the nature of the welfareWelfare stateState in their respective countries. Social workersWorkers operating within stateState systems often feel constrained by bureaucratic regulations and administrative procedures, which hinder their ability to address the structural roots of poverty, discriminationDiscrimination, and social inequalitySocial inequality. However, practitioners working with non-governmental organisations and movements are often better positioned to engage directly with communities and address discriminatory practices effectively. The transnational approach for addressing social inequalitiesSocial inequality has a greater potential to address the SDGS, especially Goal 10.