Business
Govt urged to mobilise the economic power of women for betterment of Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan women ‘experiencing’ discrimination and disadvantages in achieving economic empowerment
Shortage of female participation ‘proving to be’ detrimental to Sri Lanka’s economic growth
Legislative reforms and mindset shifts urged to reduce barriers to women’s success in careers and enterprise
by Sanath Nanayakkare
Dr. Roshan Perera (Chairperson, Women’s Policy Action Network), Shyamali Ranaraja (Attorney – at- law) and Gayani de Alwis (1st Vice Chairperson, Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce), last week explained to the media about the urgency of legislative reforms and societal mindset shifts to reduce barriers to women’s economic empowerment in Sri Lanka.
It was encouraging to see that these three women who have had every opportunity and blessing in their own life wanting the same for all Sri Lankan women.They were speaking at this media event co-hosted by the The Advocata Institute and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, on July 11 at the BMICH Colombo.
The event was titled “Unlocking Potential: Policies for Women’s Economic Empowerment”.
Dr. Perera outlined the establishment and objectives of the Women’s Policy Advocacy Network (WPAN). Emphasising the necessity for collective advocacy, she highlighted WPAN’s focus on six critical areas: land laws, labour laws, informal sector recognition, social infrastructure, women’s participation in the digital economy and financial inclusion which is elusive for women entrepreneurs.
“Although there are many agencies working in this space we felt it was necessary to bring all these efforts together to amplify the voice for change in this area ,” said Dr. Perera.
Shyamali Ranaraja addressed the precarious nature of employment for women, highlighting societal disincentives that hinder their return to the workforce post-childbirth and marriage. She pointed out that current legislation creates significant barriers for women re-entering the labour force, with another critical juncture occurring around age 50, coinciding with eligibility for EPF payments.
She emphasised the precariousness of available work for women, noting that domestic work was excluded from the 2016 minimum wage law, underscoring the need for formal recognition and enhanced protections for domestic workers. “If Sri Lanka itself does not provide women with basic pay for domestic work,” she questioned, “how can we ask other countries to pay expat domestic workers equally?”
“Saying women should be able to work at night without providing infrastructure for a solution is pointless”, she said. She suggested that simple legislative amendments could spur change. She proposed “New condominium developments should have child centres by law, which will have no bearing on state finances. Such a move will make a huge difference for women’s empowerment.”
“The Gender-Equality bill was written to fail – the legal terminology was not appropriate,” Ms. Ranaraja pointed out. She also highlighted that the few female representatives in government, despite representing an electorate that is more than 50 percent female, are publicly ridiculed and harassed by fellow male politicians in front of the entire nation. “The burden of implementing solutions must primarily rest on the state,” Ms. Ranaraja emphasised, connecting her advocacy for systemic changes in social infrastructure to broader societal and legislative reforms. This holistic approach, she suggested, is crucial to creating an environment where women can fully participate in and bene t from the workforce, addressing disparities and ensuring equitable opportunities across Sri Lanka.
Ms. de Alwis emphasised the critical role of mindset change in empowering women economically. “Laws are good, but how do we truly change the minds of people at a grassroots level?” asked Ms. de Alwis. She pointed out the challenges women face in accessing nance and the discouraging environment in nancial institutions. Sri Lanka’s ranking of 122 out of 146 countries in gender equality re ects signi cant disparities across economic participation, education, health outcomes, and political empowerment, as measured by the Global Gender Gap Index. “Awareness is key, ” Ms. de Alwis asserted. She called for increased support for female entrepreneurs and urged the inclusion of gender equality discussions at all levels of education to dismantle misogynistic viewpoints. “The issue of mindset change must be discussed at all levels,” she stressed, particularly at a school age level to remove ingrained stereotypes.
Sri Lanka private healthcare leaders recently pledged an action plan with timelines to address the practical priorities of Sri Lanka’s healthcare sector while making it more viable for local and foreign investments.
The Association of Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes (APHNH) has committed to converting recommendations from its first Healthcare Leadership Summit into a trackable outcome document with defined actions, responsibilities, and timelines, marking a shift from discussion to implementation in sector reform efforts.
The summit held on March 9 at Waters Edge, Colombo, brought together hospital leaders, policymakers, regulators, insurers, and international experts to address practical priorities for Sri Lanka’s healthcare sector.
A key outcome of the summit was APHNH’s plan to consolidate recommendations into a single, trackable charter that will outline specific actions, assign responsibilities, establish timelines, and provide periodic progress updates.
“Our objective is to bring the right decision-makers into one room and focus on what can be implemented, not only what can be discussed, ” said Raveen Wickremesinghe, President of APHNH. “We are committed to taking the inputs from today and converting them into a clear, trackable set of actions that strengthens quality, transparency and public confidence, while supporting national health priorities. “
The summit featured insights from Dr. Hafeez Rahman Padiyath, Dr. Hamdani Anver, and Chandana L. Aluthgama on scaling quality and operational discipline. A keynote and fireside discussion with Dr. Paiboon Eksangsri, President of the Private Hospital Association of Thailand, explored lessons from Thailand’s private healthcare development and conditions for making Sri Lanka more competitive for healthcare investment.
By Sanath Nanayakkare
Business
Atlas SipSavi Naththal Poronduwa records positive public participation, benefiting 10,000 students
Atlas, Sri Lanka’s No. 1 learning brand, successfully concluded Atlas SipSavi Naththal Poronduwa, a national initiative that saw strong public participation in supporting children at risk of dropping out of school due to financial hardship. At a time when more than 22,000 Sri Lankan children leave school each year due to rising economic challenges, the initiative reinforced Atlas Sipsavi’s long-standing ‘No Child Left Behind’ promise by turning seasonal generosity into meaningful educational support.
The initiative reached 10,000 students, with beneficiary schools carefully selected to ensure support reached those most in need. The collected books were distributed to children at risk of dropping out, including those whose education had been disrupted by recent adverse weather, ensuring students had essential learning resources at the start of the new school term. Through its flagship Atlas SipSavi programme, the brand focused on improving access to education by providing essential learning tools, scholarships, and infrastructure to create better learning environments, bringing its purpose of ‘making learning fun’ to life in a meaningful way. As part of the initiative, the public was invited to donate schoolbooks, with each contribution matched one-for-one by Atlas. Donation boxes were placed at all Keells outlets island-wide and at Sarvodaya District Offices, making it easy for communities to take part.
Business
John Keells Logistics expands strategic engagement with CWIT through inter-terminal transport operations
John Keells Logistics (Pvt) Ltd (JKLL), one of Sri Lanka’s leading third-party logistics solutions providers, has successfully expanded its operational engagement with Colombo West International Terminal (Private) Limited (CWIT), through inter-terminal transport services within the Port of Colombo. This enhanced engagement further strengthens CWIT’s efforts to improve operational efficiency, reliability, and scalability across terminal activities.
Inter-terminal transport plays a critical role in modern port operations, requiring high levels of coordination, precision, and operational discipline. JKLL’s appointment for ITT operations reflects CWIT’s confidence in the company’s demonstrated capabilities in managing complex transport operations within a high-throughput port environment.
The ITT operations are underpinned by JKLL’s technology-enabled logistics framework, incorporating real-time fleet tracking, performance monitoring systems, and data-driven operational planning. These capabilities provide enhanced visibility and control over transport movements, while ensuring compliance with established safety, productivity, and service quality standards.
The awarding of this engagement to JKLL is a testament to the successful implementation of the Inter-Terminal Vehicle (ITV) operations undertaken by John Keells Logistics at CWIT during the previous year. The ITV assignment was executed through structured operating procedures and disciplined service delivery, contributing to improved cargo movement, operational coordination, and service continuity within the terminal. The performance outcomes of the ITV operations provided the basis for the subsequent expansion of the partnership into ITT services.
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