Women in Management Founder and Chairperson Dr. Sulochana Segera addresses launch event in the presence of (from left) Australian Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Lalita Kapur, IFC Country Manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives Alejandro Alvarez de la Campa and Hemas Holdings Executive Director/Group Chief Executive Officer Kasturi Chellaraja Wilson
PIC BY PRADEEP DILRUCKSHANA 

In an effort to bring women-led businesses under fresh focus, as the national economy looks to revive, Women in Management (WIM) in collaboration with Women in Work (WIW), a partnership between the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Government of Australia, yesterday launched the Top50 Women Global Economic Forum and Top50 Global Professional and Career Women Awards 2023. 

The event is scheduled to be held from June 15 to 17, 2022, in Colombo. 
One of the key objectives of the event is to open global network opportunities for Sri Lankan women, who are equipped with the potential and skills to contribute towards achieving inclusive economic growth.
With a forum being a new addition to the agenda of the Top50 awards, the discussions that will be held over two days will feature local and international speakers, who will deliberate on ‘Women Taking Centre Stage for Economic Recovery’.

The panel of speakers will represent a wide array of professions such as banking and finance, hospitality, media, legal, logistics and supply chain. The discussions will also focus on the role the private sector can play in promoting gender equality and women’s business leadership.
“As the global economy and local economy witness massive upheaval, empowering women is undoubtedly the key to achieving gender equality and boosting the growth of national economies.

“While the current economic crisis in Sri Lanka affects all people, it has far-reaching consequences for women, given they are disproportionately affected during crises. Increasing women’s economic participation and promoting women’s business leadership are therefore vital in achieving a resilient and inclusive recovery,” said WIM Founder/Chairperson Dr. Sulochana Segera, addressing the launch event yesterday. 

IFC Country Manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives Alejandro Alvarez de la Campa, while noting that no country can afford to ignore the value of women and the benefits of gender equality to their country, economy and society, he said future generations of female leaders can be empowered and inspired through recognition of the accomplishments of women in workplaces and communities. 
Meanwhile, Australian Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Lalita Kapur affirmed strong commitment to increasing women’s participation and enhancing women’s voice in decision-making and leadership in Sri Lanka and other regions. 

The panel of judges for the 2023 edition of the awards will be chaired by Hemas Holdings Executive Director/Group Chief Executive Officer Kasturi Chellaraja Wilson. The panel consists of Dr. Mariyam Shakeela, Honorary Consul of Belgium in Maldives, former Cabinet Minister in the Maldives and CEO of SIMDI; Sarah Twigg, Programme Manager of Women in Work at IFC; Santosh Menon, Chairman of FCB KI.LK; Dinesh Weerakkody, Chairman of Board of Investment of Sri Lanka; Prof. Selvaraj Oyyan Pillay, UUNIMAS Kuala Lumpur Learning Center @GIA; Dunston Pereira, CEO Private Office of HH Sheikh Ahamed bin Faisal Al Qassimi; Ngozi Oyewole, CEO of Noxie Limited and President Women in Africa and Gowri Rajan, Director of Sun Match Company.