StanChart with SERVE empowers working women through ‘Shaktheen’

Standard Chartered Sri Lanka Head of Corporate Affairs and Brand and Marketing Anuk De Silva hands over cheque to SERVE Executive Director Sanjeeva De Mel at launch ceremony

Standard Chartered is collaborating with global multi-dimensional women’s fund, Women Win, through its NGO partner in Sri Lanka, SERVE, to launch ‘Shaktheen’ – a women empowerment programme aimed to revive the livelihoods of working women in Sri Lanka. 

A donation of US $ 209,158 from the Standard Chartered Foundation will fund the programme over a 24-month period and will directly benefit 500 women who operate in the informal sector to overcome the strains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The project was ceremoniously launched at a special event organised by SERVE on March 9, in lieu of the International Women’s Day. 

More than one third of working women in Sri Lanka are employed in the informal economy. Due to the many lockdowns, they have faced reduced mobility and elimination of opportunities to sell products and provide services and therefore, lost business and income that had supported the well-being of their families.

The Shaktheen programme will empower working women across two towns in the Western province, Moratuwa and Panadura, through Self-Help Groups (SHGs), a popular regional approach to financial access, collective problem solving and action for women.

The programme will ensure increased loan capital available for business start-ups as well as access to vocational training and business skills development opportunities for women to improve their businesses or gain new income. 
While increasing the financial resilience of the current SHG members and encouraging them to bring the next generation of women into its programme, Shaktheen will also provide psychosocial well-being support to the 500 members.

Based on the SERVE model, the women recruited into new SHGs will be trained to prevent, identify and respond to instances of gender-based violence as well as know critical information about women’s rights and laws. This is a key programmatic component as research shows that even where opportunities for earning are available, there is a wide array of factors that determine whether women can find, pursue and use these. Freedom from violence in all its forms and access to rights ensures that women are physically and mentally able to pursue economic opportunities. Additionally, of the 500 women in the Shaktheen programme, 200 will receive business support and community mentoring and 50 high potential members will qualify to participate in advanced courses in business to further enhance their endeavours.