Business
‘ඇය සුරකින AIA’ celebrates one year of empowering half a million women to rise together
AIA Insurance recently commemorated the one-year anniversary of its women’s program, ‘ඇය සුරකින AIA’, in partnership with IFC-DFAT Women in Work program, with an evening of celebration. With patronage of Damayanthi Fernando Director General Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (IRCSL), Chathuri Munaweera Chief Executive Officer (CEO) AIA Insurance and Victor Antonypillai Senior Country Officer for Sri Lanka and Maldives International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Sarah Twigg Manager for IFC Women in Work program, the event brought together key professionals from AIA, IFC, Commercial Bank of Ceylon, and Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce (WCIC) to recognize the program’s achievements and contributions towards empowering women across the country.
The event kicked off with a speech from AIA’s CEO Chathuri Munaweera, who highlighted the program’s key achievements and shared the company’s vision for the future of ‘ඇය සුරකින AIA’, which is to positively engage 2,000,000 women across Sri Lanka by 2025 – which falls within AIA’s overall goal of One Billion Healthier Longer, Better lives across Asia by 2030. The celebration was followed by a cocktail reception, where guests had the opportunity to connect and network with fellow professionals.
As part of the IFC-DFAT Women in Work program, the ‘ඇය සුරකින AIA’, a dedicated women’s insurance program was launched last year to offer insurance solutions, financial literacy training, networks, recognition, and access to information for Sri Lankan women. This program was launched based on the findings from extensive research on women and insurance in Sri Lanka as part of the IFC-AIA partnership in 2020.
According to IFC’s SheforShield report, the women’s market represents a $1.7 trillion opportunity for the insurance industry globally by 2030. Over half of this growth is expected from emerging markets such as Sri Lanka. Speaking at the event, Victor Antonypillai, Senior Country Officer for IFC in Sri Lanka and Maldives said, “given the current low insurance penetration in Sri Lanka, targeting women, and addressing their protection can help insurers achieve greater heights. IFC’s work with AIA on ‘ඇය සුරකින AIA’ will help achieve just that by supporting and empowering Sri Lankan women as customers, agents, and employees.”
‘ඇය සුරකින AIA’s achievements in promoting gender equality, creating more opportunities for women, and fostering an inclusive workplace culture are a testament to AIA’s unwavering commitment to building a better future for all. The program is committed to supporting women across the country in achieving their full potential personally and professionally through learning, recruitment, networking, and protection.
Since its launch last year, AIA has reached over 500,000 women through several targeted initiatives across different strategic pillars to empower women internally and externally. These initiatives include rolling out IFC developed Gender Sensitivity Training (GST) program and including it to its sales training modules to ensure Wealth Planners are able to better engage and increase their responsiveness to the needs of women customers, recruiting a gender-balanced workforce, partnering with WCIC to engage and empower more women, launching a women-specific product ‘She Protect’ and AIA’s special insurance plan to ComBank’s Anagi customers helped expand its customer base and increase women customer numbers.
These initiatives reflect AIA’s unwavering commitment to empowering women and building a more inclusive and gender-equal society. On the occasion of ‘ඇය සුරකින AIA’s first anniversary, AIA reaffirms its commitment to empowering women and building a better future for all. AIA is proud to celebrate the success of ‘ඇය සුරකින AIA’ and looks forward to continuing its efforts to empower women in the future.
The Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Sri Lanka (AHK Sri Lanka) proudly facilitated the first-ever Sri Lankan delegation’s participation at Drupa 2024, the world’s largest trade fair for the printing industry and technology. Held after an eight-year hiatus, Drupa 2024 was a landmark event, marking significant advancements and opportunities in the global printing industry.
AHK Sri Lanka played a pivotal role in organising and supporting the delegation, which comprised 17 members from the Sri Lanka Association for Printers (SLAP), representing eight companies from the commercial, newspaper, stationery printing, and packaging industries. This pioneering effort by AHK Sri Lanka not only showcased the diverse capabilities of Sri Lanka’s printing sector but also facilitated vital bilateral discussions with key stakeholders from the German printing industry.
Business
Unveiling Ayugiri: Browns Hotels & Resorts sets the stage for a new era in luxury Ayurveda Wellness
In a captivating reimagining of luxury wellness tourism, Browns Hotels & Resorts proudly unveiled the exquisite Ayugiri Ayurveda Wellness Resort Sigiriya. This momentous occasion, celebrated amidst a vibrant and serene grand opening on the 6th of June, heralds a new chapter in the Ayurveda wellness tourism landscape in Sri Lanka. Nestled amidst 54 acres of unspoiled natural splendour, Ayugiri features 22 exclusive suites and stands out as the only luxury Ayurveda wellness resort in the country offering plunge pools in every room, rendering it truly one-of-a-kind.
The grand opening of Ayugiri Ayurveda Wellness Resort was an enchanting event, where guests were captivated by the melodies of flutists and violinists resonating through Sigiriya’s lush landscapes. As traditional drummers and dancers infused the air with vibrant energy, Browns Hotels & Resorts’ CEO, Eksath Wijeratne, Kotaro Katsuki, Acting Ambassador for the Embassy of Japan and General Manager, Buwaneka Bandara, unveiled the resort’s new logo, marking a significant moment witnessed by distinguished guests from the French Embassy, Ayurveda and wellness enthusiasts along with officials from the Sigiriya area, LOLC Holdings and Browns Group.
“Our strategic expansion into wellness tourism with Ayugiri Ayurveda Wellness Resort Sigiriya symbolises a significant milestone for Browns Hotels & Resorts. Wellness tourism has consistently outperformed the overall tourism industry for over a decade, reflecting a growing global interest in travel that goes beyond leisure to offer rejuvenation and holistic well-being. By integrating the timeless wisdom of Ayurveda with modern luxury, we aim to set a new standard in luxury wellness tourism in Sri Lanka. Whether your goal is prevention, healing, or a deeper connection to inner harmony, Ayugiri offers a sanctuary for holistic well-being” stated Eksath Wijeratne.
Ayugiri encapsulates the essence of life, inspired by the lotus flower held by the graceful queens of the infamous Sigiriya frescoes. Just as the lotus emerges from the murky depths, untainted and serene,
Ayugiri invites guests on a journey of purity and rejuvenation, harmonised with a balance of mind, body and spirit, the essence of nature, echoes of culture and the wisdom of ancient Ayurvedic healing.
HNB General Insurance, one of Sri Lanka’s leading general insurance providers, has been honored as the Best General Bancassurance Provider in Sri Lanka 2024 by the prestigious Global Banking and Finance Review – UK.
The esteemed accolade underscores HNB General Insurance’s unwavering commitment to excellence and its outstanding performance in the field of bancassurance. Through dedication and hard work, the HNB General Insurance team has continuously endeavored to deliver innovative insurance solutions, cultivate strong relationships with banking partners, and provide unparalleled service to customers nationwide. This recognition is a testament to the team’s dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence in the bancassurance business.
“We are honored to receive this prestigious award, which reflects our team’s tireless efforts and dedication to delivering value-added insurance solutions and exceptional service through our bancassurance partnerships,” said Sithumina Jayasundara, CEO of HNB General Insurance. “This recognition reaffirms our position as a trusted insurance provider in Sri Lanka and motivates us to continue striving for excellence in serving our customers and communities.”
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