Business
Unilever Recognised as The Organisation with the Most Female Friendly Company Policies in the Sri Lankan Workplace
Unilever Sri Lanka was recently crowned ‘The Organisation with the Most Female Friendly Company Policies in the Sri Lankan Workplace’ by AICPA, CIMA and SATYN Magazine at the 2022 Women Friendly Workplace Awards. The company was also recognised as ‘One of Sri Lanka’s Most Outstanding Women Friendly Workplaces’, underscoring its commitment to ensure more inclusion, development, and representation for women to thrive in their careers and life.
The Women Friendly Workplace Awards recognises companies that foster measures to empower and support women in the workplace and encourages organisations to address UN Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality, prevailing in the country, to ensure a safer and thriving workplace for women.
Commenting on the award, Ananya Sabharwal, HR Director of Unilever Sri Lanka said “We are honoured to receive this esteemed recognition and thank AICPA, CIMA and SATYN for providing a platform to be recognised for our efforts. We have been striving to foster equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace for decades by launching meaningful policies which support women and diverse groups. Apart from our Anti-Harassment Policy which we already have in place, last year on International Women’s Day (IWD), we launched a Fertility Support Policy and Domestic Violence Support Policy. This International Women’s Day, we decided to #BreaktheBias and end the stigma around #MenstrualHealth by launching Menstrual Leave as part of our Medical Leave Policy and making sanitary napkins available across our office and factories, at the cost of the company.
We also have other inclusion enabling policies for both men and women such as our Career Break Policy to help people bring their full selves to their life and work. I myself have benefitted from this Career Break policy that gave me the space to volunteer, travel, pursue advanced Yoga courses and to really invest in myself as a human being.”
Unilever Sri Lanka focuses on developing women, enabling them to succeed in their careers. The company’s women employees are groomed and pipelined to take up senior leadership roles through a carefully curated unbiased career development process. 80% of its female managers have been sent on development visits overseas.
Adding her thoughts, Hajar Alafifi, Chairperson & Managing Director of Unilever Sri Lanka said, “We’re determined to nurture a culture where all individuals are treated fairly and respectfully, and where their uniqueness is celebrated. As such, we’ve set clear goals to accelerate diverse representation in our leadership and have even achieved some of them. 55% of our Country Management Committee are women and last year, we crossed the 40% mark in gender balance for the first time among our management employees and are in pursuit of reaching 50-50 gender balance by 2025. We continuously strive to create an environment where we can truly collaborate beyond all differences.”
In 2021, Unilever created history in diversity in the company by recruiting 27 female employees to its Horana factory shop floor. Over the last few years, the company has also witnessed the appointment of its first female Factory Manager and first female Area Sales Manager. These milestones have enabled the company to break traditional gender stereotypes while encouraging female participation in traditionally male-dominant industries.
The company also supports new parents by offering extended Maternity Leave for 6 months and Paternity Leave for 3 weeks. The company also has a ‘buddy system’ in place that makes sure that new mothers have the right support system at work when they return from maternity. Unilever Sri Lanka also recently reopened its créche facility inclusive of a structured pre-school education system for working parents who need childcare support whilst at work. The facility also caters to children with disabilities.
Going beyond its own employees, Unilever also has a flagship women’s empowerment programme, ‘Saubhagya’, which provides sustainable livelihoods to 5,000 females through the sale of Unilever products in their communities. The initiative won the Merit Award in the ‘Best Sustainability Projects’ category at the Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Awards in 2020.
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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