Positioning women’s business leadership at the forefront of Sri Lanka’s economic recovery, Women in Management (WIM) in collaboration with Women in Work, a partnership between the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the government of Australia, launched the ‘Top50’ Women Global Economic Forum and ‘Top50’ Global Professional & Career Women Awards 2023.

The three-day event, which is to be held from 15-17th June 2023 in Colombo, aims to open global network opportunities for Sri Lankan women, who are equipped with the potential and skills to contribute towards achieving inclusive economic growth.

This is IFC’s eighth year – fifth under the IFC-DFAT Women in Work programme – in co-hosting the awards which recognize and champion Sri Lankan women who have excelled in their careers, businesses and everyday life, inspiring others.

This year’s panel of judges will be chaired by Kasturi Chellaraja Wilson, Executive Director/Group Chief Executive Officer Hemas Holdings PLC; Dr. Mariyam Shakeela, Honorary Consul of Belgium in Maldives, former Cabinet Minister in Maldives and CEO of SIMDI; Sarah Twigg, Program Manager of Women in Work at IFC; Santosh Menon, Chairman of FCB Kl.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.

The nominations for the awards are open from 25th February to 25th March 2023 and can be made by visiting www.womeninmanagementawards.org.

The ‘Top50’ awards, launched in 2011 with a mere five awards, have now recognized over 580 women leaders, representing a wide array of professions such as banking and finance, hospitality, media, legal, logistics and supply chain. This year’s event also consists of a two-day forum – themed ‘Women Taking Center Stage for Economic Recovery’ – bringing in eminent local and international speakers as well as stakeholders across government, public and private sector, civil society, and international organizations to focus on the role the private sector can play in promoting gender equality and women’s business leadership.

“Every year, for over a decade, we have celebrated Sri Lankan women who have demonstrated outstanding qualities of leadership, while bringing about meaningful impact to society or economy. As the global and local economy witnesses massive upheaval, empowering women is undoubtedly the key to achieving gender equality and boosting the growth of national economies,” said Dr. Sulochana Segera, Founder/Chairperson of Women in Management. “Women are changing the world and ‘Top50’ provides women the platform to step out confidently into the limelight and bask in due recognition. This year, through the global forum, we also aim to continue the important conversations about why women should also take a center stage in Sri Lanka’s as well as global economic recovery.”

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.

“Through recognition of the accomplishments of women in workplaces and communities, we can help empower and inspire future generations of female leaders. In Sri Lanka, the ‘Top50’ awards is a testament to this, and it is now more relevant than ever as the country looks to emerge from crisis on the path to a resilient recovery,” said Alejandro Alvarez de la Campa, Country Manager for IFC in Sri Lanka and Maldives. “No country can afford to ignore the value of women and the benefits of gender equality to their country, economy and society.”

In the course of IFC’s 50-years of operations in Sri Lanka, WIM has been a longstanding partner. Together, IFC and WIM continue to provide skills-building and training opportunities for women in senior management, middle-management and those entrepreneurs who lead, or work in micro and small businesses in Sri Lanka. These initiatives, including the ‘Top 50’ awards, are initiated under the IFC-DFAT Women in Work program.

“Australia has a strong commitment to increasing women’s participation and enhancing women’s voice in decision making and leadership in Sri Lanka and other regions. This is the fifth year we are supporting the Top50 women in management awards. We are looking forward to celebrating exceptional Sri Lankan women leaders again this year,” said Lalita Kapur, Australian Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and Maldives.

With presence in Canada, Maldives and the United Arab Emirates, the ‘Top50′ Professional and Career Women Awards sets the stage for the award winners’ own career or business trajectory, and importantly, encourages many other aspiring Sri Lankan women from diverse backgrounds to explore new opportunities, propelling them to reach higher in their chosen field.

This year’s panel of judges will be chaired by Kasturi Chellaraja Wilson, Executive Director/Group Chief Executive Officer Hemas Holdings PLC; Dr. Mariyam Shakeela, Honorary Consul of Belgium in Maldives, former Cabinet Minister in Maldives and CEO of SIMDI; Sarah Twigg, Program Manager of Women in Work at IFC; Santosh Menon, Chairman of FCB Kl.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.

The nominations for the awards are open from 25th February to 25th March 2023 and can be made by visiting www.womeninmanagementawards.org.