Sri Lanka offers a better place for female entrepreneurs
Since Independence in 1948 there had been many inspirational women in the history of Sri Lanka. Women had been driving the transformation of many famous companies during the 60’s and 70’s. One of the messages from the Commonwealth Heads of General Meeting (CHOGM) Business Forum held in Colombo last year was that Sri Lanka’s strategic location is a good opportunity for women entrepreneurship, said Arif Zaman, Advisor South Asia, Corporate Governance and Commonwealth Business Women Network (CBW) Commonwealth Business Council.
Picture by M.D. Nissanka shows Advisor Arif Zaman and other officials briefing the media at the launch.
He made this comment to the Business Times on the sidelines of the launch of the Commonwealth Women Entrepreneur Awards held at the Kingsbury in Colombo last week. “The country needs to look at the chances it has and the tools that are available clearly with the young generation, technology and the strategic location,” he added.
In terms of women entrepreneurship there are some great women entrepreneurs and the country needs a larger contribution from the young generation. Though female entrepreneurs are doing well, they could do even better, the reason being the high level of woman literacy.
He also noted that life is uncertain and the business world changes very fast. There are certain rules and guidelines, but one has to be out of the box when thinking. “You have to be adaptable to the changes in the business environment. You need to have the entrepreneurial mindset. Even if you don’t want to become an entrepreneur you should be able to move up in the changing business world that you are living in,” emphasized Mr. Zaman.
The award is not just to do with finance but also about those women entrepreneurs who have made a real difference in any area of business across the commonwealth. In addition to the financial success of the business, the judging criteria will take into account the entrant’s journey overcoming adversity, inspiring others, making a difference to their community, social impact and international reach.
The winner will be announced on 1st August at an awards ceremony at the Kingsbury in Colombo. During the tenure of the award the winner will act as Brand Ambassador for Commonwealth Businesswomen. The award has been made by the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce (WCIC). The applicants must be residents or nationals of any of the 53 Commonwealth countries.