Lankan women in IT commit to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace
View(s):A group of high-profile professionals from some of Sri Lanka’s leading technology-driven companies, in a bid to bring gender diversity to the forefront, has committed time, effort, and energy towards a series of programmes under “Driving Gender Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace”.
Titled “Diversity Collective”, the group said it’s committed to the advancement of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and promoting the future of young and aspiring female IT students. Diversity Collective comprises employees from London Stock Exchange Group (LSE), MillenniumIT, WSO2, Virtusa, and Fortitude.
In a media release issued by LSE on behalf of the group, Diversity Collective said it was initiated by the Asian Development Bank together with the Export Development Bank of Sri Lanka as the nodal agency and aims to create an inclusive culture in the IT industry that will increase gender diversity. It will also facilitate SLASSCOM’s objectives to increase the number of female IT graduates, fulfilling the criteria of diversity in potential partners, building community wide awareness of career opportunities for women in IT and Business Process Management (BPM). The overarching aim is to empower women and girls to choose careers in IT and BPM and enabling them to remain and advance their careers in the sector. The programme will provide a platform for change by bringing together senior IT and BPM professionals and and influencers to foster related discussion, collaboration, and action.
Bani Chandrasena, LSE Head of HR – Sri Lanka, said “Diversity Collective is a group of volunteers who have come together to further the agenda for diversity in the workplace. We believe that it is important to focus on diversity and an inclusive environment where all our people feel valued for who they are. Diversity Collective will strive to break down barriers by sharing experiences and encouraging future employees to realise their full potential in every aspect of life.”
The executive core committee of Diversity Collective includes Chinthi Weerasinghe, President; Hemantha Jayawardena, Vice President; Bani Chandrasena, Chief Marketing Officer; Chamila Cooray, Treasurer; and Tania Samarasinghe, Secretary.
The initial focus of Diversity Collective will be across three pillars – schools, higher education, and corporates – to attract, grow, and retain females into IT and BPM careers. They aim to attract female students to follow STEM subjects that are important in the pursuance of IT as a career, and then guide young women towards a career in IT/BPM sector. For women already in the sector, Diversity Collective will focus on retention, empowerment and growth, the release said.