There was laughter and food for thought

By Purnima Pilapitiya

View(s):

The panel (l-r): Hans Bilimoria, Chandi Dharmaratne, Sarinda Unamboowe, Selyna Peiris and Aritha Wickramasinghe

Ladies VIP Night celebrated International Women’s Week 2018 on an organic note on March 7 at the Shangri-La Hotel. The well conceptualized event was set against a leafy, eco-friendly background complete with sounds of nature and menu partnered with Saaraketha, Sri Lanka’s leading organic food company.

In keeping with this year’s international theme #PressforProgress, the night opened with an insightful message from Danu Innasithamby who shared his perspective on the women in his life with a special dedication to his mother, which resonated with the audience – both female and male. Other performers included Shanuki De Alwis; actress, television personality and TEDx Colombo Alumni who shared an original poem about the labels attached to women. Blunt, hilarious and very Sri Lankan, her piece set the tone for a thought provoking panel discussion on women in the workplace with an emphasis on corporates and sexual harassment. The panel comprised entrepreneur –Selyna Peiris, MD, MAS of Linea Aqua Sarinda Unamboowe, Chandi Dharmaratne, Senior HR Director, Virtusa and Hans Billimoria from The Grassrooted Trust. Moderating the session was Aritha Wickramasinghe, founding trustee of THINK EQUAL.

The panelists spoke of their own experiences working with women in the corporate sector and analysing the glass ceiling that exists for women as they climb the corporate ladder. “It’s not enough to employ women, we also need to make sure that women stay at work,” remarked Selyna Peiris, a notion that echoed throughout the discussion along with the panelists who spoke on creating a conducive environment for women at managerial and factory levels and the need for accessible, explicit sexual harassment policies.

The night saw other guest speakers such as Linda Speldewinde and an Eco Chic Fashion Show.