Women IT entrepreneurs for economic growth
The launch of the Women Technopreneurs Forum will have a positive change in the creation of the IT industry in Sri Lanka. In Norway women participation in the IT industry has contributed to a key growth in the economy, according to the Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Trine Joranli Eskedal.
She was speaking as the Guest of Honour at the launch of the Women Technopreneurs Forum held at the Shangri-la hotel in Colombo this week. Even in Norway the IT industry remains a male-dominated industry and the gap between male and female IT professionals was due to females at school level not being encouraged unlike the male counterparts to study IT technology. Referring to the spread of COVID-19, she said that people have to rely on IT industry for future endeavours.
She further said that technology is all about artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics to make life simple and modern day technology is growing by leaps and bounds and is also changing fast. Diversity in terms of gender cultural background and education is central as to how one will be able to exploit and make use of this new technology.
Chairman- SLASSCOM, Channa Manoharan said when more women entrepreneurs are created the impact it would have on the GDP and the economy would be much more. Of the 60 per cent of women who graduate from universities, only 30 per cent enter companies or research institutions while others decide not to work at all. Meanwhile a survey conducted in the country has found that employers prefer to employ more women in their workplace as they are more receptive than men. But due to cultural patterns in country women participation at workplace or in entrepreneurship has dropped, he added. Director –SLASSCOM, Shehani Seneviratne said although Sri Lanka has 52 per cent females how many start-ups are led by females? It may be less than 10 per cent. How many IT businesses are run by females? It is a sad situation where people have talented and educated females in the industry but few have ventured in launching start-ups. The objective of this launch is to get more women technopreneurs into the system who will contribute to the economy. SLASSCOM has a vision of achieving US$5 billion revenue by 2025, and creating 1000 start-ups by that period. There are many local and foreign funding agencies willing to help women entrepreneurs.
The keynote address was delivered by Melony Mahaaarachchi, Lead Mechanical Engineer Space Craft Design Engineer, NASA. Vice Chair SLASSCOM Sandra De Zoysa, Hira Fernando (Women Technopreneurs Forum) and Director SLASSCOM Anura De Alwis also spoke.