The scarcity of role models and hesitation to share success stories by women achievers have deterred the progress of local women, said Chairperson of SANASA Development Bank, Mrs. Samadanie KiriwandeniyaWomen face numerous obstacles while seeking a balance between their professional and personal lives, she said.
Kiriwandeniya outlined the importance of creating a corporate culture which can be easily adapted by women.
“Today, people tend to regard corporate living as a healthy lifestyle. Working under stressful conditions in confined spaces, in my opinion, is an extremely unhealthy trend. Elevating working and living conditions will lead to a better societal, cultural and economic environment,” she said.She said before trying to make changes in the world, people should first understand their professional and personal needs. Perceiving the true essence of success in one’s own terms and seeking the best path to pursue one’s aspirations will no doubt lead to a better life.
According to Kiriwandeniya, one of the biggest issues observed in today’s society is the tendency of following trends and ideologies presented in social media.
In the past, ideologies of others did not influence our views to the same extent as it does in present times. With the advent and popularity of social media, circumstances have changed to a point where it’s no secret that some individuals determine their level of success by the count of ‘likes’ received.
Kiriwandeniya said compared with two decades ago, there are positive trends emerging in the contemporary times.
“Today, women hold high positions in the corporate world and play active roles in various organizations where some have become influential personalities. I believe that female representation among lawmakers and policy developers should be increased, in order to achieve a broader development,” Kiriwandeniya said.
She stressed on the importance of a structure which supports and sustains women to pursue professional and social success while taking care of their family commitments. “It is a positive fact that over the last decade, the scope of growth for women has expanded across diverse disciplines.
And I believe that we will be able to achieve a platform which can empower, evaluate, appraise, and create more dialogues for women achievers which would open avenues for influencing further growth among other women, and finally build a better tomorrow for everyone,” Kiriwandeniya said.