Women in work environment gets new life with Siddhalepa’s “Diriya Kanthavo 2022”

International Women’s Day 2022 transformed into a real-life experience for the women workforce at Siddhalepa, Hettigoda Group this year, as they self-nominated themselves for the Diriya Kanthavo award. The new concept introduced this year by the company was a significant opportunity for the women cadre to evaluate their individual and collective contribution to the society and company’s performance.  The opportunity of empowerment through a process of self-evaluation received an enormous response with an unexpected number of applications. The special judge  board held several screening rounds to recognize the applicants’ individual strengths, capacities and understanding the challenges for women in work environment in achieving a work life balance. Siddhalepa’s women cadre is approximately 30% of the total employees and company has various welfare incentives and employee engagement events to appreciate and encourage their invaluable service. In a boardroom with a high women representation, Siddhalepa has created a woman empowered working culture, where their female employees have led by example the path to strike a successful work life balance.

Strongly subscribing to the position that employees are a company’s biggest asset, which is not reflected in a balance sheet, Siddhalepa recognizes their employees as one of the principal modes of equity creation in the past eight decades. Ms. Amali Sandareka and Ms. Shanika Shrimali were recognized as Siddhalepa Diriya Kanthavo for their exceptional courage and inspiring lives. Ms. Shanika Shrimali is serving the company as a differently abled extraordinary employee. Group Director, Mrs. Vidyani Hettigoda, who is actively engaged in women empowerment in Sri Lanka, holding office past and present on many national organizations dedicated for the cause said that she was extremely surprised and pleased at the overwhelming response to the inaugural Diriya Kanthavo program. She said that the company would continue to build and strengthen the empowerment of women through such programs.