Women’s economic participation central to growth agenda: PM

WCIC  Prathibhabhisheka – Women Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 Worldlink Shipping Colombo Founder/Managing Director Vera Wickramasinghe (third from left) receiving her award from Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, while senior officials of the WCIC and AIA (platinum sponsor) look on - Pic by Nimalasiri Edirisinghe

By Shabiya Ali Ahlam

Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and long-term growth prospects hinge on dismantling systemic barriers that limit women’s participation in enterprise, leadership and decision-making, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said. Women-led businesses remain an underutilised engine of productivity and resilience, even as women’s economic contribution has dipped to just 29 percent.

The Prime Minister noted women’s participation in paid work and senior decision-making roles remains significantly below potential, not because of a lack of talent or ambition, but due to deeply embedded structural constraints.

“This is not a problem of capability or ambition. It is the system,” she said.

Dr. Amarasuriya presented her views while addressing the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce (WCIC) Prathibhabhisheka – Women Entrepreneur Awards 2025 in Colombo yesterday.

She pointed to patriarchal barriers, unequal access to capital and markets, exclusion from influential networks and institutional cultures that continue to privilege male leadership norms as factors shaping economic outcomes.

Her remarks framed women’s economic inclusion as a macroeconomic imperative rather than a social objective, at a time when Sri Lanka is seeking to rebuild productivity, restore investor confidence and strengthen institutional capacity under ongoing reform efforts.

Dr. Amarasuriya asserted it is time leadership models themselves evolve if economic reform is to be sustained as traditional definitions of authority often fail to account for the realities women navigate in professional life.

Women, she said, are frequently expected to manage multiple roles and responsibilities while meeting the same performance benchmarks, often with fewer resources and less institutional support.

Research increasingly challenges conventional assumptions about executive effectiveness, she said, pointing to evidence that women leaders often demonstrate strong communication, empathy and collaborative decision-making.

“Studies increasingly show that women leaders often demonstrate higher levels of emotional intelligence, including strong communication, empathy and collaborative decision making. 

“These qualities contribute to healthier work environments, stronger teams and more resilient organisations.”

Such leadership capacities are essential in a rapidly changing economic environment, yet remain undervalued because they disrupt narrow definitions of authority, she said.

The Prime Minister also highlighted uneven access to opportunity within the women’s enterprise ecosystem, warning that while a segment of women entrepreneurs has gained visibility and recognition, many others continue to operate without institutional backing, access to finance or market reach.

Acknowledging the public support she has received in recent weeks after she became a target of gender based insults, Dr. Amarasuriya said she was acutely conscious that many women in leadership and enterprise roles lack similar platforms, often forcing them to endure structural disadvantage in silence or to withdraw from leadership pathways altogether.

“Solidarity is not symbolic. It is structural,” she said, calling for collective action to ensure women are not competing for limited space but are enabled to lead collectively.

In this context, Dr. Amarasuriya acknowledged that platforms such as the WCIC serve as strategic economic interventions rather than simple professional networks. 

By strengthening women-owned and women-led enterprises, such institutions expand women’s control over resources, decision-making and economic outcomes.