Women are equally capable as men in workforce, says ILO rep.

By Rukaiya Riza 

Joni Simpson

Women can equally work as well as men in the labour market and should be given the same opportunities of excelling, International Labour Organisation (ILO) Director and Senior Gender Specialist Joni Simpson said at the MSME Day event held in Colombo recently.

Possessing more than a quarter of a century experience in gender equality and inclusion, Simpson underlined that the actual development could not possibly flourish when half of the population was excluded. 

“There is an increasing number of women entering higher education but only 31 percent are active in the labour force in Sri Lanka and this is less than the men,” she added. 

“This means waste of potential of the whole economy.”

“More women were getting involved in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as 25 percent of these businesses are headed by women. The MSMEs form the main pillar of the economy, employing about 45 percent of the total manpower as well as having more than 90 percent of all businesses in existence. However, women in self-employment are not always there out of choice but limited opportunities of formal employment,” Simpson pointed out.

She gave examples of good storytelling, including the first female-led women-led hotel Amba Yalu in Sri Lanka and a peanut business in Mannar, which is run by women with disabilities. According to her, these are the stories that should be emphasised as inclusion is no charity but a long-term investment in the future of the country.

“Every MSME has a woman or a man who dares to dream; let us remember that,” said Simpson. 

“When MSMEs excel, Sri Lanka excels and that fact must not leave out any woman behind.”

“The ILO is also pursuing initiatives and programmes that enable women to access markets, policymaking and entrepreneurship education in Sri Lanka.”