Celebrating Women at JXG (Janashakthi Group): Leadership, Challenges, and Inspiration

Celebrating International Women’s Day is not just a moment but the culmination and the continuation of a journey. To commemorate IWD 2025, Satynmag sat down with some of the remarkable women at JXG (Janashakthi Group) to discuss leadership, challenges, and the importance of gender equality in the workplace.

Joining the conversation was Sashi Schaffter – Apprentice Director, Harshanee Deshapriya – Group Chief Legal Officer and Heidy Seneviratne – Senior Manager, Company Secretarial.

Q: Sashi, can you share a defining moment in your career that shaped your leadership journey?

Sashi Schaffter – Apprentice Director

For me, the defining moment in my career at JXG was when I had to step in as the acting Head of Marketing. This was last year when Gamika De Silva, our Group Chief Marketing Officer, was on paternity leave—incidentally, he was the first person in our organization to take paternity leave, which we offered without it being required by law. At that time, I had only been with the company for about a year and a half, so it was a huge moment for me. It was my first real leadership role, even if it was just for a few weeks.

Also at the time, for International Women’s Day 2024, I was involved with the First Capital campaign. We took a very different approach, linking financial awareness with women’s rights—acknowledging that many women are trapped in abusive situations due to a lack of financial independence. That campaign really stood out to me because it was about real empowerment, not just a symbolic gesture. Following that I was tasked with coordinating our group-wide Strategic Planning initiative, which was a major responsibility as well, and gave me a bird’s-eye view of the entire business.

Q: Harshanee, what challenges have you faced as a woman in your early career, and how have you navigated them?

Harshanee Deshapriya – Group Chief Legal Officer

Very early in my career, I was assigned to handle Sri Lanka’s first-ever anti-dilution rights issue. I had limited knowledge in the area and had to manage multiple stakeholders, including local, international investors and regulators. Despite the challenges, I successfully completed the process and was promoted to the Manager grade within six months.

As a woman in leadership, I’ve obviously encountered stereotypes, but I believe in embracing challenges. In the current context It is pertinent that organizations must make a conscious effort to incorporate gender equality in their own organizational cultures and promote work-life balance of the employees which is a continuous effort that requires prioritization and flexibility from both the employer and employee sides.

Q: Heidy, what was a pivotal moment that shaped your career?

Heidy Seneviratne – Manager, Company Secretarial

When my boss fell seriously ill in 2015, I had to step up and manage the entire secretarial function for major companies within the Group. Attending board meetings with high-level executives was intimidating, but I had to push past my fears and prove my capabilities. Working under late Mr. Dinesh Schaffter also taught me the importance of perfection and being thorough in everything I do. It was a defining experience that helped shape my confidence and leadership skills.

Q: How does JXG support career growth and gender empowerment?

Sashi:

At JXG, we empower all our staff regardless of gender. We’re a performance-driven organization, so we are merit-based. Our culture speaks for itself: we have women in leadership, women on our boards, and just recently, we appointed Ms. Annika Senanayake as Chairperson of Janashakthi Insurance. She’s young, she’s brilliant, and she brings so much to the board. That’s the direction we’re moving in—creating a space where talent thrives, regardless of gender.

At JXG, we’re proactive – we introduced paternity leave before it was even legally required in Sri Lanka. When designing our office, we created private pods that could be used by breastfeeding mothers—even though, at the time, we didn’t have anyone who needed them. It was about creating a workplace that anticipates different challenges.

Now, when we talk about gender balance, we must acknowledge a larger issue in Sri Lanka. More women graduate from university, but fewer enter the workforce. It’s not specific to our company; it’s a national challenge. Post-economic crisis, it’s become even harder with so many young people migrating. But within JXG, we make sure that all our staff are empowered regardless of gender – we have strong values and a zero-tolerance policy towards disrespect or any kind of harassment.

Harshanee:

Gender equality does not exist on its own; it requires conscious leadership and a culture that fosters inclusivity and fairness.

JXG management is a prime example of conscious leadership as the company has implemented flexible work policies, encouraged women in leadership and even offers counselling support to employees, which is crucial in today’s world. We have also developed our HR practices to include gender neutralized job descriptions, bias elimination in recruitment and training staff in all levels of the companies to ensure equal opportunities for them.

Heidy:

JXG has always respected women on the team and has been investing in women – the Company has given a lot of opportunities for us to excel in leadership roles and leadership development. The motto of JXG, “Stronger together, Stronger than ever”, that explains it all, that togetherness in JXG. No discrimination irrespective of the gender.

Q: What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

Harshanee:

While it has been commercialized, I believe that IWD does not necessarily negate the true meaning it stand for as it is deeply rooted to advocacy, awareness, and activism for gender equality and women’s rights. It is a powerful reminder of the struggles women have faced and continue to face worldwide. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate the progress we have made in the fight for women’s rights This could be in the areas of violence against women, unequal pay, access to education, solidarity among women etc.

It is also a fact that celebration of women’s day happens in large scale especially in Asian world compared to western world who are more concerned on activism. Whilst celebration is nice and cherish womenkind it is important that the commercialization aspect does not outweigh the true meaning of IWD.

Sashi:

For International Women’s Day, we go beyond the superficial – it’s not just about roses and cupcakes. For two years running, we have held an interactive workshop where both men and women shared their experiences, breaking down the social norms that shape us, focusing on topics such as mental health and assault. Women are disproportionately affected by sexual violence and intimate partner violence. Quite often, boys are told not to cry, and to toughen up and this leads to higher rates of depression and suicide amongst men. These messages shape us into adulthood, and we wanted to create a space where both men and women could openly discuss the unique challenges they face and learn from each other.

When I think about Women’s Day, I always reflect on my own family. Women in my grandmother’s generation did not have the same opportunities I do. I was called to the Bar in the UK in 2022 which was just 100 years after Ivy Williams, who was the first woman to be called to the English Bar. IWD is a nice occasion to revel at how far women have come, whilst also acknowledging the progress yet to be made.

Heidy:

International Women’s Day celebrates women who have come a long way and the progress of women. By laying emphasis on the work women do, we would hopefully be able to transform attitudes of families, colleagues and those around us towards women and the way women are treated.

Q: What advice would you give to young women aspiring to leadership roles?

Sashi:

Many young women face imposter syndrome, including myself. You must push through it because the world already has enough external biases—we can’t control the external environment sometimes, but we can overcome our internal struggles. Leadership, especially in fields like law, finance, and corporate management, is still male dominated, but that’s changing with time. The key is to be fearless and unapologetically take up space and not be demotivated by setbacks, despite the unique challenges women face. The world is shifting, and we need to create change in our own spheres of influence.

Harshanee:

Dream big and work hard for it. Success doesn’t happen overnight; you have to earn it. You need to believe in yourself which paves the path to confidence. Confidence also comes from knowledge, preparation and acquiring skills and competencies. Be resilient to face criticism and hardships in life. and it’s also important to support other women and uplift them. At JXG, our motto is “Stronger together, Stronger than ever,” and that applies to women supporting one another in leadership as well.

Heidy:

Whatever you do, do it well. When you excel in your work, you will be recognized no matter where you are or what you do. Believe in yourself—this is essential. Trust that there is a higher power guiding your path. Passion for your work is key, but if it doesn’t come naturally, commit to learning it wholeheartedly.

At JXG, inclusivity, empowerment, and gender equality are not just corporate values but deeply embedded in the company culture. This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the achievements of our incredible women leaders and reaffirm our commitment to fostering an equitable workplace for all.

JXG (Janashakthi Group) – https://www.jxg.lk/

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