Celebrating women at work – the She Wins winners of the Satynmag AICPA&CIMA Women Friendly Workplace Awards 2023

Satynmag S Suite In Person Event held on 25^th August 2023 at the Galadari.

When the ladies of the Satynmag S Suite Network for Corporate Women came together to celebrate the winners of the She Wins category of the Satynmag AICPA&CIMA Women Friendly Workplace Awards 2023, it was an occasion for them to connect with others and celebrate the success all women have the opportunity to achieve.

It was an evening of networking, connecting and sharing stories of courage, overcoming challenges and capturing stories of transformation as the highlight. It was an occasion to come together as women who go to work, nurture their careers and their families at the same time.

The guests of the evening, Sudarshini Basnayake Head of Employee Relations and Industrial Relations of Jay Kay Marketing Services and Hemamali Paranavithana Manager – HR, D & Health of Kelani Valley Plantations, shared their tremendous stories of courage and determination. Sudarshini, a former servicewoman and a top markswoman who had served with the Sri Lanka Army, told the audience her story of heart break over losing her only child at a young age – and being able to overcome it all, building resilience and strength in the face of adversity. Her story of accomplishment and the achievement in her career was a powerful story that inspired all present.

Sudarshini emphasized on how supportive her company had been through it all – that support has been a key reason for her resurgence and her role as a mentor for the many young women on her team and in the company.

Hemamali spoke of re-inventing her career at 33 years of age – with three children and a family to manage.

Her rise to success in a plantation company managing a workforce of plantation workers spoke of commitment and dedication to her career as well as of her role as a mother and a mentor.

“ My daughter is so proud of me and the award I won ” she says with a smile, “ All her friends also know who her mother is. I am so happy that I could be a role model to little girls and encourage them.”

As always, the Satynmag S Suite In Person Event was an occasion that touched a common thread of experiences among the ladies. Storytelling is always a key segment so there were many stories shared that touched our hearts and our lives.

There were other ladies who shared tremendous stories and experiences – every one of them a story of encouragement to all. The ladies from the Link Natural Products where a considerable number of women hold strategic positions in research, spoke of how wonderful it was to connect with each other and learn about what we can do together as women at work.

There were many incredible stories of overcoming challenges and rising above storms of life, that evening.

Shiny from Airtel Lanka shared with us her life changing story of losing her husband at a young age and having to bring up her baby son despite the heartache, with courage and steely resolve. Facing the shattering life experience of losing your life partner, she said that she was able to overcome adversity, strengthened by the experience of having to take care of her son.

Christella Sivaparagasam from Union Bank shared a story of incredible courage and determination.

She lost one eye in the Fort Bomb blast but never allowed the injury to become a crutch for support. She was determined to rise above in life, thankful for experiences and the ability to build a career and stay active. She is everything you would expect someone who has overcome such a challenge in life to be – active, enthusiastic and supportive.

Sureshni Edusooriya from Asian Causeway Paints who excels as an expert in paint quality and chemicals, shared her story of climbing the ladder of success, emerging as an expert in her chosen area of work.

Dinesha Perera from LEADS and Nadie Samarasena from NDB also talked about their experiences and how empowering it was to be able to listen to other women and hear their stories.

There were many issues raised for discussion – one was work life balance which is a key issue for all women who work. Hasini Abeywardena of Jay Kay Marketing Services, representing a generation of millennial parents, shared her experiences of optimizing the work life balance equation. She had accompanied her husband overseas but was back at work because as she and many other women felt, there is always much that we as women can give to our careers – and to ourselves when we choose to work while taking care of our families.

There is a reason why Satynmag S Suite Networking Event resonates so powerfully with every woman who attends. Becoming empowered through connecting with each other is vital for women to grow together, says Nayomini Weerasooriya, Founder Editor of Satynmag.com – she adds that we as women learn from each other and are spurred on by the stories of other women.

She spoke of building strong connections via common experiences such as managing work life balance, overcoming imposter syndrome and the level of support women do require in the workplace. She also spoke of the many learnings that came out of the Satynmag AICPA&CIMA Women Friendly Workplace Awards 2023 – such as support for single mothers and women who courageously return to work following a career break to raise a family.

Satynmag S Suite is a networking platform for women at work – empowering them through mentoring and connecting, giving them a voice that can amplify issues close to their hearts and relevant to their careers.

You can e mail satynmag@gmail.com for more information.