Driving Inclusion And Empowerment: CTC’s Holistic Approach To Women’s Advancement Within And Beyond The Organization

Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC (CTC), being a renowned corporate pillar in the Sri Lankan economy, continues to uphold its reputation as a women-friendly organization deeply committed to gender empowerment and workplace inclusion. As one of the country’s most valuable companies and the single largest contributor to government tax revenue, CTC leverages its influential position to drive meaningful change in corporate culture. With 118 years of operational excellence and a workforce that impacts over 300,000 livelihoods, the company recognizes that its commitment to women’s advancement extends far beyond its own organizational boundaries, setting industry standards and inspiring other corporations to follow suit.

Central to this mission is the Women of Worth (WoW) programme, now in its sixth year, which serves as a dynamic platform fostering engagement, professional development, and support for women employees across the company. CTC has created a comprehensive ecosystem that enables women to thrive through targeted strategic interventions. The company’s approach focuses on four key areas:
• Enable: Providing coaching and mentoring support, along with dedicated female development programs
• Collaborate: Addressing shared challenges through mutual support systems and professional networks
• Connect: Facilitating networking opportunities that bridge professional and personal support systems
• Inspire: Learning from the journeys of female leaders and inspiring the next generation

The WoW initiative is uniquely driven by a passionate cross-functional team from CTC’s women, spearheaded by 2 members of the Leadership Team, solidifying the commitment of CTC’s Leadership Team to strengthening the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) agenda. The cross functional & cross layer participation ensures that the programme remains relevant and impactful. By addressing the challenges women face in their careers and personal lives, with special consideration to their life stages, WoW has created a culture where women feel supported, inspired, and empowered to thrive.

Throughout 2024, the WoW programme delivered a diverse range of initiatives that reflected CTC’s commitment to inclusivity and women’s wellbeing. One of the year’s highlights was “Awareness through Art,” a breast cancer awareness session well attended by the employees. This innovative workshop used art as a medium to raise awareness and encourage meaningful conversation around a critical health issue affecting women globally. The creative format was praised for its ability to engage participants deeply and foster empathy.

CTC also has a comprehensive development intervention which features personalized development plans and individual coaching. In addition, CTC offers both short-term and long-term international opportunities. These opportunities are aligned with business needs and individual development goals and are made equally accessible to all employees, with a commitment to providing balanced opportunities for both men and women.

Another landmark event was the “Inspire Inclusion” debate competition, which challenged participants to engage with controversial and complex workplace topics related to diversity and inclusion. The event invited a wider segment of the organization to participate, sparking important dialogue that reinforced CTC’s culture of respect, openness, and inclusivity. CTC introduced “Supernova”, a mentoring program to inspire future female leaders in STEM.

This is another initiative that connects the female leadership team members with emerging talent, creating a pipeline of females ready to take on Operations careers at CTC while fostering a culture of continuous learning and development. The program has become a cornerstone of CTC’s talent development strategy, producing a robust pipeline of female leaders.

Further emphasizing the collective responsibility of achieving gender equality, the Company celebrated International Men’s Day- to showcase men’s allyship within the WoW initiative. This celebration highlighted how the men at CTC actively support and contribute to fostering a gender-inclusive culture, reinforcing the notion that empowerment is a shared journey. men at CTC actively support and contribute to fostering a gender-inclusive culture, reinforcing the notion that empowerment is a shared journey.

To cap off the year, the WoW programme organized a year-end networking event that brought women across the organization together for a day of fun, learning, and connection. This gathering provided opportunities for relationship-building and peer support, strengthening the community bonds among women at CTC and enhancing their professional networks.

Commenting on the programme, Kushani Dassanayake, Head of Talent, Culture and Inclusion at CTC, said: “At CTC, empowering women is fundamental to our culture and success. WoW programme is a powerful testament to our commitment—not only providing women with opportunities to grow but also fostering a culture of inclusion where every voice is valued. Our initiatives, from awareness campaigns to networking and allyship celebrations, demonstrate that gender empowerment is a collective journey. We will continue to invest in creating an environment where all employees can thrive and contribute to our shared vision.”

In line with CTC’s inclusive values, International Women’s Day 2025 was celebrated with enthusiastic participation from both women and men across the organization. The event featured a variety of engaging activities including interactive games, heartfelt gratitude videos recognizing the contributions of women, and a panel discussion featuring prominent industry spokeswomen and spokesmen. The panel shared insights on inclusivity and empowerment, inspiring attendees and reinforcing CTC’s commitment to fostering a diverse and equitable workplace.

CTC’s commitment to gender equity is reflected in authentic leadership action that goes beyond rhetoric. The company has established a culture where individual leaders are personally invested in driving change, with their performance assessments directly tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion outcomes. This systematic accountability framework ensures that gender inclusion is embedded as a core business imperative rather than treated as an ancillary concern.

Understanding that meaningful transformation cannot be achieved through superficial measures alone, CTC has developed and implemented comprehensive long-term solutions designed to create lasting structural change designed to break the glass ceiling permanently. The company has embedded respect in the workplace through holistic wellbeing programs and maintains a severe approach to bullying and harassment with anonymous reporting mechanisms.

CTC’s commitment to gender equality has yielded impressive results:
• 57% representation in the CTC Leadership Team
• 38% representation in CTC Management roles
• 84% female recruitment at management level
• 88% inclusion index score
• 50-50 international exposure opportunities.

These figures represent more than statistics; they reflect a —a testament to the organization’s success in promoting women into key decision-making roles and fostering gender diversity at the highest levels. DEI is strongly embedded in our organization and our ways of working with flexible working arrangements, wellbeing leave including beyond legally stipulated maternity leave and paternity leave as well as fertility leave, enabling employees to manage both personal and professional priorities in a respectful and supportive environment.

Demonstrating its dedication to supporting women at every stage of life, CTC inaugurated dedicated lactation rooms at both its Colombo & Kandy offices. This facility provides a private and comfortable space for nursing mothers, reflecting the organization’s effort to foster a family-friendly workplace where women’s needs are recognized and accommodated.

CTC’s commitment to women’s empowerment extends beyond its own workforce. The company is actively working to empower and enable women in rural communities in Sri Lanka through agricultural programmes designed to create financial independence. CTC through its initiatives provide continued support in agriculture, animal husbandry, bee keeping and mushroom cultivation. CTC further partnered with NAITA to provide opportunities in vocational training programs designed to upskill women and create broader economic opportunities.

This community-focused approach demonstrates how corporate gender initiatives can create ripple effects that benefit society as a whole. CTC’s efforts have been recognized through multiple accolades, including being named a Top Employer for five consecutive years. However, the company views these achievements as milestones rather than endpoints in our journey.

The company’s success in creating a women-friendly workplace while maintaining its position as a major economic contributor proves that gender equality is not just a moral imperative but also a business advantage. By putting women at the center of their diversity strategy, CTC has created a model that other Sri Lankan companies can follow to build a more inclusive and equitable business landscape.

Through sustained commitment, innovative programs, and measurable accountability, Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC has demonstrated that creating a women-friendly workplace is not just about policies and procedures—it’s about fundamentally transforming organizational culture to unlock the full potential of all employees, regardless of gender.

Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC (CTC)