Satyn Women Friendly Workplace Awards: What Five Years Have Taught Us (2021–2025)

Since its inception, the Satyn Women Friendly Workplace Awards has evolved into more than an annual recognition platform. Between 2021 and 2025, it has become a mirror reflecting how Sri Lankan workplaces are changing and where they still need to grow.

As we prepare to open entries for 2026, it is worth pausing to look at the key insights that have emerged over the past five years insights that every forward-thinking organisation should pay attention to.

Why the Satyn Women Friendly Workplace Awards Matter

Launched by Satynmag, the Awards were created to move beyond surface-level conversations about gender equality. The focus has always been practical, measurable, and lived experiences of women at work — not just policies on paper.

From SMEs to large corporates, the Awards have consistently assessed how organisations support, retain, and empower women across every stage of their careers.

Key Insights from 2021–2025

1. Policies Alone Are Not Enough

One of the earliest lessons was clear: having policies is not the same as practising inclusion.

Between 2021 and 2023, many applicants showcased formal HR frameworks maternity policies, anti-harassment guidelines, flexible work clauses. However, employee feedback and internal culture assessments revealed gaps in implementation.

By 2024–2025, stronger contenders were those that could demonstrate:

• How policies were communicated
• How managers were trained to apply them
• How women actually experienced these policies in real situations
• Insight: Culture beats documentation every time.

2. Leadership Commitment Makes the Difference

Across five years of entries, organisations with visible senior-level commitment consistently outperformed others.

Winning and shortlisted companies typically showed:

• Active involvement of senior leadership in gender equity initiatives
• Women represented in decision-making roles
• Clear accountability for inclusion goals
• Where leadership treated women-friendly practices as “HR issues,” progress stalled. Where leadership owned the responsibility, culture shifted measurably.
• Insight: Women-friendly workplaces are built from the top down.

3. Flexibility Has Become a Baseline, Not a Benefit

In the early years, flexible working arrangements were considered progressive. By 2025, they became a minimum expectation, especially post-pandemic.

Strong applicants moved beyond basic flexibility and demonstrated:

• Outcome-based performance evaluation
• Trust-driven work cultures
• Support for caregiving responsibilities beyond motherhood
• Insight: Flexibility is no longer a perk it is infrastructure.

4. Retention Is the Real Test

A recurring pattern emerged when analysing workforce data: hiring women is easy; retaining them is hard.

Between 2021 and 2025, the Awards identified that many women exited organisations during:

• Mid-career growth phases
• Post-maternity return periods
• Transition into leadership roles

Top-performing organisations invested in:

• Return-to-work programmes
• Mentorship and sponsorship initiatives
• Clear promotion pathways
• Insight: A women-friendly workplace is measured by who stays, not who joins.

5. Emotional Safety and Psychological Wellbeing Matter

By 2024 and 2025, submissions increasingly highlighted mental health, emotional safety, and burnout especially among women balancing professional and personal responsibilities.

Organisations that stood out showed:

• Zero-tolerance cultures for harassment and intimidation
• Accessible grievance redressal mechanisms
• Proactive wellbeing and counselling support
• Insight: Productivity follows safety, not pressure.

How the Awards Have Evolved

Over five years, the Satyn Women Friendly Workplace Awards refined its evaluation criteria to reflect real-world complexity. Today, assessments go beyond checklists and focus on:

• Workplace culture and lived experiences
• Equity in growth, pay, and leadership access
• Long-term sustainability of women-focused initiatives
• Authentic commitment rather than performative branding
• This evolution ensures that recognition carries credibility, not just visibility.

Why Your Organisation Should Participate in 2026

The 2026 Satyn Women Friendly Workplace Awards is not just about winning a title. It is about:

• Benchmarking your organisation against national best practices
• Identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement
• Signalling to employees, partners, and talent that inclusion is a priority

Being part of a broader movement shaping the future of work in Sri Lanka

Participating organisations consistently report:

As workplaces continue to evolve, women-friendly practices are no longer optional they are a competitive advantage.

The next phase of the Awards will place even greater emphasis on:

• Intersectionality and inclusivity
• Career sustainability for women across life stages
• Leadership pipelines and succession planning
• Measurable impact over intention

Invitation to Apply: Satyn Women Friendly Workplace Awards 2026

If your organisation is committed to building a workplace where women are respected, supported, and empowered this is your moment.

The Satyn Women Friendly Workplace Awards 2026 invites companies across all sectors to step forward, reflect, and be recognised for the work they are doing and the work they are willing to do better.

Progress begins with participation.

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