The Male Allyship Initiative – How Hemas Group Is Turning a Concept into Culture

The Male Allyship of the Hemas Group was recently recognized at the Satynmag Women Friendly Workplace Awards as a unique and innovative Initiative. They won ‘She Grows” , the Most Female Friendly Innovative in the Workplace. The initiative is aimed at enabling male colleagues to better understand the issues women face at work. 

The Hemas Group Male Allyship Initiative is led by a team of dedicated people – in the driving seat is Ravi Jayasekera Group Chief People Officer who’s passionate about encouraging women on the team to be truly empowered. The sentiments are shared by his team.

“Male Allyship embodies the very concept of men and women needing each other’s support whether in the workplace or in the community, “ Ravi adds, “However, what we know and understand is that women do need support in their work roles and the idea is that men as colleagues can understand and respond to that in a more informed way. It is all about developing a partnership that takes into account the unique needs women face at work and to try and understand how those can be well mitigated.”

Adding their voices as Male Allyship ambassadors to the conversation are Dr Dhushyanthan Subramanium,Director Laboratories and Ambulatory Care at Hemas Hospital and Dahami Hewagamage Director – HR at Hemas Group. They believe that as male colleagues, they have much to bring to the table.

“ Power and privilege are some of the markers of society at large. A voice needs to be heard on behalf of those who have neither power nor prestige. What we are aiming to achieve through the Male Allyship Initiative is akin to that and reflects the need for men being able to support women on their team wholeheartedly.”

There is a considerable amount of unconscious bias among us, he adds – which may be exercised without being aware of it. For example, expecting a female co-worker to attend to some of the tasks which may be outside her purview but which maybe seen as feminine tasks. It could be work projected on to women and may not always be supportive of the role yet seen as nothing to complain about.

“ The workplace is a part of society after all – and is where male allyship can work towards minimising the prejudices and conditions that arise from unconscious bias “ he adds.

Dahami says  that the Male Allyship Initiative is not only about enabling females to work around issues they face at work but rather, ensuring everyone’s on board to support women on the team.

“ Male Allyship is about simple things ; from listening to understanding, identifying barriers that are there for women and taking steps to remove them.” he points out, “ We need to understand that the society out there is not a level playing field for both men and women yet women have a set of specific needs that must be understood.”

He points out that the Male Allyship is not a side project. It is a leadership behaviour that must shape hiring, pay, scheduling, and everyday decisions. 

It’s about reframing allyship from a “programme” into “the way we lead,” backed by policy changes and simple, repeatable practices that lift women across roles and levels, Ravi points out.

Chathurani Kulatunga, Senior Manager – Wellness, Diversity and Inclusion at Hemas Group also agrees. As a woman herself, Chathurani believes that the initiative is a timely one for both men and women to understand how best they can support and encourage each other.

Why male allyship matters now

Allyship broadens ownership. When men act as allies, inclusion stops being a “women’s initiative” and becomes an organisational responsibility. Ravi likes to point out that allyship on two tracks: small, human actions—listening, learning, making time—and structural work that dismantles barriers that slow or block women’s progress. Those barriers include unconscious bias, policy gaps, safety and mobility constraints, and decision-making rooms still dominated by men.

From intent to infrastructure

Ravi and team believe that at Hemas, linking intent to infrastructure is vital and must be undertaken in a planned manner. Among a few areas being discussed is enabling women to take on sales and field assignments but within manageable areas such as Colombo for now ; and to limit the scope to beauty and aligned brands to explore potential opportunities. 

For an example, Dr Dhushyantha states that Hemas Hospitals have female staff who go on scooties to collect test samples from patients ; but if the patient is a male and there are no accompanying females where he is, the female staff member is sent in a car with a driver to ensure she has support. “ We understand that navigating the world outside can still be challenging and open up our female team members to various difficult situations. We try to manage that as safely as possible.”

A level playing field is the ideal for both men and women but in reality, not always possible. Travel and accommodation issues can be difficult for women – not always possible to use such facilities normally provided to men. These are realities that call for mally allyship in understanding the practical difficulties.  

Dahami believes that insights on the context are important. ” Areas such as transport, safety, caregiving, and social expectations are not always the same for women ; and design for equity so that “equal opportunity” is real, not rhetorical.”

Coaching, voice, and decision rights

He notes that the culture shifts when decisions change. “Already, when it comes to leadership training, we have noticed that more men now volunteer as coaches for succession-tracking for female talent, and therefore, as allies, consciously “wear the female-ally hat” in policy reviews and promotion meetings. “

That mindset shows up in calendar discipline too—avoiding late meetings that conflict with caregiving, and creating space for women to lead without trading away family responsibilities.

One telling story involved a newly promoted female leader who asked, “Have I been underpaid compared to the previous male in this role?” Her courage to ask—and leadership’s willingness to engage—highlighted how allyship normalises pay transparency questions instead of penalising them. Men ask often; women are told they seldom do. Allyship changes that dynamic by signalling: ask, and you will be heard on the merits.

Dialogue that compounds

Beyond policy, Hemas runs allyship circles and storytelling sessions where women discuss practical hurdles—parenting logistics, travel safety, meeting times, visibility on stretch projects—and how leaders can remove friction. This running dialogue helps managers spot patterns earlier and correct faster. Participants report that it has been an “eye-opener,” surfacing why women didn’t receive certain projects and how to ask for them directly.

Storytelling serves a second function: it amplifies what works so others can follow suit. Leaders advocate taking these stories outside the HR room and into mainstream internal communications—and even the market—because consumers reward brands that support women with substance, not slogans, as Ravi reiterates.

Initiative → culture: what must change

For consistent success, Male Allyship must evolve into the DNA of the organization, says Ravi who adds that it performs best when it becomes the culture and the norm rather than a novelty.

“If you manage people, allyship is part of your job. If you set policy, you must evidence how it reduces bias and increases access. If you approve budgets, you invest in the supports that make participation equitable. Culture is what leaders repeatedly reward, resource, and require.” he says in conclusion.

Allyship is credibility in action. When leaders align policies, calendars, and decision rights with what women need to thrive, inclusion stops being a poster and starts being how the company work