Following a nine-year stint in the private sector, Sulochana Segera decided to venture out of her safe zone, setting up what she says is Sri Lanka’s only private organisation for career women, Women in Management (WIM). In the six years since, WIM has established a track record for its work around two main goals – to recognise women leaders in Sri Lanka and to make them role models for the next generation.
When she first launched WIM, participation was low. Today, WIM boasts of a 2,700 strong membership and hosts the WIM Professional Career Women Awards annually.
Segera discussed the next steps for WIM…
Why Women in Management?
Just after the war ended in 2009, I looked for organisations committed to developing women in leadership, but didn’t like what I found here. It took me some time to establish the organisation, and in 2010, I opened with a luncheon meeting and invited women to come and listen. It was not easy because people were wondering what WIM could do for them, or assumed it was focused on charity. It took awhile to build awareness that WIM was an organisation looking for women leaders who can empower others and who can brand Sri Lankan women.
I then wanted to find women who can be brand ambassadors for other women; that’s how the Professional Career Women Awards came to be launched in 2011.
What do women gain from becoming WIM members?
Our membership is open to career women and women in business. We are not looking for quantity, but quality.
It’s a give and take. We ensure that WIM members become good presenters and brand ambassadors. One lady I met as an executive in 2007 became a WIM member in 2009. Today, she heads corporate media for a multinational. We try to help them reach these positions by recognising them through the awards. We also provide opportunities for them to attend women’s conferences overseas so they can network.
Women don’t appreciate the power of networking. We just sit with the people we know. We shouldn’t identify ourselves around the position we hold in a company; you have to brand your personality.
What hinders women from getting to the top?
Women are scared to fail. They feel comfortable giving leadership to another and backing them. This comes from our culture and background. As long as women are comfortable in middle management, Sri Lanka won’t grow. Young women are not looking at men, but at other women. So if women leaders fail, the next generation fails.
Women don’t take leadership; they expect someone to push them into it. Self-confidence is another factor. They don’t want the embarrassment of failure or want people to say they aren’t capable of something. We want perfect lives, so we are not ready to take risks.
Is this unique to Sri Lanka?
It’s women in general. But in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, women have come out because they are ashamed of how they are treated, so they want to prove themselves.
What is the Professional Career Women Awards?
The WIM awards are open to everyone, and anyone can apply. We want to recognise outstanding women leaders. We started with five awards, and from 2014, it’s been 50 awards. We have applications from overseas too. We have highlighted many success stories through these awards.
An independent panel judges the awards. It’s not biased and is open to any woman regardless of race, religion or region. Next year, we are looking at the tea and garment industries. We want to highlight a lady who has prospered here, so the younger generation can see this also as a respected job.
Are more women aspiring for management roles now?
Everyone speaks about it and is interested in it, but nothing has happened yet. In fact, it has decreased. Women used to make up 7% of senior management, but now we are at 5%.
You can’t demand a position just because you are a woman; you need to have the competence and know if that role is right for you. Gender equality is not about women getting a place, but about men and women working together and having equal benefits.
Having a family is not an excuse. Having a child is not a sickness, and being married is not an advantage or disadvantage. If you are pregnant or have a kid, slow down your career, but start again when they are older. Women planothers’ lives, but not their own. It’s not wrong to slow down or step down for awhile, but you can start working again.
Does WIM work with schools?
We are starting a project next month with schools. While young girls and boys are waiting for OL/AL results, we will help them find placements in the corporate world.
Is the glass ceiling real?
It depends on the individual. If you look at it as a challenge, there is a glass ceiling; but if you look at it as an opportunity, there is no glass ceiling. Challenges are opportunities too.
For me, there was no glass ceiling. I love challenges because it’s an opportunity.