Marking a decade of collaboration, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) – a member of the World Bank Group – partnered with the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and global partners to ring the opening bell at the CSE, reaffirming their commitment to advancing women’s economic empowerment and leadership in Sri Lanka. This annual initiative, aligned with International Women’s Day, champions women’s economic participation to drive sustainable development.
The number of women board directors in CSE-listed boards increased from 8.7 percent in 2024 to 13.4 percent in 2025 reflecting the commitment to increase women’s representation in management and board positions across Sri Lanka. This milestone was largely driven by CSE’s mandate for boards to have at least five members, which led to the appointment of Independent Directors – many drawn from the Chartered Accountants sector, where women are well represented.
CEO Designate, CSE, Vindhya Jayasekera said, “We are very happy to witness a remarkable increase of over 54 percent in the representation of women on the boards of CSE-listed companies, raising overall representation to 13.4 percent compared to last year. This underscores a clear and encouraging trend, signalling that progress is gaining momentum and we are moving in the right direction.
“At the CSE, we are proud to have women represent 46.7 percent of our staff and 47 percent of our management team, reflecting our ongoing commitment to gender-balanced leadership. We remain dedicated to advocating for greater female representation in leadership roles, fostering sustainable economic growth and advancing a more equitable future,” she said.
While there have been positive strides in women’s board leadership in Sri Lanka, progress requires business to collaborate and commit to eliminate key barriers that prevent women from employment. This includes ensuring equal pay, expanding childcare access, and fostering respectful workplaces.
Country Manager for World Bank and IFC, Gevorg Sargsyan said, “Sri Lanka has made commendable progress in women’s board leadership. But to truly empower women, we must prioritize their advancement to leadership roles across all business areas. When businesses empower women economically and fully respect their rights, they create a ripple effect: fostering social progress, strengthening operations, and building more resilient communities. This critical step ensures women and girls have access to spaces where they can make a significant impact, which is essential for the stability and growth of Sri Lanka’s economy.”
Director and CEO, AIA Sri Lanka, Chathuri Munaweera said, “It is a time to recognise progress, rejoice the steps we have taken and look forward to the impact we continue to create. It is time to set decisive targets and actions around the percentage increase we want in women’s workforce participation to unlock and drive economic growth, rather than focusing on the fact that we only have around 32 percent of women in the workforce.”
