Liya Shakthi – 2025: Women entrepreneurs’ open market and sales exhibition

Tuesday, 11 March 2025 02:21 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Sri Lanka in association with Sri Lanka Women’s Bureau organised “Liya Shakthi – 2025: Women entrepreneurs’ open market and sales exhibition” as pre-event for the celebration of International Women’s Day 2025 on 5 March 2025 at Viharamahadevi Open theatre area.

The initiative was inaugurated with the participation of Women and Child Affairs Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Women and Child Affairs Deputy Minister Dr. Namal Sudarshana, Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka Minister/Deputy Head of Mission Naoaki Kamoshida, and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Sri Lanka Chief Representative Tetsuya Yamada together with high ranking officers from Women and Child Affairs Ministry including Women and Child Affairs Ministry Secretary K.D.R. Olga, and Sri Lanka Women’s Bureau Director Sajeevani Perera. A large number of representatives from private sector, collaborators and main stakeholders in the area of women empowerment were present at the venue. Having stakeholders from development partners, government and private sector shows a strong commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka.

The exhibition shows a strong, collective effort to create more opportunities for around 200 women entrepreneurs who joined the exhibition. The platform provided through this exhibition will be invaluable for women to not only showcase their products but also expand their networks with key service providers. Having access to financial services, legal support, and business development resources will help these entrepreneurs grow their businesses more effectively. Additionally, the inclusion of modern online and virtual market opportunities opens up global possibilities for the entrepreneurs, which is a huge step toward making their products more competitive in the regional and national markets.

Minister Paulraj noted during her speech that, it is important to recognise the importance of the event not just for the women entrepreneurs but also for the collaborative effort between the Women and Child Affairs Ministry, JICA, and the Japanese Government. Her appreciation of JICA’s contribution, as well as the facilitation of this meaningful event during Women’s Week in parallel with International Women’s Day, highlights the value of international partnerships in empowering women communities. The synergy between the Ministry, JICA, and other partners laid a strong foundation for future initiatives, and it realised the Government’s vision of “a thriving nation a beautiful life”.

JICA Sri Lanka Chief Representative Yamada’s remarks reflect the positive impact of the collaboration and the forward-looking commitment to women’s economic and social empowerment. He believes that the Sri Lankan Government will continue working in a systematic and continuous way to provide women with proper services that are crucial in ensuring that their contributions to national development are maximised. This kind of sustained effort can definitely uplift women entrepreneurs and help integrate them into the broader economic landscape.

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