Sri Lanka’s first female motor assessors recognised on International Women’s Day

Around the world, International Women’s Day (IWD) marked a celebration of the achievements of women. Janashakthi Insurance used the day to reflect on the significant contributions of women in their workforce and inspire commitment to the future challenges that women face in making further progress.

Breaking through barriers and standing tall in their chosen profession, Sri Lanka’s very first female motor assessors, who are employed at Janashakthi Insurance PLC have garnered recognition for trail-blazing a male-dominated sphere.

Purnima Wijesiri, who hails from Mawanella, was the very first woman assigned to this post in the insurance sector.

Having studied at St. Joseph’s Balika Vidyala and completed her A/L’s in Maths, Purnima went on to study Engineering at ATI in Matakkuliya, after which she worked as a service consultant at a leading motor car authorised dealer. Shortly afterwards, she joined Janashakthi Insurance, marking a milestone in the history of the industry in Sri Lanka.

Dushanthi Chandra-sekara soon followed in Purnima’s footsteps. As the daughter of a motor/repair workshop owner, she developed an enthusiasm for automobiles and mechanics from an early age, which saw her go on to undertake a course to receive professional training at a prominent automobile company upon completing her studies at Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya.

Both Purnima and Dushanthi are pursuing their tertiary education while being employed at Janashakthi.

Purnima is registered at the Open University for a degree in Mechanical Engineering, while Dushanthi is following a course in Mechanical Engineering at the Sri Lanka Engineering Institute and a course in Law at the Open University. Their aim it to apply their knowledge to hone their skills and further enhance their present vocations.

They note that it gives them immense satisfaction to break away from tradition and apply these skills to serve as motor assessors, rather than being confined to an office for 8 hours a day. “We feel that we can gain new experiences and make a contribution towards a developing sector during the country’s economic boom,” elaborates Dushanthi.  “The motor vehicle sector is not a vocation that many perceive as being suitable for women,” explains Janashakthi Insurance General Manager, Insurance Dayalinie Abeygunawardene. “The Company is dedicated to raising the bar and providing opportunities for women like Dushanthi and Purnima to transcend gender roles and spur the industry towards creating an environment of dedication, solidarity and fellowship among employees. We take great pride in having the first two female assessors on our team.” With 31% of the Company’s staff and over 50% of their Group Management Committee comprising women, Janashakthi is an equal opportunities employer, where gender development plays a vital role in the culture of the Company.