WISTA celebrates Women’s Day with inclusivity

Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) Sri Lanka has organised an event to celebrate International Women’s Day 2021 on 25 March at Cinnamon Grand Hotel Colombo. 

The highlight of the event will be a discussion regarding the future of logistics in Sri Lanka and female participation in a predominately male dominant industry by two industry experts, Expo Lanka Group CEO Hanif Yusoof and Hayleys Advantis Managing Director Ruwan Waidyaratne. 

It will be followed by a panel discussion on ‘Inclusivity – Achieving an Equal World’, where some of the top achievers in their respective fields who were able to break the glass ceiling such as Indira Cancer Trust Chairperson Dr. Lanka Dissanayake, Maersk Pakistan Managing Director Arjuna Hussain, Mrs World 2020 Caroline Jurie, Psychologist, Public Speaking and Personality Development Coach Rasini Bandara, and Mclarens Group Managing Director Shehara Jayawardana will speak about their journey, challenges successfully met and views on gender balance in an inclusive world. SAGT Chief Commercial Officer Ted Muttiah will speak about the male perspective in a male dominant industry and how they can support achieve gender parity in organisations. 

WISTA Sri Lanka has been able to carry out many such successful events in the past in keeping with its objectives of raising the profile of women in the maritime sector and working for gender balance in an industry which is still male dominated. WISTA as an association has worked tirelessly over the years to encourage women to take up careers in shipping and logistics whilst sharing knowledge, building skills and competencies as early as school entry level, creating forums for aspiring women to network, and be inspired.