‘We Can Do IT’ – Women’s Day forum by London Stock Exchange Group

Friday, 17 March 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

With a focus on gender equality and female empowerment, London Stock Exchange Group hosted a Women’s Day forum (8 March) titled ‘We Can Do IT’ for students studying ICT at the University of Moratuwa, the University of Kelaniya, the Asia-Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT), and the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT).

The panel, comprising senior employees of London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) and MillenniumIT, included Head of HR for LSEG Sri Lanka Bani Chandrasena, Project Director Vidumini Ranasinghe, Software Engineer Dinu Kumarasiri, Senior Business Consultant Amani Gunawardhene and Head of Pre-Sales Sabiha Nanji. The moderator was Associate Business Consultant Erangi De Costa.

The panellists shared their personal experiences including details of their chosen career paths and their views on career advancements and maintaining a work-life balance. They also spoke of the challenges faced working in a historically male dominated industry, before discussing the enormous scope within the local and global ICT arena for women today.

The panel discussion was intended to create awareness of prospective recruitment opportunities and employment opportunities within the IT industry, and to address the misconceptions women have about working in this field.

The panellists discussed topics such as managing a work-life balance, the various subjects and courses that are best suitable for the various job descriptions, and the emotional intelligence and multitasking abilities that women possess to tackle work-related tasks that are considered value-additions to organisations.

LSEG advocates women’s rights, equality and empowerment through access to various options including day care facilities, flexible hours, buddy-systems and role models to help and nurture its female employees. Women, like their male counterparts, are encouraged to work on the same projects and programmes and are treated as equals.

Held for the third consecutive year, this forum has helped many students fulfil their dreams and overcome their uncertainties of working in this industry. This programme complements the various other initiatives by the Group held throughout the year which aim to empower and groom students to step into a professional career in the Technology industry.

Headquartered in London, with significant operations in North America, Italy, France and Sri Lanka, the Group employs approximately 4,700 people.

Further information on London Stock Exchange Group can be found at www.lseg.com.