Women in Management (WIM) is a forum for women whose objective is to ensure that our women are
equipped to step into national and international markets and workplaces as professionals and skilled
employees, says Dr. R. Sulochana Segera, its Founder and Chairperson.
Talking to BMD, Dr. Segera says that her aim is to promote our women workforce as one of the best in
the world.
She also points out that our legal system imposes certain restriction on females in the workforce. For
example, in certain sectors, females cannot work after 10 p.m. Also, women travelling alone after 10 p.m. could be questioned. These outdated laws have to change.
Following are the excerpts from the interview:
What was your early career?
Just after my O/Levels, when most children did computer courses, I didn’t. I still remember my mother
saying, ‘Until you are 18, you cannot work’.
A Dutch tea company had advertised a part-time job for a school leaver. It was a walk-in interview, very common in my youth and the company was close to my residence. The vacancy was temporary, to stand in for a lady on maternity leave. That was the first time I saw a telex machine in 1990.
My father, a journalist knew many people in corporate and government sectors, but he didn’t assist me to find a job. I used to write my own CVs without any guidance from him. I moved on from my first job and worked in a garment factory in Wattala as a documentation clerk. I was skilled in shorthand but not too familiar with technology and used to get shouted at by the factory manager.
While working in the garment factory in 1993, I realized that female employees in the factory were abused with bad language by some officials.
I discussed this disturbing fact with my parents and my father took a rather philosophical view of the issue saying, ‘that’s the world outside’. But my mother agreed with me that I should not go back to work in that factory. This was my first ever experience of any form of abuse on women.
After my A/Level results, I joined a Chartered Secretarial firm where I worked for three years. I then joined another company as Secretary to the Finance Director
Your career has spanned diverse areas of employment and many levels of responsibility. What were the opportunities in your early career?
I got many opportunities, never having to wait for jobs. When I left one job, I immediately got another. Wherever it was, I always worked with dedication and commitment.
I also married when I was just 21 years. I also could not complete my Chartered Secretaries course as my father passed away just one year after my marriage. His death was unexpected and a great shock, as I had lost not only my dear father, but my mentor!
When the Sri Lanka Garment Buying Office Association did the first garment magazine, I was employed there. I then got a position in a garment buying office. I was pregnant then and many thought I would not be recruited. The interview panel consisted only of men. The garment industry was booming at that time. I was unaware about labour laws for maternity leave, etc. However, I did get maternity leave and all other facilities during childbirth. I worked in the buying office for about five years until I was head hunted by a multinational company.
The company was a leading Swedish tyre manufacturing company; I was unaware of head hunting and thought you need to apply for a job. The factory was situated out of Colombo and since I was hesitant to go for the interview, the director persuaded me to come for the interview and even sent his vehicle.
Although I had misgivings about working in a factory environment, my experience as an Executive Secretary to the Finance and Administrative Director, was a huge learning curve with considerable benefits to me.
From Secretarial positions you headed towards HR. How did that change take place?
I had personal problems and started looking at my career in a different way. I was fortunate that the organization realized I was struggling with personal issues and offered me career alternatives. They also offered international training, which I declined because I had young children, just two and three years old. They hired trainers from abroad to train me. Based on performance, I was appointed the first woman HRD for a thousand male employees. That was my turning point.
In my nine-year tenure I fully developed the HRD department. To this day the Head of HR in this company is a woman. This proves that the career success of a woman is a benchmark for other women also to succeed.
I left the company to devote more time for my growing children and started my own consulting company. During this period HR was going online and HR systems were becoming part of HR manual system. Then one of the big companies wanted me to be a consultant and I worked for them for six
months where I received considerable exposure to new things.
How did you start your own company?
I started my own company Search and Selection. My contacts in the corporate sector proved very useful in setting up business. Also, my contacts at the Sri Lanka Garment Magazine while I was working in Garment Buying Office Association in 1999 helped me.
I realized that women at that time were not too willing to be trained in skills and careers. Women especially between 30 to 35 years believed that they could only be employed in certain jobs, where they thought the employer would be confident of their work. Unfortunately, they did not see anything
beyond that.
As a part time trainer at the Training Institute of the Labour Department, I gathered valuable experience in training. But then I changed track and launched a pharmaceutical company with five others who worked with me. I didn’t know anything about
pharmaceuticals then.
The advertisement called for a leadership position and I at the interview I learnt that the company had read my name as Sulochan, as they didn’t think a woman would apply for the post.
My first sale was to a doctor in Ragama. I remember carrying the medicines in a basket and being
surrounded by many medical reps in ties. But undaunted I approached the doctor and accomplished my first sale and to this day, that doctor is one of our good customers.
Now we deliver to a lot of corporates, because corporates have their medical units, and a lot of multi-national companies purchase from them. The key factor is to know your market and your gender
does not really matter.
How did you start Women in Management’?
Women in Management was started just after the war in year 2009. As the word ‘Empowerment’ was commonly used then, I wanted to find ways to use real empowerment to the country. That is how the Women in Management started and it is not an NGO. I wanted it registered as a service-oriented company, where professionals in Sri Lanka can become mentors to other women.
How does WIM Operate?
Sri Lankan women are talented but are compelled to deal with situations where their professionalism is discounted. The first thing many ask is, ‘are you married?’ It took me time to realize my true identity and my desire to share the confidence I had built in myself and my career with
other women in our country.
When I entered the workforce in this country, there were no mentors. The average woman feels confident about deskwork but displays a reluctance to be in the limelight.
Women in Management has two sections. While introducing the professional, corporate business
women, we did not want to ignore the single mothers. Our CSR arm empowers women entrepreneurs,
teenagers and housewives. There are many teenage mothers in our country unsupported by the community. They have many issues, but still they can change their lives without ruining their future.
We run a single mother project, where we mentor them and assist them to develop a source of income; in many instances a career or a business. We are working hard on these aspects, because we believe that educated
Sri Lankan women can earn better incomes inour country, rather than working as housemaids abroad. However, as professionals they should goabroad on duty and return to their homeland. This is what we believe.
With that vision, this year we went to Canada recognizing Sri Lankan origin Canadian women. We recognized 30 women who came to Sri Lanka to share their knowledge. We also have a Chapter in Maldives and also planning to open soon in Australia.
Your comments on WIM awards?
The WIM Awards Ceremony was held recently representatives from overseas chapters wear
present at the awards and conference. WIM is the first women’s organization to open in Canada. Women in Management Canada Chapter is the first such organization in Sri Lanka where there are Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims together.
Also, this is the first time a Sri Lankan founded women’s organization for exporting their brand. Export is not only for products. You can also export your brand name and that’s a brand value for Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan women are known in the world as tea pluckers, housemaids, but in South Asia, we are the best educated. Through WIM, we are trying to highlight the fact that we have the best women in South Asia.
What is the reason for most Sri Lankanwomen to work in low level positions?
There are multiple reasons. Most women are concerned about their marriages and 80 per cent of the responsibility in running a home is on women. However, in other countries, the level is fifty per cent.
In Sri Lanka, when you get married, you are not only looking after your children, but also your husband,
family and everything. That you cannot forget. And then, as a woman climbs the corporate ladder the
company responsibilities are higher. Sri Lankan supportive systems come 100 per cent from the family.
I don’t blame the husbands. Of course, they have to help. But the issue here is, are the women ready to get the support of the husband? Most of us have complained, but I think before marriage, we have to think about our life after the marriage. How are we going to balance our work life, married life and children? Those are not discussed before marriage. Trying to discuss when you are in a marriage, causes issues. So, women prefer taking a back seat because they have not done the pre-preparation for marriages.
The second reason is women’s own conviction that climbing the ladder is not for them.
Today’s transport system is not friendly towards women at all. It’s very expensive. It’s a key issue as most of the top jobs are in Colombo and women do not want to leave their children behind for a career in Colombo. However they go to the Middle East and other destinations on work.
Some time back women were employed only as teachers. How did it change?
It’s not that women have to go out to work. Even in the old days when women did no go out to work, they
contributed to the family income by being self-employed. When the husband and children left home in the morning the women engaged in gardening, sewing etc. to earn an
income.
Today, women are of the view that employment is going out to work in an office. My view is that they don’t have to go out.
After your husband and children leave by 7am or so the women have the whole day to themselves. In addition to housework if they can at least use two hours productively they can earn something extra for the family.
The issue is that most women have forgotten their role to contribute to the family economy and depend on men.
Today, in Sri Lanka, the number of suicides is high, loans are high, everything is high, because there’s so much of burden on men and we have less number of men in this country. So, when they have to take care of women, it’s a huge burden.
How do you see the future for women in employment?
The future is bright because today there are so many mentors. The younger generation is used to and accepts women in top positions.
The girls also fight for their own positions. It’s not only education, but also skills. They are well aware that while they get the knowledge, they have to have their work experience and skills also. So, the future for women is positive as even from home they can earn an income.
What are the issues women face in obtaining employment and in work places?
Our legal system contains laws which are old and often unfavourable to women in our labour force. For example women cannot work after 10pm, in certain workplaces. Women travelling alone after 10pm could be questioned. Furthermore, single (unmarried) mothers cannot get a government job. Also if the father’s name is not in the birth certificate, you cannot get your child into a government school. Those old laws have to change for women. Flexi times and working from home should not be only for the western world but be introduced here too. Our workforce is unaware that these laws have changed in other countries and women have far more freedom in getting employment and working. Your views on education levels of women? Today, women are well educated. However, knowledge and skills are two different aspects. There’s a gap between knowledge and skills with women. Women are knowledgeable but still lack skills. Women collect certificates, diplomas, degrees, etc., but they don’t go for skills. That is why they have an issue with recruitment and don’t meet with the success they deserve in recruitment and promotions