{"id":157601,"date":"2026-08-01T04:09:43","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T11:09:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=157601"},"modified":"2026-08-01T04:09:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T11:09:43","slug":"beyond-cakes-and-caregiving-and-garment-industry-it-is-time-to-redefine-womens-empowerment-in-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/08\/01\/beyond-cakes-and-caregiving-and-garment-industry-it-is-time-to-redefine-womens-empowerment-in-sri-lanka\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond Cakes and Caregiving and garment industry\u00a0It Is Time to Redefine Women\u2019s Empowerment in Sri Lanka"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Dr. Sarath Obeysekera<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

For decades, Sri Lanka has proudly spoken about women\u2019s empowerment. Every government has launched programmes under this banner, and millions of rupees have been spent on training and awareness. Yet one fundamental question remains:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have we truly empowered women, or have we merely confined them to traditional occupations under a new label?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most vocational programmes offered to women still revolve around cake making, beauty culture, tailoring, housekeeping, food processing, childcare and elderly care. While these are respectable professions, they represent only a narrow segment of the opportunities available to women in today\u2019s industrial world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Sri Lanka is serious about becoming an industrialised nation and attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), women must become part of the country\u2019s skilled technical workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking Beyond Traditional Boundaries<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many countries have already demonstrated that women can excel in industries once considered exclusively male.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Kenya, vocational institutions, supported by international organisations and industry, deliberately recruit young women into industrial welding and fabrication. These programmes have shown that, given the opportunity and proper training, women perform exceptionally well in precision engineering and industrial manufacturing. (International Labour Organization<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question is simple:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Kenyan women can become certified welders, why not Sri Lankan women?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Industries Waiting for Skilled Women<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka is preparing for major investments in shipbuilding, ship repair, offshore engineering, renewable energy, LNG, petroleum, steel fabrication and advanced manufacturing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These industries require thousands of skilled personnel, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Welding and fabrication<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Pipe fitting<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Mechanical fitting<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf CNC machining<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Electrical installation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Instrumentation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA\/QC)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Welding inspection<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf CAD drafting<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Robotics-assisted manufacturing<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Industrial safety and HSE<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Offshore operations<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is absolutely no technical reason why women cannot excel in these professions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women Often Possess Natural Advantages<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Industrial employers increasingly recognise that many women possess qualities highly valued in manufacturing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Excellent attention to detail<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Patience during repetitive precision work<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Strong quality consciousness<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Better documentation practices<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf High levels of discipline<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Lower accident rates in many industrial environments<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Commitment to following procedures and standards<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These characteristics are particularly valuable in welding inspection, QA\/QC, laboratory testing, precision fabrication and electronics assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modern Welding Is Not What It Used to Be<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many people still imagine welding as standing in the scorching sun carrying heavy steel sections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That stereotype is decades out of date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s fabrication workshops use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Welding manipulators<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Positioners<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Robotic welding systems<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Automated cutting machines<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf CNC equipment<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Laser measuring devices<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Digital inspection equipment<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Welding simulators for training<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much of the work depends more on technical competence than physical strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women around the world are successfully working in aerospace, automotive manufacturing, shipbuilding, offshore engineering and oil and gas fabrication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka should not be left behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Missed Economic Opportunity<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thousands of skilled welders and fabricators from Sri Lanka leave annually for the Middle East, South Korea, Romania, Israel and other countries because of strong international demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If women were trained in these same disciplines, they too could access well-paid international careers or support the development of Sri Lanka\u2019s own industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Higher household incomes, greater foreign remittances and stronger industrial productivity would follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Should Be Done?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka needs a national policy to encourage women to enter technical trades by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Offering scholarships specifically for women in engineering trades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Establishing women-friendly welding and fabrication workshops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Providing modern personal protective equipment designed for women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Creating mentorship programmes with successful female engineers and technicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Encouraging industries to recruit more women into technical roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Promoting success stories through schools and the media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Including offshore engineering, shipbuilding and advanced manufacturing in vocational training programmes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Empowerment Means Opportunity<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women\u2019s empowerment should not be measured by the number of seminars conducted or certificates issued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It should be measured by how many women become:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Certified welders<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Welding inspectors<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf QA\/QC engineers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Pipe fitters<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Offshore technicians<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Marine engineers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Fabrication supervisors<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Industrial entrepreneurs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is genuine economic empowerment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka possesses one of the highest literacy rates in South Asia and produces thousands of capable young women every year. What many of them lack is not ability\u2014but opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The future of Sri Lanka\u2019s industrialisation cannot depend solely on half of its workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we truly believe in equality, then our daughters should be seen not only in kitchens, hospitals and offices, but also in shipyards, fabrication workshops, offshore platforms, engineering laboratories and quality control departments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only then can we honestly say that Sri Lanka has moved beyond talking about women\u2019s empowerment and has finally begun to practise it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regards

Dr Sarath ObeysekeraBeyond Cakes and Caregiving and garment industry <\/strong>It Is Time to Redefine Women\u2019s Empowerment in Sri Lanka<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Dr. Sarath Obeysekera<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For decades, Sri Lanka has proudly spoken about women\u2019s empowerment. Every government has launched programmes under this banner, and millions of rupees have been spent on training and awareness. Yet one fundamental question remains:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have we truly empowered women, or have we merely confined them to traditional occupations under a new label?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most vocational programmes offered to women still revolve around cake making, beauty culture, tailoring, housekeeping, food processing, childcare and elderly care. While these are respectable professions, they represent only a narrow segment of the opportunities available to women in today\u2019s industrial world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Sri Lanka is serious about becoming an industrialised nation and attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), women must become part of the country\u2019s skilled technical workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking Beyond Traditional Boundaries<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many countries have already demonstrated that women can excel in industries once considered exclusively male.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Kenya, vocational institutions, supported by international organisations and industry, deliberately recruit young women into industrial welding and fabrication. These programmes have shown that, given the opportunity and proper training, women perform exceptionally well in precision engineering and industrial manufacturing. (International Labour Organization<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question is simple:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Kenyan women can become certified welders, why not Sri Lankan women?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Industries Waiting for Skilled Women<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka is preparing for major investments in shipbuilding, ship repair, offshore engineering, renewable energy, LNG, petroleum, steel fabrication and advanced manufacturing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These industries require thousands of skilled personnel, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Welding and fabrication<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Pipe fitting<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Mechanical fitting<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf CNC machining<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Electrical installation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Instrumentation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA\/QC)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Welding inspection<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf CAD drafting<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Robotics-assisted manufacturing<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Industrial safety and HSE<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Offshore operations<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is absolutely no technical reason why women cannot excel in these professions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women Often Possess Natural Advantages<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Industrial employers increasingly recognise that many women possess qualities highly valued in manufacturing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Excellent attention to detail<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Patience during repetitive precision work<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Strong quality consciousness<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Better documentation practices<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf High levels of discipline<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Lower accident rates in many industrial environments<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Commitment to following procedures and standards<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These characteristics are particularly valuable in welding inspection, QA\/QC, laboratory testing, precision fabrication and electronics assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modern Welding Is Not What It Used to Be<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many people still imagine welding as standing in the scorching sun carrying heavy steel sections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That stereotype is decades out of date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s fabrication workshops use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Welding manipulators<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Positioners<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Robotic welding systems<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Automated cutting machines<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf CNC equipment<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Laser measuring devices<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Digital inspection equipment<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Welding simulators for training<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much of the work depends more on technical competence than physical strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women around the world are successfully working in aerospace, automotive manufacturing, shipbuilding, offshore engineering and oil and gas fabrication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka should not be left behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Missed Economic Opportunity<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thousands of skilled welders and fabricators from Sri Lanka leave annually for the Middle East, South Korea, Romania, Israel and other countries because of strong international demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If women were trained in these same disciplines, they too could access well-paid international careers or support the development of Sri Lanka\u2019s own industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Higher household incomes, greater foreign remittances and stronger industrial productivity would follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Should Be Done?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka needs a national policy to encourage women to enter technical trades by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Offering scholarships specifically for women in engineering trades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Establishing women-friendly welding and fabrication workshops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Providing modern personal protective equipment designed for women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Creating mentorship programmes with successful female engineers and technicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Encouraging industries to recruit more women into technical roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Promoting success stories through schools and the media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Including offshore engineering, shipbuilding and advanced manufacturing in vocational training programmes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Empowerment Means Opportunity<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women\u2019s empowerment should not be measured by the number of seminars conducted or certificates issued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It should be measured by how many women become:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Certified welders<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Welding inspectors<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf QA\/QC engineers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Pipe fitters<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Offshore technicians<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Marine engineers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Fabrication supervisors<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Industrial entrepreneurs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is genuine economic empowerment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri Lanka possesses one of the highest literacy rates in South Asia and produces thousands of capable young women every year. What many of them lack is not ability\u2014but opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The future of Sri Lanka\u2019s industrialisation cannot depend solely on half of its workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we truly believe in equality, then our daughters should be seen not only in kitchens, hospitals and offices, but also in shipyards, fabrication workshops, offshore platforms, engineering laboratories and quality control departments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only then can we honestly say that Sri Lanka has moved beyond talking about women\u2019s empowerment and has finally begun to practise it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regards

Dr Sarath Obeysekera<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Dr. Sarath Obeysekera For decades, Sri Lanka has proudly spoken about women\u2019s empowerment. Every government has launched programmes under this banner, and millions of rupees have been spent on training and awareness. Yet one fundamental question remains: Have we truly empowered women, or have we merely confined them to traditional occupations under a new […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[116],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-157601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dr-sarath-obeysekera"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157601","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=157601"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157601\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":157602,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157601\/revisions\/157602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=157601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=157601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=157601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}