Women in Management, IFC partner up for ‘Professional & Career Women Awards’

Women in Management Maldives (WIM Maldives) has partnered with International Finance Corporation (IFC) to co-host the ‘Professional & Career Women Awards 2024,’ which aims to promote women’s business leadership in the Maldives.

The year marks the sixth edition of the award and will recognize and champion Maldivian women who have excelled in their careers, businesses and everyday life.

Over 170 past women from Maldives, representing a wide array of professions such as banking and finance, hospitality, media, legal, logistics and supply chains, have won the award previously.

According to WIM Maldives, the ‘Professional and Career Women Awards’ demonstrate the significant role women play in bringing about transformational change as employees, entrepreneurs, and business leaders.

Founder, Chairperson of Women in Management (WIM) Dr. Sulochana Segera said IFC, a longstanding partner of WIM, have come aboard as a partner for the awards in Maldives, which will open new avenues of opportunities for Maldivian women who are equipped with the potential and skills to contribute towards achieving inclusive economic growth.

“The vision of the ‘Professional and Career Women Awards’ goes beyond just celebrating inspiring women leaders. It is also about providing the next generation with role models to look up to – women who embody a sense of status, achievement, and success,” she noted.

Country Head for IFC in India and Maldives Wender Werner said the Corporation’s partnership with WIM will serve as a platform that will showcase the remarkable achievements of Maldivian women, inspiring progress in all sectors of society.

“Addressing multiple barriers to women’s economic empowerment means more than just improving their voice and agency. When more women work, economies grow,” she added.

According to WIM, despite some progress, challenges persist in the Maldives in attaining gender equality and women’s economic empowerment remain. They detailed that the country’s female labor force participation rate remains around 43 percent, compared to 79 percent for men, and mostly concentrated in the informal sector. Henceforth, they cited the need to increase women’s participation and promote women’s business leadership – which they described as crucial to achieving resilient and inclusive growth.

With presence in Sri Lanka, Canada, United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, the 'Professional and Career Women Awards’ sets the stage for the award winners' own career or business trajectory. More importantly, it encourages other aspiring women from diverse backgrounds to explore new opportunities, propelling them to reach higher in their chosen fields.

The judges' panel for the award this year will be chaired by Development Banking Director at Bank of Maldives Fathimath Manike who will be joined by President of SME Federation Maldives Abdul Latheef, Managing Director of PAMS Hydro Group, Sri Lanka Manoji Wadugodapitiya, Permanent Member of Maldives Scout and Guide Fellowship Mariyam Waheeda, Gender Specialist for South Asia at IFC Pramita Ray and Professor in the Department of Marketing Management, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka Dr. Ravi Dissanayake.