“It’s important that we celebrate International Women’s Day; but what we need to ensure is that we don’t limit it to one day,” said Onalie Dissanayake, the Country Head of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

She asked: “It is a good thing that companies are doing something for International Women’s Day but instead of a cupcake, can we write a note saying ‘thank you’ and appreciate a woman for her commitment?”

In a recent LMDtv interview, Dissanayake emphasised that words must be replaced by actions when it comes to promoting female empowerment. And she stressed the need for consistency in policies and procedures on celebrating women’s achievements in businesses and the wider community.

She continued: “I feel it’s a good thing to encourage women in organisations to perform better because what I see on International Women’s Day is that they get flowers, cakes and cards saying ‘thank you’ but isn’t this generalised? Are women being appreciated for their contribution to the organisation or society?”

In assessing Sri Lanka’s marketing fraternity, Dissanayake believes the country has progressed in terms of the evolution of women’s roles but points out that the number of female marketing leaders remains low.

She explained: “It is a sad thing that although there are more females coming into marketing and a lot more contributing to the profession, the same share of those in junior categories doesn’t rise to the senior level. As leaders, we need to offer a supporting hand to juniors to let them know someone is there to hold their hand – to guide them through to reach the top.”

“We have many things on paper but should implement them,” Dissanayake added, underscoring the importance of initiatives such as mentorships, sponsorship opportunities and leadership development programmes “that offer women the opportunity to build their skills and knowledge.”

The Country Head of CIM in Sri Lanka and the Maldives also spoke of the need to break prevailing biases when it comes to attracting more women into marketing: “There are many females who are coming to study marketing but cultural biases stop them from getting involved in the field.”

She shed light on how marketing education institutions could play a part: “They can address these biases by acknowledging that they exist, and then provide training to their faculties and staff on how to mitigate them. We need to make sure that when students come to institutes, they feel inclusive and safe so that they can talk to somebody if they have an issue.”

Dissanayake also highlighted flexibility as the need of the hour when it comes to marketing education. “Whether it’s a man or a woman, people have their own issues and might not be able to do the same thing in a very rigid environment [such as a classroom] so institutes need to offer flexibility for them to complete a course.”

In addition, she discussed the need to leverage innovation and technology, to create more equitable and inclusive work environments that empower women and girls to reach their full potential.

She explained: “At a base level, technology can improve access to education – especially for women and girls in remote and underserved areas. Online learning platforms, digital libraries and e-learning tools provide a lot of flexibility and affordability, enabling people to access education.”

“In most cases, women have primary responsibilities such as being mothers and taking care of the house, so digital platforms can be used to offer them more opportunities to learn, become more developed and knowledgeable, and be able to contribute to society,” Dissanayake pointed out.

“We have more females in our country than males and so the majority of our workforce should be women,” she averred.

Dissanayake concluded the interview with a message for women: “Don’t ask for equal rights; ask for equal challenges and show them that we can.”