GENDER PARITY
A Basic Human Right
Yolanda Aluwihare Holm emphasises the need to shatter the proverbial glass ceiling
An icon of haute couture fashion, Yolanda Aluwihare Holm has imprinted her credentials on the fashion industry, catapulting the tradition of handcrafted batik onto international runways, and turning the spotlight on local indigenous talent and design techniques.
A mentor for aspiring fashion designers, she heads Yoland Collection as its Chairperson and Managing Director.
Commenting on how important gender balance is in the workplace, she explains: “Gender parity is absolutely essential for economic prosperity. Societies that value women and men as equal are safer and healthier, besides which gender equality is a basic human right!”
“Women bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table; they’re driven, focussed and able to multitask. Workplace gender equality is associated with improved national productivity and economic growth,” she points out.
Despite the value that women leaders bring to the workplace, many barriers still exist that deter greater participation of females in the workplace here in Sri Lanka.
In her view, “some of the key obstacles career women face are that they’re not given due recognition and respect as their male coworkers. This is extremely unfortunate, as I believe that women are more than or as capable as men in most fields.”
“Moreover, the lack of equal pay and sexual harassment, which shockingly impact women at all levels of employment, are some of the other reasons that hinder female participation in the workplace,” she asserts.
However, the founder of Yoland Collection believes that some of these issues can be easily resolved by forward-looking human resource (HR) policies. “HR staff members often serve as prospective employees’ first point of contact. Therefore, HR personnel are in a position to hire women and offer training programmes, ensure equal rights, engender a safe work environment and other benefits to female employees.”
She continues: “Rising female talent should be recognised, and their career paths and accomplishments charted accordingly. Women should be offered flexitime and work from home (WFH) options as well.”
Placing women in leadership roles is very important in today’s world, be it in the public or private sector, she maintains. Organisations that are led by both female and male leadership teams make better decisions – for instance, women have great leadership qualities, and are able to nurture and mentor more effectively.
Having risen to the pinnacle of success in the field of design and fashion on international platforms, she stresses that it is important to empower Sri Lankan career women by providing leadership and guidance, adding that “they should be nurtured, and their knowledge and skills harnessed to help them achieve their goals.”
Commenting on her experience in the workplace, she recounts: “My personal experience in the field of fashion has been quite easy as I launched my business in the 1970s when there was little competition.”
“I was given many opportunities to represent Sri Lanka at international trade fairs in countries such as Germany, France, Italy, Canada and the UK to name but a few. As a woman entrepreneur in the field of fashion, I’ve ensured that the Yoland Collection brand has gained international recognition. Given the right opportunities, Sri Lankan women have the potential to make their mark internationally as well,” she remarks.
As a successful entrepreneur, Yolanda Aluwihare Holm would like to see more and more women shatter the proverbial glass ceiling, and be represented on the boards of companies: “We need to educate men about bias. This will help usher in yet more women on boards and into leadership positions.”
“As a nation, we need to support high-potential women to step up and pursue their goals. Women are natural networkers; they’re driven, patient and good listeners. These important qualities should be recognised by giving women ample opportunities to showcase their talent,” she concludes.
