In its role as the largest private sector employer of women in Sri Lanka, MAS Holdings launched Women Go Beyond in 2003 – an inclusive empowerment programme to make a difference to the lives of its female employees, their families and communities, by empowering them in the workplace and at home to fulfil their potential.

To increase the representation of women in management as a critical social sustainability goal, MAS set an aspirational target of 1:1 gender representation by 2025. The group has received numerous awards and recognition for Women Go Beyond including a Leadership Award at the Women’s Empowerment Principles event in 2013.

LMD spoke to women across different job roles with varying experience to understand what motivates them to work at MAS together with their thoughts on what’s needed to support women in the workplace.

Q: Could you offer some insights into your career and what led you to join MAS Holdings?

A: Although I studied law to become a criminal lawyer, the reality of our local courtrooms turned out to be quite different from the exciting image I had in mind!

Thankfully, I landed on my feet following a stint in Melbourne, reading for my master’s degree at Monash University, which reshaped my legal career as I made a decisive switch to corporate law at the time.

Ready for a change following three years of a few cross border acquisitions and collaborating closely with the senior leadership of a corporate on my return to Sri Lanka, I had to choose between a largely undefined role at MAS (where I would have to chart my own path) or a ‘safe’ role with a team of lawyers at a telecom company.

Despite the role not being well-defined, I chose MAS as the teams I met were dynamic and it seemed different from what I’d been exposed to. And I wanted a challenge rather than a safe choice.

Seventeen years later, and here I am – still at MAS, loving what I do.

Q: How has your role at MAS Holdings evolved over the years? What were the important lessons for you in your leadership journey?

A: My career at MAS has been a 180 degree evolution! I joined as an analyst to coordinate with external counsel and at the time, was advised not to ruffle any feathers – i.e. not to change the established status quo.

But the way I was made – always ready for a challenge – and evolving over time, I succeeded in transforming perceptions of a traditional in-house corporate legal function into a dynamic business function supporting MAS’ global footprint.

A 16 plus year journey saw the role evolve from a nonexistent function into a fully fledged team of corporate and intellectual property lawyers, who guide and mitigate risk as service partners to a global organisation spanning 16 countries.

In my new role as Director of Corporate Affairs, I’m responsible not only for the group’s legal function but also for establishing MAS’ global compliance and corporate communications. I have also become a key stakeholder responsible for its global brand identity and relationships with our external stakeholders.

Along my professional journey, I learnt many life truths from various experiences. My motto has always been that if you feel you can do better, then challenge and change in a way that adds value and does not hinder the business.

I’ve also never been afraid to disagree or stand up for what I believe is right – even if I was the only dissenter in the room. After all, one’s integrity and values are the most valuable assets – we need to be true to who we are. I’m fortunate that MAS enables employees to bring their true selves to the workplace.

Q: How important is it to actively work on supporting women and drive an agenda to bridge the gap in leadership that we see in the corporate world?

A: It’s incredibly important! The value that women bring to the boardroom, their leadership thinking and decision making are well-known, and reaffirmed by numerous studies from around the world.

I sincerely believe that unless we actively work to dispel biases – conscious and unconscious – amongst men and women that result in slowing the integration of more females into leadership roles in organisations, we cannot move forward.

Gender bias is a systemic and inherent issue; if we don’t accept that there are inequalities, and work proactively to change perceptions and the status quo, the situation will never change.

Q: And what is your take on the group’s efforts to empower women?

A: The strides MAS has taken in women empowerment are widely acknowledged locally and globally. And more importantly, this has the buy-in of all stakeholders, shareholders and the board.

Accelerating this momentum, MAS renewed its commitment in 2020 by extending its original undertaking to provide health and wellbeing education and services, focussing on sexual and reproductive health, and awareness of gender-based violence, to its employees and the communities adjacent to manufacturing locations, thereby widening the impact of the Women Go Beyond programme.

Having surpassed the target of 10,000 beneficiaries since its commitment in June 2019, MAS has doubled this to reach 20,000 beneficiaries by the original 2021 timeline.

I am incredibly proud to be a part of the MAS family – a group that has outlined bold, measurable and time bound plans to empower its employees.

Rajitha Jayasuriya
Director Corporate Affairs

“If we don’t accept that there are inequalities, and work proactively to change perceptions and the status quo, the situation will never change

Dilshani Peiris
Senior Executive – Corporate Governance
MAS Kreeda Finance

Q: Which innovations in the context of flexibility have helped you – and what are your thoughts on how employees benefit from them?

A: I have always appreciated the flexibility offered to me at MAS. Flexibility is essentially being accommodating of the different circumstances and needs of employees. There is a lot of accountability that comes with this but what matters in the end are the deliverables.

Technological interventions such as aggressive digitalisation and strong advocacy from senior management are two crucial enablers of flexible work.

Since we already had all the policies and procedures in place when the pandemic hit, and were compelled to switch to working from home (WFH), the shift was very smooth.

Previously, I spent a lot of time in the office and on the daily commute but now I get to spend quality time with my family, and enjoy more freedom to choose how and when I get my work done. It is quite empowering!

Sulochana Kulathungaarachchige
General Manager – Financeand System Governance
Bodyline

Q: In your view, how important is mentorship and sponsorship, in building women’s representation in management and senior roles?

A: I’ve had leaders who motivated me when I felt like pausing my career aspirations due to a lack of confidence when faced with new challenges coupled with the fear of neglecting my family.

These leaders not only guided me but took an active interest in my career. I am forever grateful to them for helping me believe in myself and continue this incredible journey.

A good leader must pay attention and recognise potential, and actively work, support and encourage all talent while especially focussing on female talent. This is important due to the current gap in women’s representation in leadership roles.

Leaders must genuinely believe that gender is not a barrier and developing female talent will not be futile, since many women would need to take maternity leave and face childcare responsibilities. It’s about identifying the best talent that is committed to respecting the values the organisation stands for while keenly driving towards its success and long-term objectives.

Dinali Perera
Assistant Manager – Talent Management
Linea Aqua

Q: How important is a culture of respect in a workplace in retaining female talent?

A: I think respect is a key ingredient in an organisation to have a productive, engaged and loyal workforce. A company that respects the different needs of people, and builds a strong foundation of being considerate and decent to its employees also instils these values in each of us.

At Linea Aqua, women experience a great deal of thought and consideration – with flexible work, non-discrimination policies, and an environment where women and men can speak up if they are not being treated with respect.

The management has taken the time and consideration to devise ways to support women during the pandemic, given that working mothers would be more impacted in this time of crisis while managing home and work responsibilities.

As a woman, I feel safe and confident in my workplace – I’m able to speak my mind and be my true self, because I know that the leadership will support me and take action if required.

“The management has taken the time and consideration to devise ways to support women during the pandemic, given that working mothers would be more impacted

Johana Lanna Christabella
BIQ Champion – Quality Assurance
PT MAS Sumbiri – Indonesia

Q: Could you share your views on how platforms such as Women Go Beyond at MAS drive the gender equality agenda, and motivate and support women in the workplace?

A: MAS is one of the strongest groups recruiting women on a large scale. At MAS Intimates, our workforce comprises 71 percent women compared to men, creating opportunities for females to be financially independent and enjoy personal development.

As a part of the MAS family, I am proud to say that we have a strong platform – i.e. Women Go Beyond – that makes women’s empowerment an essential part of the group’s focus. It conducts Abhimani, which is an event to appreciate women, offering rewards and recognition to those at all levels who are considered to be role models in the group.

I was selected as one of 10 as a Frontier Lead Executive in 2019 for my skills and also to represent PT MAS Sumbiri in Indonesia. I learnt to discover myself better, demonstrate courage and always drive excellence. Furthermore, I was able to meet MAS colleagues from across the globe, which strengthened and developed my network.

An initiative of Women Go Beyond is a mentorship programme, which I’m also a part of. Mentor and mentee pairings are carefully selected to ensure that the latter gains the most benefit from this nine month engagement by setting her personal goals, while receiving direction and guidance from the former.

Women Go Beyond has a definite purpose to support women by focussing on careers while balancing personal lives.

“Our workforce comprises 71 percent women compared to men, creating opportunities for females to be financially independent and enjoy personal development

Damayanthi Rathnayake
Asst. Manager, Operations – Sewing
MAS Active, Linea Intimo

Q: There are many thoughts about whether women can or should engage in manufacturing roles. What are your views on women taking on more roles where we don’t see enough of them?

A: I feel that females shy away from manufacturing roles as they fear them to be too great a challenge. I’m thankful that at MAS Active, I was able to identify and unlock my potential, and pushed to be the best version of myself.

In 2000, I commenced my career as a Team Member and over the past 21 years, I’ve achieved more than I ever aspired to. At MAS Active, I was fortunate to be mentored by brilliant and supportive leaders who supported me both as superiors as well as friends.

It’s crucial to recognise that we are human beings first without getting hung up on whether one is a man or woman. Certain skills such as assertive communication, managing expectations and differences, and handling pressure have been extremely important in my journey.

I would compare myself to the other production floor seniors who were mostly males and constantly ask myself: ‘If they can, why can’t I?’ As such, I learnt to trust my intuition and not underestimate my capabilities.

For those doubting your strengths, don’t take on the stereotypes of what is expected from gender labels. You have equal rights to everything; it is important that you trust and believe in that.

Thanuja Jayawardene
Head of WomenGo Beyond

Q: How does MAS support and empower women across all work levels of the group?

A: MAS has been working on women’s empowerment and gender equality over the last 16 years through its Women Go Beyond programme.

We have recognised challenges faced by women in the workplace – from the need for safe transport to education, and awareness on women’s health issues, their rights in relation to all forms of gender-based violence and the need for skill development that leads to success not only in our group but in their communities as well.

Over the last three years, we’ve also focussed our efforts to increase the representation of women in management to ensure that there are diverse perspectives in decision-making bodies, and a stronger voice for females who drive this industry and comprise a majority of our consumer base.

We need to address the practical challenges and biases that affect the ability of women to take on leadership roles in corporates. Sensitisation on unconscious biases, mentorship and sponsorship for women, flexible work, childcare support, gender sensitive recruitment and communication are a few interventions that we’re working on at present.

Together, we must work to challenge the way things have been and look at changing the structures we work from within, to create true equality for both women and men.

Telephone :4796444
Email: info@masholdings.com
Website :www.masholdings.com