Initiated in 2010 by WIM Founder Dr. Sulochana Segera, the WIM Single Mother Empowering Project can be best defined as an effort to reach out to one of the most valuable yet unappreciated segment of society, who driven by circumstances rather than choices have been relegated to the status of a single mother. The Project reaches out to single mothers to help harness their potential through training and education. WIM extends its hand of expertise to empower these women by helping them to establish a start-up, such as a micro-enterprise. The training provided, adopts a holistic approach of navigating them through the intricate steps of launching on their own, equipping them with appropriate skills, knowledge and assistance to garner the market segment for their goods. At the core of this Project rests an inherent belief in the power of the woman to be a pre-eminent force capable of changing her circumstances in her favour. WIM is glad to be that stepping stone.

Why Sri Lanka needs to empower women and women headed households?

Women almost constitute 53% of the Sri Lankan population and have been making substantial contribution to socio-economic development. But, unfortunately their contribution largely remains unrecognized and unnoticed. Besides, society gives little chance to women to enter into the fields of various economic activities. As a result women tend to find alternative ways such migration as domestic workers, sex workers and other unethical business ventures. While women leave the standard livelihood, it has given a huge negative impact on various areas of the society such as family break-ups, teenage pregnancies, drugs & alcoholism, child abuse & rape incidents, etc.

According to the most recent Household and Income Expenditure Survey (2012/2013) 1.2 million households (23% percent) of the households in Sri Lanka are Women Headed Households. 4% out of the 112 maternal deaths which took place in 2014 were teenagers. According to UNICEF estimates of 2015, at least 20,780 girls between 12 to 17 years of age are either married or cohabit. Family Health Bureau statistics reveal that 5.3% of the pregnant women registered annually are young girls below 20 years.

CSR Best Practices for Women Empowerment

The emphasis on women's empowerment and the field of women's empowerment are rapidly growing. There are many reasons for this, the strong evidence of Women’s economic participation increasing GDP, women are the major consumers of businesses and economic prosperity. There are thousands of corporates around the world who has witnessed their CSR programmes on women empowerment has being directly affected their profit margins and brand enhancement. Further there are evidence that when women are empowered there is a decline of social issues in a country.

Project Officers

WIM Berne Shanker
Project Chair
WIM Single Mother Project
CEO Lanka Pacific Aviation & Engineering

WIM Niroshini Ranasinghe
Deputy Project Chair
WIM Single Mother Project
Asst. Manager - Peoples Bank
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