{"id":677,"date":"2022-02-23T18:26:24","date_gmt":"2022-02-23T18:26:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.topic.lk\/?p=677"},"modified":"2022-02-23T18:26:27","modified_gmt":"2022-02-23T18:26:27","slug":"mas-pays-tribute-to-the-courage-and-excellence-of-its-female-changemakers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topic.lk\/677\/","title":{"rendered":"MAS pays tribute to the courage and excellence of its female changemakers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recognises 77 female associates at 14th<\/sup> MAS \u2018Abhimani – Empowered Woman of the Year Awards\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n

MAS Holdings paid tribute to the exceptional contributions of its female employees across multiple countries, recognising their inspirational performances inachieving excellencewithin the organization and in their communities,at the company\u2019s 14th<\/sup>edition of the MAS \u2018Abhimani\u2013 Empowered Woman of the Year Awards.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

The awards, held under the theme \u2018pride of our nation\u2019 at the BMICH on 21st<\/sup>February, 2022,honoured 77 female associates from all work levels of the company,selected from among more than 500 applicants, across 40 locations and 5 countries. The awards recognised and celebrated strength in diverse aspects among these female changemakers, includingcontributions relating to entrepreneurship, innovation, community service and sustainability, professional competencies and leadership.<\/p>\n

Under \u2018Empowered Woman of the year\u2019 44 awards were presented at the event while 6 special awards were also given, relating to exemplary performance in entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainability. 13 award winners were recognised under the \u2018Frontier Challenge\u2019 while 14 recipients were honoured with \u2018Leadership Awards\u2019. ChamariAthapaththu, the Captain of the Sri Lanka Women\u2019s Cricket Team, was the Chief Guest at the ceremony held this year, which recognised winners for 2020 and 2021.<\/p>\n

The \u2018MAS Abhimani Awards\u2019 presented since 2004, is part of the company\u2019s concerted initiatives to achieve and promote gender equality and empower all women and girls, within and outside the organisation. The awards recognise the importance of celebrating, profiling and sharing the success stories of female changemakerswho serve as inspirational role models for all women and men, bybreaking stereotypes and achieving the supposedly impossible.The awards are part of MAS\u2019 \u2018Women Go Beyond\u2019 programme launched in 2003, which aligns with the UN Women\u2019s Empowerment Principles and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).<\/p>\n

More than 70% of MAS\u2019 115,000associates at present across 15 countries are female.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe take pride in the remarkable achievements of these women who drive forward the apparel industry and in turn our economies; women who are contributing towards positive change for all women in their communities by challenging outdated ideas and norms,\u201d said ThanujaJayawardene, Head of Women Go Beyond and General Manager of Women\u2019s Empowerment and Advocacy at MAS. \u201cMAS remains fully committed to the long journey towards achieving gender equality.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Women Go Beyond programme of MAS seeks to make a difference in the lives of their female associates, while also impacting their families and communities, by empowering women in their workplace and at home.\u00a0 Through the programme, MAS challenged the accepted norm for employment, generating a paradigm shift in a profession that was previously looked down upon.The initiativelooks to counter stereotypical attitudes by celebrating the work of the thousands of skilled, intelligent and passionate women who contribute to the nation\u2019s economy, while celebrating their successes in life.<\/p>\n

Through the programme, in 2020, MAS created nearly 220,000 \u2018opportunities\u2019 that positively impacted the lives of their female associates, through more than 730 programmes, across all geographies that the company operates in. This included more than 45,000 opportunities in career advancement, more than 13,500 in skill development including entrepreneurship development, more than 93,000 in women\u2019s health, more than 11,500 in creating role models and more than 55,000 opportunities in preventing gender-based violence.<\/p>\n

In addition, MAS has set itself a goal, to increase female representation in management and has launched multiple interventions including Unconscious Bias Reduction workshops, mentorship and sponsorship, strategies for recruitment and retention of women, flexible work arrangements and childcare support. The company has also achieved notable improvements in many other indicators over the years, including female representation in senior management, the share of women recruited for roles above executive level and reduced turnover among female associates.<\/p>\n\n\n