"Liya Shakthi 2025”: Women Entrepreneurs Open Market and Sales Exhibition 2025

On 5^th March 2024, “ලිය ශක්ති - 2025” Women Entrepreneurs Open Market and Sales Exhibition inaugurated at Viharamahadevi Open theater area with the participation of Hon. Mrs. Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Minister of Women and Child Affairs, Hon. Dr. Namal Sudarshana, Deputy Minister of Women and Child Affairs, Mr. Naoaki KAMOSHIDA, Minister / Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka and Mr. Tetsuya YAMADA, Chief Representative of JICA Sri Lanka office together with high ranking officers from Ministry of Women and Child Affairs including Ms. K.D.R. Olga, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and Ms. Sajeevani Perera, Director of Sri Lanka Women’s Bureau. Number of representatives from private sector, collaborators and main stakeholders in the area of women empowerment were present at the venue. Having stakeholders from development partners, government and private sector shows a strong commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka.

This has been organized as pre-event for the celebration of International Women’s Day 2025. The collaborative effort of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Sri Lanka Women’s Bureau, along with the media partner Sejaya Micro Credit Ltd., shows a strong, collective effort to create more opportunities for around 200 women entrepreneurs who join the exhibition. The platform provided through this exhibition will be invaluable for women to not only showcase their products but also expand their networks with key service providers. Having access to financial services, legal support, and business development resources will help these entrepreneurs grow their businesses more effectively. Additionally, the inclusion of modern online and virtual market opportunities opens up global possibilities for the entrepreneurs, which is a huge step toward making their products more competitive in the regional and national markets.

Hon. Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj noted during her speech that, it is important to recognize the importance of the event not just for the women entrepreneurs but also for the collaborative effort between the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, JICA, and the Japanese government. Her appreciation of JICA’s contribution, as well as the facilitation of this meaningful event during Women's Week in parallel with International Women's Day, highlights the value of international partnerships in empowering women communities. The synergy between the Ministry, JICA, and other partners laid a strong foundation for future initiatives and it realized the government vision of “a thriving nation a beautiful life”.

Mr. Tetsuya Yamada, Chief Representative of JICA Sri Lanka office remarks reflect the positive impact of the collaboration and the forward-looking commitment to women’s economic and social empowerment. He believes that the Sri Lankan government will continue working in a systematic and continuous way to provide women with proper services that are crucial in ensuring that their contributions to national development are maximized. This kind of sustained effort can definitely uplift women entrepreneurs and help integrate them into the broader economic landscape.