CMI – Sri Lanka together with KPMG create value through a virtual training for Room to Read on International Women’s Day

CMI – Sri Lanka President Kaushal Rajapaksa

KPMG – Sri Lanka Director – HR Advisory People and Change Sharon Abeyratne

According to UNICEF, 132 million girls worldwide are out of school and there still remains considerable gender disparities in education. While the reasons for this vary, the prime causes stand to be poverty, child marriages and gender-based violence. As girls’ education is known to not only empower women but also reduce inequality and strengthen economies, it is vital that we overcome these barriers in the years to come and seek to achieve equality and create conditions to facilitate an increasing number of girls getting an education.  

The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) – Sri Lanka and KPMG – Sri Lanka have joined hands in conducting a virtual forum for Room to Read in light of International Women’s day on 8 March. 

Room to Read is a Non-Governmental organisation which seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in low-income communities by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Working in collaboration with local communities, partner organisations and Governments, they develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and support girls to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in school and beyond. Room to Read’s Girls’ Education Program was founded with the belief that educated women can change the world. This program has four key components: develop life skills, mentoring sessions, provide material support as well as family and community engagement.

The forum acts as a training program in an effort towards imparting knowledge on the corporate expectations and skillsets required from new entrants to the corporate world, to the teachers who dedicate their time to teaching and training girls in Sri Lanka in order to support them in becoming educated, strong women in the community. For this workshop, KPMG – Sri Lanka, as the knowledge partner of CMI – Sri Lanka, will be providing a valued resource person, KPMG Director – HR Advisory People and Change Sharon Abeyratne, to conduct the workshop. Abeyratne counts 28 years of work experience, transiting from legal practice to operational HR and then to ‘HR Advisory - People and Change’ practice in advising client organisations across diversified sectors – in overall HR initiatives, including Recruitment and Selection. She is an Attorney-at-Law and holds a Master’s degree specialised in Human Resource Management from the University of Southern Queensland – Australia. Over the years, KPMG – Sri Lanka has been empowering human capital and delivering their expertise to further develop the skills and abilities of Sri Lanka’s workforce. Commenting on the virtual forum CMI – Sri Lanka President Kaushal Rajapaksa said: “We believe that this forum will make a considerable impact towards delivering quality education and life skills to more girls across Sri Lanka and offer assistance in bridging the gender gap in education. We are delighted to be able to contribute to furthering Room to Read and its cause this Women’s day”.  CMI and its knowledge partner, KPMG – Sri Lanka, support Room to Read in this initiative with the hopes of creating a positive difference in our community as well as to take a step towards bringing about an inclusive future and equal opportunities for all.