Season 3 Vanithabhimana 2022 grand finale crowns top female achievers

Vanithabhimana 2022 Award winners of the National Level and Corporate Professional Category

Actress Shalini Tharaka won the Most Popular Award at Vanithabhimana 2022

Winners of the Appreciation Award

The third year of the Sri Lanka Vanithabhimana awards ceremony, organised by NDB Bank along with Sirasa News 1st, was held in splendour on the 16th of March 2023 to honour and empower Sri Lankan women. Sri Lanka Vanithabhimana 2022 took place nationwide, with 2384 entries from the provincial competition and 367 from the corporate competition, with the grand award ceremony held last week.

Sri Lanka Vanithabhimana is a very successful awards ceremony that has garnered much attention due to its colossal drive to bring Sri Lankan women to the forefront. The first Vanithabhimana awarding ceremony was held at the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre in March 2021 with much grandeur and then again at the BMICH in March 2022. Renowned Singer Umaria Sinhawansa became the Most Popular Woman in Sri Lanka at the Sri Lanka Vanithabhimana 2021. 

The winners of Sri Lanka Vanithabhimana were chosen at the national level and from the corporate and professional sector for the grand finale. In addition, there was also a Most Popular Category, where the winner was selected by the public through SMS voting for the past month. 

Actress Shalini Tharaka became the Most Popular Woman, while Chamari Atapattu (Member of the Sri Lanka Cricket Team), Dusheni Miyurangi (Actress), Kanchana Anuradhi (Singer) and Ruwangi Ratnayake (Actress) were all nominated for the Most Popular Category. Additionally, Vanithabhimana recognised five exceptional candidates for their contribution to diverse industries in the Appreciative Category. The title holders include veteran actress Anoja Weerasinghe, Anusha Siriratne ‒ a Sri Lankan aviator/pilot and first lady captain, the former queen of cycling Wasantha Kahapolaarachchi, actress and dubbing artist Ramya Wanigasekera and Professor Ajantha Hapuaarachchi who is a journalist, educator and research scientist. The two primary goals of the Sri Lanka Vanithabhimana program are enabling women to participate in the contemporary economy and encouraging and facilitating their admission. NDB also gifted an NDB Araliya Savings account with cash prizes to winners of National Level Categories, Corporate and Professional Sectors and Appreciation Category. 

Eight winners were chosen from a pool of contestants who were recognised in eight separate categories at the National Level. The awarded contestants were Padma Baddewela in Sports, Manel Kumari in Entrepreneur (Micro), Sriyanthi Mala in Entrepreneur (Small), Tarushi Indumathi in Entrepreneur (Up Coming), Fathima Sufiyani in Social Services, Vineetha Karunarathna in Art and Literature, Zareena Begam in Education and Hiruni Erandika in Young Leader. 

The Corporate Professional Sector Category winners include Amalie Abeysundara in Human Resources, Dilani Yatawaka in Financial Management, Manojee Dabare in Sales and Marketing, Myuri Janan in Legal, Inoka Himali Rathnaveera in State Sector, Nelum Shashikala De Silva in CSR,  Madubhani Wasundara in Tourism, Niranjani Shanmugaraja in Art, Nalika Prasadi in Sports and Dinushi Mendis in Entrepreneurship.

The Vanithabhimana program is an initiative in connection with NDB Bank’s sustainability agenda aimed at empowering women across the island. The successful conclusion of Vanithabhimana 2022 is a validation of the bank’s continued drive to support, encourage and recognise female achievers in Sri Lanka who are making significant contributions to the economy and society.