Birth of ‘Fems You’re Limitless Foundation’ broadens horizons for women

Globally, women are in the forefront of economic, social and political participation, and are taking even more challenging and unconventional roles; in the corporate sector, as pilots, professional sportswomen, politicians etc. These opportunities are now emerging in Sri Lanka as well. Today, women play a critical role in the Sri Lankan economy and are the backbone of some of the most economically important sectors for the country – tea, garments, health, education and migrant workers. 

Therefore, it is timely that Sri Lankan women explore new, lucrative and challenging lead roles in line with the rest of the world. Young women who have not yet entered the workforce need to recognise that the sky is the limit with these new opportunities. But are our women in Sri Lanka ready to take on these opportunities? There needs to be a stronger support mechanism to help our women to come to the forefront.

Fems, one of the leading sanitary napkin brands in Sri Lanka, has now come forward to support women in Sri Lanka and lend a helping hand. In that respect, Fems launched a new initiative; the ‘Fems You’re Limitless Foundation’ was ceremoniously inaugurated recently at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. The objectives of the foundation are to inspire, encourage and enable women of Sri Lanka to push past stereotypes and self-imposed limits to achieve their fullest potential. The Fems Foundation is an initiative dedicated to the health, wellbeing and empowerment of women in Sri Lanka, as a powerful platform to enhance their life skills and chances of future success. The foundation was launched in collaboration with some of the leading national universities in Sri Lanka, where a special task was inaugurated amongst the university students who will be involved in the activities of the foundation. 

In addition to educational sessions on feminine hygiene, the Foundation will also provide training in leadership development, career guidance and other life skills which will benefit the students of these universities.

Hemas Manufacturing Ltd. Group Product Manager for Feminine Hygiene Shamali Perera commented, “We at Fems are committed to uplifting the hygiene standards of women in Sri Lanka by providing innovative products designed for the Sri Lankan woman, of the highest quality standards. However, our commitment to empowering women and our responsibility towards them does not stop there. We believe that a woman’s potential is enormous and limitless, and that there’s nothing that she can’t do if she puts her mind into it. That is why we strive to lend a helping hand and reach out to all those talented women to help reach their full potential. The Fems You’re Limitless Foundation is an initiative dedicated to helping women to realise their goals. We proudly salute women on International Women’s Day by inaugurating this foundation on this significant day.”

“As a trained health professional who has served the health sector of this country for decades, sensitive areas such as feminine hygiene are entwined with myths and unhealthy practices, and therefore a timely need to enhance knowledge in this area. Therefore, I’m pleased to join hands with the Fems You’re Limitless Foundation in their efforts towards helping women is a sustainable way,” said Fems Brand Ambassador, National Hospital Colombo National Coordinator for Training, Accident and Orthopaedic Service Pushpa Ramyani Soyza.

“I believe I am limitless and that all you beautiful ladies are too. We are all born to stand out with our own qualities and strengths. If we are governed by positive emotions and remain steadfast during trials, over time we will achieve our goals. The health and happiness of women around whom our families’ lives revolve is critical to the success of our society. Therefore the need to encourage and enable women to stand up for their future and realise their full potential has never been greater. I’m proud to be a part of this event to inaugurate the Fems You’re Limitless Foundation which will to inspire and enable the women of Sri Lanka,” said Fems Brand Ambassador/Actress/Director/Social Advocate Pooja Umashankar.

“A university is a place full of talented female students. The ‘Fems You’re Limitless Foundation’ has come forward to help students to realise their full potential and be successful in life, which we believe is very valuable,” shared Kelaniya University Department of Marketing Management student Naduni Lasanga Dias Desinghe.

Hemas Director – Marketing Rakesh Khosla commented, “At Hemas, we believe adding value to our key stakeholders is the only sustainable way of achieving long-lasting success. Our sustainability guidelines are based on the overall impact of the organisation’s operations on the three components of the environment and the social and economic well-being of our stakeholders and society at large. As such, Hemas is engaged in several activities to uplift the community and protect the environment. In addition, we are proud to announce today that one of our leading brands, ‘Fems’ is undertaking through the ‘Fems You’re Limitless Foundation’ to educate young women entering the workforce, on feminine health and hygiene, career guidance, leadership development, competency enhancement and entrepreneurship, in order to empower them to achieve their full potential.”