Eva and State Ministry for Women and Child Development roll out 2nd phase of ‘Diyaniya’

From left: State Ministry of Women and Child Development National Committee on Women Chairperson S.B. Dissanayake, Women’s Bureau of Sri Lanka Director Champa Upasena, State Ministry of Women and Child Development Secretary Kumari Jayasekara, State Minister of Women and Child Development Piyal Nishantha de Silva, Capital Maharaja Group Director Shanthi Bhagirathan, Capital Maharaja Group Director Suranga Jayalath

State Minister of Women and Child Development Piyal Nishantha de Silva speaking at the event

Sri Lanka’s leading feminine hygiene brand, Eva, together with the State Ministry of Women and Child Development recently launched the second phase of the ‘Diyaniya’ initiative, in view of the International

Capital Maharaja Group Director Shanthi Bhagirathan addressing the event

Women’s Day 2022. 

Based on a concept by the State Minister Piyal Nishantha, ‘Diyaniya’ initiative was first introduced in 2021 to raise awareness related to feminine health and menstrual hygiene. 

This year the initiative was announced at a joint press conference by Eva and the State Ministry for Women and Child Development, Pre-Schools and Primary Education, School Infrastructure and Education Services.  The event was graced by the State Minister of Women and Child Development Piyal Nishantha de Silva, State Ministry of Women and Child Development Secretary Kumari Jayasekara, Women’s Bureau of Sri Lanka Director Champa Upasena, State Ministry of Women and Child Development National Committee on Women Chairperson S.B. Dissanayake, Capital Maharaja Group Group Director Suranga Jayalath and Capital Maharaja Group Group Director Shanthi Bhagirathan. 

Under ‘Diyaniya’ initiative, in 2022, Eva will reach out to 250 schools across the country, providing infrastructure including sanitary napkins, other hygiene products and essentials. The brand as part of the initiative will also visit each of these schools to conduct special workshops on feminine/menstrual hygiene with the support of trained professionals, ensuring that young students have the ability, knowledge and means to practice good feminine hygiene, aiming to improve their overall health and wellbeing. And access to good quality products. 

Speaking at the media conference, State Minister Piyal Nishantha de Silva expressed his views on this initiative, his own brainchild saying, ‘‘We conceptualised the ‘Diyaniya’ initiative to meet the government’s objective of providing free and easy access to the means of fulfilling sanitary needs, for female school students around the country. It is my great pleasure to see the project successfully rolling out for the second consecutive year, thanks to the support of Eva. A brand’s ethos which surpasses a typical product to market function and going beyond in supporting and striving to ensure that no girl child will miss school or other life opportunities due to period poverty.”

Speaking about this timely endeavour Capital Maharaja Group, Group Director Suranga Jayalath said, “As an organisation that places great importance on the empowerment of women, we have always extended unwavering support to the cause at all times. This project, now in its’ second year, takes a holistic approach to empowering women by fulfilling the needs of the girl child and normalising knowledge on feminine hygiene. We believe this will contribute positively to the lives of many thousands of school children around the country, especially those from rural areas’’ Capital Maharaja Group, Group Director Shanthi Bhagirathan speaking at the event said, “Eva is a brand that has touched the hearts of millions of Sri Lankan women for decades now. We have always been socially conscious and directed our strengths to support the cause women empowerment through the years. ‘Diyaniya’ initiative was launched exactly a year ago and it gives us great pleasure to have achieved the goals set for that period and to successfully initiate its’ second phase now. While thanking the Minister and the Ministry, we would like to assure of our unwavering commitment to push the project forward’’.  She also continued saying, “As a responsible corporate we believe in our people and in empowering them as a nation to move forward.  Education is power which gives confident. Education is also giving voice to our children and with this program to female children in particular. We see this initiative as part of a process leading on Gender Equality - which is important for survival and for making change for sustainable growth”. 

Eva continues to be the flag bearer for feminine hygiene in Sri Lanka, enjoying generational trust as a household name. All Eva products are manufactured under SLS Certified, ISO – 9001 manufacturing processes, adhering to international quality standards, certified by NMRA. This is supported by the organisation’s state-of-the-art research and development facility that consistently works towards new and improved products, designed to give the modern woman the freedom she deserves to ‘Lead with Confidence’.