WiLAT Sri Lanka shines on global stage

WiLAT Global Conference Delegation

Women in Logistics and Transport (WiLAT) global forum in the third year of its launch held the Global WiLAT Convention in Dubai, a one day conference on 13 September, as part of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Global Convention. 

WiLAT Sri Lanka Chairperson Gayani de Alwis, Regional Coordinator, South Asia Namalie Siyambalapitiya, Vice Chairperson Niroza Gazzali and Exco Member Amra Zareer represented the convention from Sri Lanka. Around 80 delegates from 18 countries participated at this global conference. 

Aisha Ibrahim, Global WiLAT Convener highlighted the key activities and the growth of WiLATs in different countries and welcomed Dr. Dorothy Chan, immediate past CILT International President as WiLAT Global Advisor. For the first time, WiLATs from Singapore, Ireland and China were present at this year’s conference. Each country chairpersons and regional coordinators presented their update to the participants. 

Currently WiLAT is present in 16 countries and WiLAT reached the 50% target set during the WiLAT Global Forum launch in Colombo on 3 June 2013. Two new WiLATs from China and Australia will be inducted shortly which will bring the total countries to 18 in three continents.

WiLAT Global Advisor Dr. Dorothy mentioned that activities of WiLATs have grown beyond imagination over a short span of three years. Apart from conferences and promotion of professional knowledge in supply chain, logistics and transport, WiLAT has also reached out to the community. 

WiLAT Sri Lanka hit the news with their WiLAT walk and launching of ‘Ignite’ mentoring program in Colombo and WiLAT Zambia started a meaningful scheme to provide bicycles to women in Africa to relieve their transport needs, she stated. 

WiLAT adopted four themes to set their agenda; mentorship, empowerment, leadership and entrepreneurship for global rollout. WiLAT Sri Lanka’s ‘Ignite’ mentoring program was adopted as the WiLAT world-wide mentorship program. 

WiLAT Sri Lanka Chairperson Gayani de Alwis was appointed as the leader for this initiative. Thought leadership for empowerment is to be provided by WiLAT Chairperson Malaysia, Sharif Halima.

Women leaders have demonstrated their remarkable skills and resilience in handling crisis and the gulf region, in particular, have deliberated policies and commitments in promoting and keeping women in leadership positions as the norm. 

WiLAT Chairperson Middle East, Nadia Abdul Aziz, a successful CEO, was appointed as the anchor for leadership development. Entrepreneurship was important for African continent, with Zambia topping the world women entrepreneurs as no. 1 country according to Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2012 Women’s Report. WiLAT Chairperson Hong Kong, Vicky Koo, who is an entrepreneur herself, would take the lead in this area, she stressed.

The participants agreed that the WiLAT conference will be held at the same time as CILT International Convention annually, regional WiLAT conference activities would also be pursued to create engagement. 

Since African Forum is already well placed, an Asian forum is being conceived to strengthen the regional structure she said. WiLAT Regional Coordinator South Asia informed the delegates that Sri Lanka would host the first-ever South Asia Regional Conference in March 2016 in Colombo.

An annual walkathon will be held globally on 3 June, the day WiLAT was globally launched in Colombo in 2013. It was highlighted that WiLAT will be releasing a publication to commemorate the fifth anniversary of WiLAT in 2018 as ‘WE’ stories. Dr. Chan also stressed the need to attract ‘Millennial ladies’ to join logistics and transport industry.

The WiLAT Sri Lanka Chairperson said that she was encouraged that three pioneering initiatives from Sri Lanka were adopted for global roll out and she has assured her support to the global team to take these forward. 

WiLAT is the women’s forum of CILT. It is part of an ever expanding global network within CILT. The main objective of WiLAT is to promote and encourage the art and science of logistics and transport among women. Currently WiLAT is present in 16 countries with over 1600 members in the global network which is expanding rapidly.  

WiLAT Sri Lanka is one of the five pioneering fora of the global network which was established on 21 March 2013. WiLAT membership is open to all women working in public and private sector and in academia in the areas of logistics, transport, supply chain and supporting functions in organisations. 

The WiLAT Sri Lanka forum is expected to provide a platform for women engaged in the industry to maximise their true potential both professionally and personally. For more details on WiLAT, visit web page http://www.ciltsl.com/wilat/.