BOI globally benchmarked for promoting gender equity and women empowerment

The Board of Investment (BOI) Sri Lanka has been rated well for promoting gender equity and women empowerment among global investment promotion agencies by the leading FDI Strategist, the FDI Centre’s report “Advancing Gender Equality in Investment Promotion: A Practical Guide for IPAs.”

The BOI has been featured as a best practice case study for recommendation 2.4 of the report: Conduct regular staff training sessions promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. 

The BOI is recognised for its work in promoting gender equality in investment. The guide, “Advancing Gender Equality in Investment Promotion: A Practical Guide for Investment Promotion Agencies,” provides practical guidance and inspiration for IPAs around the world that wish to incorporate gender considerations into their activities. It includes examples of IPAs that are successfully implementing gender equality measures.

Further, the report emphasises, Gender equality drives economic growth and prosperity. Numerous studies highlight the connection between increased women’s participation in the economy and improvements in productivity, innovation, and other factors essential for economic success. As vital players in economic development, investment promotion agencies (IPAs) worldwide acknowledge the importance of incorporating gender equality into their initiatives. However, discussions and surveys of these agencies reveal various obstacles hindering the full implementation of gender equality measures. This report aims to tackle these obstacles by offering practical recommendations for integrating gender equality throughout all IPA functions, from site promotion and engaging potential investors to providing ongoing support for current investors and advocating for more investor-friendly policies. The recommendations were chosen from a wide array of IPA activities, emphasising both their potential impact and ease of implementation. Collectively, they serve as a guide for IPAs to adopt the suggestions that align best with their current circumstances and priorities, while also allowing the addition of further activities that enhance these efforts in the future. FDI Centre has been a strong advocate for gender equality in investment.

According to the FDI Centre, “Our efforts towards promoting gender equality include the Towards Gender Equality in FDI initiative and the partnership with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) to advance gender equality in Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) and similar organisations. We aspire for the recommendations in this report, coupled with success stories from IPAs effectively implementing gender equality measures, to serve as practical guidance and inspiration for other IPAs globally looking to integrate gender considerations into their operations.”

Conducting regular staff training sessions that promote gender equality and women’s empowerment 

Gender equality-focused training establishes the baseline standards for employee behaviour and supports efforts to create an inclusive workplace based on mutual respect, free from bias and discrimination. Training formats vary according to needs and budget size, ranging from internal digital training platforms for larger organisations to tailored workshops for smaller agencies. These trainings cultivate awareness among employees about the broader social and economic context in which they operate. This heightened awareness ensures that the agency’s activities and employees do not inadvertently reinforce existing inequalities.

BOI Sri Lanka conducts recurring welfare and gender equality workshops, counselling sessions, and family planning for its employees within BOI export processing zones. These workshops cover a wide array of topics, including challenges faced by women in workplaces, gender-based discrimination, and violence and workplace harassment. One example is a half-day program on women’s empowerment in the Biyagama Export Processing Zone. BOI has also conducted programs on gender-based violence in the Koggala Export Processing Zone and the Seethawaka Export Processing Zone. BOI Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), ILO, Better Work Sri Lanka, and key corporates, is piloting a project to set up wellbeing centres at Katunayake EPZ to provide services targeting mental health, wellbeing, sexual and reproductive health, and gender-based violence referrals. As a step towards establishing the centre, peer education programs were conducted for the management representatives of companies and BOI officers by the UNFPA.