Celebrating women entrepreneurs – “Invest in Her” Award Ceremony

The Women’s International Foundation (WIF), in collaboration with Aviraté, hosted the “Invest in Her” Award Ceremony, celebrating the resilience, innovation, and potential of Sri Lanka’s MSME women entrepreneurs.

Over the past three months, proceeds from every Aviraté sale were dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs with digital tools and market access opportunities. This unique collaboration highlights a shared vision: to create inclusive economic opportunities and strengthen women’s leadership in business.

At the ‘Invest in Her’ Award Ceremony, held on 29 August at the Timex Garments Auditorium, members of both WIF and Aviraté joined award recipients and their families to celebrate and honour seven extraordinary women entrepreneurs from the WIF network. 

Two inspiring women entrepreneurs were awarded essential digital tools to accelerate their business growth and included, Madu Costa from Ma’s de Costa Ltd, a micro food manufacturer and retailer and Dilhani Kodithuwakku from Lochi Garments, specialising in bags and fashion accessories. 

Five exceptional women entrepreneurs have been successfully integrated into the Aviraté supply chain, opening doors to new opportunities in both local and export markets. They are: Disna Hewathunga (DCK Footwear), Niluka Hemamali (Image Batik), M.W. Irangani (Shermila Batik), M.S. Kanthi (Kanthi Lace), and Lasanthi Kulatunga (Lasanthi Limited Edition).

Representing diverse regions of Sri Lanka from Kandy, Hambantota, Puttalam, Anuradhapura, and Galle, these MSME trailblazers have already established themselves as high-quality manufacturers within Sri Lanka’s fashion industry. Their inclusion in the Aviraté supply chain not only strengthens their businesses but also amplifies the global visibility of Sri Lankan craftsmanship.

Speaking at the event, WIF Founder and Chair Seroshi Nandasiri, said, “When we talk about the digital economy, we must first talk about digital inclusion. Without access to the right tools and markets, women risk being left behind. Invest in Her is about closing that gap, one step at a time, so that women can not only survive but truly thrive and lead. These may seem like small steps, but they are already creating big waves of change.” 

She further emphasised, “In many countries, strong national strategies exist to integrate MSMEs into corporate supply chains in ways that are mutually beneficial, ensuring their successful participation in both local and export markets. Sadly, this has not yet been realised in Sri Lanka. Today marks the first step towards filling that gap too. We hope this model inspires others to follow. Building an integrated, united value chain is vital for strengthening Sri Lanka’s economy. This is our small contribution toward that vision and a trend we are proud to set in motion.” 

Echoing this sentiment, Aviraté Head of Operations Amreen Ashraf noted, 

“At Aviraté, we believe that empowering women entrepreneurs is not only about supporting individual businesses, but about shaping the future of our economy. As one of Sri Lanka’s few high-end fashion brands serving women across the globe, we take pride in launching this initiative in true celebration of Women’s Day this year and even greater pride in what we have achieved as a responsible fashion brand.”

She added, “This program is about women supporting women. Every purchase made by our customers has directly fuelled this initiative, purposeful purchasing turned into purposeful investment. Through our partnership with WIF, we are not only strengthening our supply chain with talented women-led enterprises, but also opening doors for innovation and design thinking within MSMEs. Together, we can expand product ranges, unlock new markets, and build opportunities that are mutually beneficial and sustainable. This is the power of collaboration and shared purpose.”