In Sri Lanka, Finlays is empowering women to take up traditionally male–dominated roles on tea farms. In 2019, we launched recruitment programmes which aim to provide equal opportunity to women.
Finlays is the first in the Sri Lankan tea industry to have recruited two female assistant superintendents on our farms – a role traditionally reserved for men. These skilled women, with backgrounds in agricultural technology, were given six months of training under an experienced superintendent, prior to their appointments. By challenging the norm and giving opportunities to women to take on this role, we hope to instil confidence and unlock their potential, while making it an attractive – and accessible – career path for future generations.
Priyanthi Makeswaranathan, Assistant Superintendent Sri Lanka says: “I love this job very much. It allows me to enjoy a balanced work and personal life. I am supporting my family and taking care of my parents as well, and I can plan properly for my future. Tea estate management is a male dominated sector with low women’s representation. The importance of this job for me is also to prove that women can work in estate management, just like men.”.
