Eswaran Brothers Launches Empowerment Programme to Elevate Women in the Tea Industry
26th September 2025, Colombo : Eswaran Brothers, one of Sri Lanka’s largest value-added tea exporters, has launched a pioneering gender inclusion initiative designed to elevate women into leadership roles across the tea industry. The initiative is implemented in collaboration with global gender advisory firm Value for Women (VFW) and supported by FMO, the Dutch development bank.
This initiative marks a significant step for Eswaran Brothers as it integrates diversity and inclusion into its long-term business strategy, aligning with global best practices to strengthen its organisational culture and future-proof its operations.
Ganesh Deivanayagam, Executive Chairman of Eswaran Brothers, remarked, “What makes this partnership especially noteworthy is that Eswaran Brothers, as a family company steeped in values, was able to work with VFW and FMO to create a far-reaching programme of importance. This reflects strategic foresight and a fundamental belief in doing the right thing.”
Launched in October 2024, the initiative began with a comprehensive Gender Diagnostic Report and the co-creation of a Gender Action Plan tailored specifically for Eswaran Brothers and the Sri Lankan context. This process led to the rollout of several pilot projects and the implementation of progressive policies to create a stronger, more equitable workplace. These included structured leadership training programmes, a gender-responsive succession plan, sponsorship and mentorship opportunities, and measures to support working parents through paternity leave, reintegration support for mothers and coaching for line managers. In addition, the company strengthened its anti-harassment policies, introduced emotional wellbeing support structures, and launched financial literacy programmes to enhance economic empowerment among women employees.
“We are working hard to benchmark ourselves against the best companies in the world,” said Nimali Seneveiretna, Group Head of Legal and HR.
A three-day mid-project review held in July 2025 highlighted the strong progress achieved, not only in terms of policy but also in organisational culture. Managers have been trained as internal change agents and are leading the inclusion agenda from within. Employees reported a shift in perception, with male staff acknowledging the impact of unconscious bias and female employees expressing a renewed sense of confidence in their career prospects. One production supervisor noted, “I am a future leader. The leadership training helped me see possibilities I never imagined before.”
Eswaran Brothers is also aligning its efforts with the globally recognised 2X Challenge Criteria and will publish a case study documenting its progress to encourage other industry players to adopt similar practices.
Rebecca Fries, CEO of Value for Women, commented: “What truly stands out about Eswaran’s journey is that they embraced inclusion as a business strategy, not just a compliance exercise. By taking practical and sustainable steps, they are demonstrating how gender equity can open new possibilities for both people and the business.”
Eswaran Brothers plans to scale up its leadership development programmes, integrate inclusion-focused Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) into performance reviews, and expand flexible work arrangements to build on this momentum. By embedding gender inclusion as a business priority, the company aims to strengthen its competitive edge and set a benchmark for sustainable, inclusive growth in Sri Lanka’s tea sector.
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Photo Caption
Image 1 – (From Left) Kriti Barman Expert – Gender & Business, Value for Women, Subramaniam Eassuwaren – Vice Chairmen of Eswaran Brothers, Nimali Senvirathne – Group Head of HR and Legal, Eswaran Brothers.
Image 2 – Female leaders from Eswaran Brothers’ production team.
