Sandra Wanduragala is a veteran entrepreneur and her business has had a phenomenal social impact. We couldn’t meet her since she’s in Kurunagala, but we talked to her on the phone about her experiences as a lawyer and the head of Selyn Fair Trade. She kicked it off all the way back in 1991, starting with just 15 women in a village – today the business is made of about 1000 members, and continuously creates sustainable jobs for weavers, mostly women, all over the country. She told us, “I don’t think there is gender preference in business – a business is a business, whether a man or a woman owns it,” so it’s kind of an equalizer.
She feels it’s very important that we build forums, where women can discuss their problems and come up with solutions on a policy level. She also believes women don’t have enough representation in Parliament, and that we need a grassroots support system for women who want to start-up from nothing.
