IESL Women Engineers Forum markedthe International Women’s day by holding The Women Engineers’ Day 2018 and the 09th Annual General Meeting on 16th of March 2018 from 3.30 pm onwards at Wimalasurendra Auditorium at IESL premises with the participation of women engineers representing industry as well as academia. The event was graced by several Eminent Personalities in the field of Engineering, Eng. Ms. Sri Widowati, The Country Director of Asian Development Bank for Sri Lanka as the Chief Guest and Dr. Achela K. Fernando, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Griffith School of Engineering Brisbane, Queensland, Australia as the Guest Speaker. They were joined by other distinguished guests, the first lady president of IESL Eng. (Ms.) Lanka Haturusingha, the current president of IESL Prof. Niranjanie Ratnayake, past chairpersons of IESL Women Engineers’ Forum, fellow women engineers of IESLand otherdistinguished invitees.

Gathering was warmly welcomed by the outgoing chairperson of IESL Women Engineers Forum Eng. (Ms.) Mangala Wickramanayake. The event was enlightened by the speech delivered by Eng. (Ms.) Sri Widowati on the topic “ADB Perspective on gender equality and women’s empowerment”. Her speech was enriched with the facts obtained from the studies done by ADB based on women in the Asian society and she shared her own experiences as a woman engineerfromSouth East Asian regionhowshe climbed to the highest position in her carrier ladder successfullythrough consistentdedication while managing her balanced family life as well. The Guest Speaker for the day, Dr. Achela K.Fernando presented the “Outcome of the Women Engineers’ Survey” which was done in year 2017 by the IESL Women Engineers’ Forum with the participation of around 300 women engineers in Sri Lanka.

Eng. (Prof) Mrs. Niranjanie Ratnayake, the President of IESL addressed the gathering with recent statistical data of women in engineering. Recentfemale intake of the engineering faculty in University of Moratuwa is around 20% and she expressed that it is a significant growth in comparisonto the situation fewdecades back.

Celebration of IESL Women Engineers’ Day 2018 was successfully concluded and followed by the09th Annual General Meeting from 5.30 pm onwards . Eng. (Ms.) Shyama Gunawardana was appointed as the new chairperson for the IESL Women Engineers’ Forum forthe year 2018/2019 session and new appointments for Vice Chairperson and two joint Secretary Posts were received by Eng. (Ms.) Devika Abeysuriya, Eng. (Ms.) Lilani Ruhunage and Eng. (Ms.) Dulmini Indrasiri respectively. Eng.(Ms,) Tharangika Jayasundara was appointed as the Social Secretary and Eng. (Ms.)Sajani Thotagamuwa was the Treasurer. IESL Women Engineers’ Forum enthusiastically waiting to serve the women engineers in Sri Lanka with more creative, inspirational and innovative thoughts for the year 2018/2019 session.

Eng. (Ms.) Lanka Haturusinha, Eng. (Prof) N. Ratnayake, , Eng. (Ms).Vasantha Nallathamby, Eng. (Ms.) Badhra Kamaladasa, Eng. (Ms.) Lakmini Nonis, Eng. (Ms.) Thamara Mallawaarchchi  are serving as the members of the Advisory committee and  Eng. (Ms.)Mangala Wickramanayake joined the Advisory Committee from this year.