Every Woman Can Rise: Celebrating Lakshmy’s Journey in Sri Lanka

Across Northern Sri Lanka, many women continue to face social and economic barriers that limit their participation in entrepreneurship. From limited access to finance and skills training to deeply rooted gender norms, these challenges affect how women start and grow businesses. 

This International Women’s Day, we celebrate a woman who refused to accept those limits.

A Journey Shaped by Resilience

Lakshmy did not set out to become an entrepreneur—she became one out of necessity.

As a single mother of three daughters, she faced financial hardship, emotional distress, and social isolation after being abandoned by her husband. Stigma within her community made everyday life challenging—but Lakshmy refused to give up.

Her early ventures—selling morning meals and offering sewing services—did not succeed. Instead of giving up, she adapted. Drawing on local traditions, she began producing natural, homemade seafood pickles free from artificial flavours, additives, or colouring. By 2021, her products were gaining attention among university students and working mothers seeking convenient, nutritious options. In 2022, she officially registered Luxmy Products Pvt Ltd. Today, her company employs three women full-time, and her daughter plays an active role in sales and training.

But growth did not mean the barriers disappeared.

Despite her growing success, gender-based challenges persisted. Male intermediaries pressured her to sell products in bulk without branding—a move that would have stripped her of visibility, ownership, and recognition. It was another reminder that economic participation does not automatically translate into economic power.

The Impact of Gender-Responsive Support

Seeking guidance and community, Lakshmy joined WUSC’s gender-responsive entrepreneurship program in Sri Lanka that aims to support women entrepreneurs. The program is designed specifically to address the unique challenges women entrepreneurs face. Through mentorship, training, and peer learning, Lakshmy strengthened her financial literacy, bookkeeping, HR management, and digital marketing skills. Most importantly, she gained confidence.

“Before this entrepreneurship initiative, I was afraid of society and rejection. Now I feel confident to speak, negotiate, and grow my business,” she shares.

Today, Lakshmy negotiates directly with buyers, travels independently for business, and proudly promotes her brand under her own name.

Lakshmy engages with the entrepreneurship initiative team and fellow entrepreneurs, sharing her products and ideas.

Beyond Business Growth

The impact goes beyond revenue and production numbers.

Through the initiative’s network, Lakshmy has built meaningful relationships with other women entrepreneurs who share similar experiences. These connections offer moral support, knowledge-sharing, and collective strength. She is now preparing to work with a female mentor who will guide her both technically and personally as she scales her business further.

Her vision extends beyond Sri Lanka. Lakshmy hopes to expand Luxmy Products internationally, particularly to Tamil diaspora communities in Canada and France.

Lakshmy connects with fellow women entrepreneurs during the event, exchanging ideas, and showcasing her products.

Building Inclusive Economic Opportunities

Lakshmy’s story reflects the broader impact of gender-responsive entrepreneurship support. By strengthening skills, confidence, and access to networks, the project is supporting women entrepreneurs to create employment opportunities for others and contribute to local economic development.

Economic empowerment is not only about business growth, it’s also about dignity, independence, and choice. By investing in women’s skills, leadership, and networks, gender-responsive programs help shift harmful norms and open pathways for inclusive economic growth. Women entrepreneurs do more than build businesses — they create jobs, strengthen communities, and model new possibilities for the next generation.

Looking Forward

This initiative, funded by Global Affairs Canada, provides tailored training, mentorship, and market access for women-led and women-serving enterprises in partnership with local organizations in Sri Lanka.

For Lakshmy, the future feels different now.

She has a message for other women: “Your past does not define your future. With the right guidance, you can build something strong.”

On this International Women’s Day, her journey reminds us: when women are given the tools, networks, and opportunity to lead, every woman can rise.

Learn more about the program and how it supports women entrepreneurs in Northern Sri Lanka.