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1. EnhancingthePowerof Women
inLogisticsandTransport
LalithEdirisinghe
ledd-Deportmentof Logisticsondfransport
:ocultyof HumonitiesandSociolSciences
:INECMotitimeCampus
heGlobalCompetitivenessReport2014-2015of WorldEconomicForum(WEF)revealsthatthe
liscriminationaccordingto Senderis, interalia,a typicalexampleof socialexclusionthathavea
:onsiderablenegativeimpactonthe competitivenessof a nation.Thereportalsosuggeststhat
:heinternationalcommunityhasmadesignificantprogressindefininginclusivegroMh However,
agreeingon a comprehensiveandmoreactionableframeworkremainsan ongoingchallenge.
tccordingto WEF,promotinggenderparityisoneof keyareasofthisinitialframeworkwhichwill
ce usedasa pointof departurefor a seriesof policydialoguesamongpolicymakers,business
eaders,andotheropinionshapers.
Sometime backthetransportandlogisticsindustry(particularlythe shipping)in SriLankawere
perceivedasanindustrythatgenerateexclusiveemploymentopportunitiesfor malesratherthan
iemales.of courseonecannottotallydenythefactthatcertainsocialandculturaifactorsinthe
countrydo not act in favourof womento engagein certainoperationalactivitiesrelatedto
iransportandlogisticsindustry.However,thisphobiahasgraduallyeasedasthetransportand
logisticsindustryprovedto be moreacademicor professionalcentricthan purelyskilledor
technicalcanteredin the past.Thetechnologyhasplayeda majorrolein thisevolotionwhile
globalizationfacilitateda swiftchangingoverfromthe traditionalindustrynormsparticularlyin
theAsiancountries.Therapiddevelopmentin the ICT{lnformationCommunicationTechnology)
madeit possibleto seethroughwhatishappeninginthetransportandlogisticsindustryoverseas.
Theawarenessof thefactthattherearemanyopportunitiesavailablefor womenandthatthe
genderis no morea barrierto femalesin othercountriescreatedthe confidenceamongthe
womenin SriLanka.Thereareplentyof successstoriesSloballythatthewomenhavebeenvery
successfulintheTransportandLogisticsindustry.However,it wouldbeimportantto lookatsome
statisticsto realizetheactualsituationwithregardto labourforcetrendsandunemploymentrate
offemaleinwhichit isplainlyvisiblethatthereisenoughroomforimprovements.
Table01:UnemploymentPercentageoJLabourForceinSriLanka
2412 2013 2074
Male 2.9 3.2
6.2 6.6 6.5
Sou,'ce:DepartmentofCensusandStatistics{AscitedincentralBankAnnualReport2014)
The author!s alsocriticalaboutthe increasingnumbersthat fail to attendto government
universitiesevervvear.
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2. Table03:Thetrendof GovernmentUniversityEnrolmentinSriLanka(1989-2011selectedyears)
1989/9O 15021
3766 2697 6463
25 19
7999/aO 45935 73422
5724 6035 11405
27 13 76
2OAU02 Eligibe 33122 57954 97676
5616 6524 72144
la 12
2OA4/O5 Eligible 67945 t1t725
685r ?669 74520
2OA6/OJ Eiieibe 45310
9t2s 77796
16.5 13 14,3
2070/11 Eligible 50r54 92362 L42516
3401 13215 22016
7J.6 14.3
Source:Ahamedlebbe,S.M.(2011)andCentralBankofSriLanka(2014)
Thestatisticsshowsthat the problemhasa predominantimpacton femalestudentsand
reflectsaneverincreasingtrend.
Graph01:Thetrendofthosewhofailedto entergovernmentuniversitiesdes being eligible
studentsFalinSto Enter6overnme.t universitie5
120000
r9a9/9oI999/OO2OO7/OZ2OO4/OS2006/0?2,r1lrr
Source:Ahamedlebbe,S.M.(2011)andCentralBankofSriLankal2014l
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3. --.refore,more emphasisshouldbe drawnin favourof creatingjob opportunitiesfor this
=:egorywhileenhancingprivate6ectortertiaryeducationonemergingdisciplinesandstreams.
',r.nyLogistics,shipping,FreightForwarding,Exports& lmports,or Tradingcompaniesthatwere
r-n to employonly male workershave realizedthe many advantagesof desi8nating
;r:fessionallvquali{iedfemalesJorspecificjobs.Documentation,marketinS,customerservices,
;c.ounts,lCT,aresomeof preferredareasforfemaleemployees.A simplecasestudydoneinthe
lEC MaritimeCampus-the pioneersin maritimeeducationin SriLankaandthe Accredited
-=:ningProviderinSriLankafor CharteredInstituteof LogisticsandTransportiCILT)showsthat
:-:ie isa reasonablefemaleparticipationat undergraduatelevelfor theTransportandLogistjcs
:Eireeasshownintable03andthatissomewhatconsistentfor lastnineyears
-::le
03:Thepercentageshareof femaleparticipationin BSc(Hons)Degreein Transportand
-€istics{2007-2015)
2AO7 2008 2009 2010 201r 201,2 2014 2015
::nale participationas a percentageof
:_iualstudentlntakes(%)
33 38 21, 27 1,6 31 29 36
-:.'rever,the authorbelievesthat the presentfemaleparticipationcouldbe (andshouldbe)
r,.:easedinconsistentwiththemarketdemandthatisexplainedinthetable02andGraph01.
--:
keyimpedimentthat revealedduringvariousinterviewswith parentsis that the general
:E .eptionregardinglogisticsand transport(shippingin particular)Parentswho haveless
?=ociationwiththeindustrythinkthatthecarrierinshippingendsupinaship;carrierinLogistics
i€:ns carryingor handlingcargoin stores;andcarrierin transportdrivingvehiclesbut nothing
:Ee.Basically,theymisinterpretthetechnicalandoperational
'frontend'oftheindustryThereis
=':ain amountof industrynormsand realitiesthat mayhavepavedthe wayto arrivesuch
=..lusions.Forexample,someof theseoperationsare 24X7thus nightwork is inevitable.
--e:efore,thosewhohavenoknowledgeaboutthediverseopportunitiesfor daytimedutiesin a
c€-iicsandtransportorganizationwillobviouslyperceivethatthisindustrymaynot besuitable
tr iemales.lt is thereforenecessaryto buildgeneralawarenessin the societyabouthowthis
ncrn.y reallyoperates.Themanagementfunctionsthat areavailablein the 'backend'of this
=r1plicatedlogisticsandtransportoperation.Ontheotherhandthe nightshiftsarecommonin
na.yotherindustriessuchashealthandgarmentmanufacturing.
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4. Realizingthe lively experienceof
activiliesihat takeplacein a shipis
a rareopportunltypafticularlyfor a
femalestudeni.However,girlswho
come to clNEc to study Logistics
and Transportare highlyprivileged
to physicallyexperiencethese for
They can ffeely interactwith ship
mastersandclarifymanyquestions
that any'non- sailinglogistician'
may obviously have about the
shippingindustry.Theseafe some
positivefactors that the parents
who seekthe mostlucrativecafrier
pathlorthel. chlldrenshouldknow.
SriLankaiscapableof pfovidingall
the resourcesthat afe fequiredto
teach most of Logistlcs and
Transpodmanagementmodules
withoutanyproblem.Studentsneed
not go overseas looking for
resourcesor training,Therefofethe
female candidates are mofe
benefitedin ihai sensedueto many
socialand culturalbafriersthey
WofieflLogisticiatsarehaoingtt discassionwith a ShipCaptainifl theCINECShipSim lator
Themostvitalpointhereto stressisthatallofthemhavebeenemployedatveryprestigiouslocal
andmultinationalorganizationsrightfrom the graduation.Mostof them are evencontinuing
employmentinthesameorganizationwheretheywereplacedfor internships.Theextendedcase
studyon the employmentstatusof thosewho passedout from the CINECMaritimeCampus
revealsthattheyhavebeenemployedin logisticsandtransportrelatedfirmssuchasBrandix,
Fontera,Abans,Expolanka,SAGT,CICT,NYK,Hayleys,DHL,etc.tneverybatchat leastonestudent
hasleftthe countryto takeupoverseasjob assignments.Alsoeveryyearat leastonecandidate
leavesto aforeigncountryto followfulltimeMastersDegreeinLogistics.
Thisisa veryencouragingscenariobutthefactremainsthatmanVparentsandschoolauthorities
maynotbeawareof the opportunitiesavailableinthetransportandlogisticssectorfor Tertiary
Educationin SriLanka.Thetraditionalpreferencebymostof parentsor guardiansJorthistaskis
securingqualificationin the areasof Accounting,Marketing,lCT,of generalmanagementwith
unsuccessfulZ- Scoreachievedat the GCEA- levelperformances.Theauthorsuggeststhatthe
snowballeffectshouldbe boostedthroughrapidawarenessprogramsto bringmoreeffective
resultsinthefuture.
ForumssuchasWILATcanplaya vitalrolein makingtherequiredawarenessinthesocietywhich
isa nationaldutyof course.
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