A one-day collaborative capacity building workshop on Financial Literacy for Women Entrepreneurs under the title; “නැගී සිටින්නට අත්වැලක්: කාන්තා ව්යවසායිකාවන් සදහා මූල්ය සාක්ෂරතාවය” was successfully held on 14 January 2026 at the UCFM Tower, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, co-organized by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Sri Lanka National Chapter for the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (SLNC-OWSD) in collaboration with the Center for Research, Development and Innovation (CRDI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo and the Faculty of Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, bringing together 106 participants comprising of entrepreneurs, academics, bankers, and development practitioners. The programme was jointly organized with the aim of strengthening grassroot entrepreneurs’ financial decision-making capacities while creating pathways to institutional and mentoring support.
The workshop commenced with a warm welcome by Dr Hermali Silva, President of the SLNC-OWSD followed by opening remarks from Dr Sudath Samaraweera, Chairman of the NSF. Distinguished speakers representing academia, research and innovation ecosystems including Prof. Vajira Dissanayake, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Prof. Rukmal Weerasinghe, Head of the Department of Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Sri Jayewardenepura and Prof. Dilshani Dissanayake, Director of the Center for Research, Development and Innovation (CRDI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo highlighted the importance of inclusive financial systems and targeted capacity building to support women-led and student-initiated enterprises, particularly in times of economic uncertainty.
A key feature of the programme was the hands-on session on NSF Technology Development and Start-up Grants, conducted by Dr J.G. Shantha Siri, Director General (Covering), NSF, enabling participants to directly engage with funding application processes. Practical insights on banking facilities for SMEs were shared by senior officials from the Bank of Ceylon and People’s Bank, while expert sessions by the Faculty of Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura addressed financial literacy for small businesses and women entrepreneurs navigating crisis situations. Dr Janitha Wanasundara and Mr Udaya Wanasundara, overseas Sri Lankan scientists from Canada linked to ‘NSF Global Digital Platform Initiative’ also joined the discussion with input on application of scientific methods to improve small businesses. The introduction of a multidisciplinary mentoring panel further enriched the learning environment and encouraged dialogue beyond the formal sessions.
The workshop created a safe and interactive space for networking and peer learning. As a follow-up initiative, potential linkages will be facilitated between grassroot entrepreneurs and relevant resource persons enabling continued guidance, sector-specific advice and access to opportunities.