Women field officers make strides in plantation industry

A pioneering initiative by a Regional Plantation Company (RPC) to empower and develop women Field Officers has received the support and commendation of the company's women workers. Kahawatte Plantations PLC which pioneered the concept, employs 20 women Field Officers and Assistant Field Officers. Clad in boots, trousers and jackets they function as well as their male counterparts in many different areas of the country.

Emboldened by the success of the initiative, other plantation companies are taking similar measures, raising the possibility of a substantial number of women Field Officers and Assistant Field Officers joining the ranks of plantation companies in the not-so-distant future.

Kahawatte Plantations launched the program to train and develop women Field Officers in 2012, with a batch of 20 candidates, giving priority to children of staff employed in various capacities by the estates of the company.

The comprehensive six-month training program - which included all subject areas generally covered in the training of a Plantation Executive - focused on providing the 'best of both worlds' by incorporating theoretical and practical elements and training by scientists of the Tea Research Institute (TRI).

Following the training on an array of subjects relating to agriculture such as harvesting, application of fertiliser, good agricultural practices and labour management, the trainees were examined periodically to gauge their practical and theoretical understanding of the subjects.

At the conclusion of the first phase of training, the women Field Officers received certificates awarded by the company with the TRI.

The first-ever batch of women Field Officers who successfully completed the first phase of training one-and-a-half years ago are undergoing advanced training.

Twenty-five-year-old Latika Arukgoda, a member of the pilot batch, who received her training at Talawakelle, and employed at the Houpe Estate of Kahawatte Plantations, said women workers have welcomed the appointment of women as Field Officers.

"Women workers cannot speak of some of the problems they face, with male Field Officers but they are comfortable that they can confide any issue, even family problems, in us. They are happy about our appointment and we are excited about this opportunity," she said.

Madushani Mallikaarachchi, a 25-year-old Field Officer who received her training at Pelmadulla and oversees a group of over 30 pluckers including men at the Rilhena Estate of Kahawatte Plantations also said that women workers are supportive of the program.

"Only women can fully understand the issues of women. Since about 70 percent of our pluckers are female, this has made a big difference," said Madushani, who herself comes from an estate background with her mother having functioned as an Estate Welfare Officer.

Acknowledging that the sight of women Field Officers overseeing pluckers raised a few eyebrows at first, she said that male workers have treated the Officers with respect and have given their full cooperation.

"Women have contributed immensely to the success of the plantation sector.

In addition to empowering them and making more effective use of their skills, this pioneering program, one of several women empowerment initiatives underway at present, pays tribute to the valuable contributions of our women workers," said Chairman of the Planters' Association of Ceylon, Roshan Rajadurai.

"The success of this pioneering initiative will encourage other Regional Plantation Companies to follow suit.

Programs such as these yields multiple benefits, as they also enable the top management of the companies to gauge the pulse of the predominantly female workforce more effectively and support enhanced employer-employee relations," he said.

The Plantation Human Development Trust (PHDT), a tripartite collaboration between RPCs, worker unions and the government, is spearheading numerous other initiatives to empower women in RPC-managed estates, including training programs to become Child Development Officers (CDOs) with national diplomas.

Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) have also been commended and have received accolades at Asian level for empowering physically-challenged estate residents.