President Ranil Wickremesinghen  has pledged to empowering women entrepreneurs for economic growth, highlighting tourism and agriculture. The President says challenges persist in female labor force participation and SME ownership.

At prathibhabhisheka Women Entrepreneur Awards 2023 held in Colombo, Wickremesinghe emphasized about the increased support for women entrepreneurs to enhance their contribution to Sri Lanka's economy and mentioned about the tourism and agriculture as key sectors for female engagement.

Efforts to ensure equitable earnings in tourism and modernization in agriculture are underway. However, challenges persist in female labor force participation, with women constituting only 34.1 percent compared to 75.7 percent of men.

Despite Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) contributing over half of Sri Lanka's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), female ownership remains low.