26 year old Chathurika Rajapaksa from Badulla, will, on the 1st of December this year, take up her appointment as Sri Lanka’s first Assistant Superintendent in the Plantation sector in the private sector, commencing her career in Queenstown Estate, Hali-ela.
This is a notable first for the Plantation sector, which is one of the most male-dominated industries in the country. There have been rare exceptions where women have headed operations in the industry where ownership of the plantation was vested in them, or during times when reportage was minimal.
Although the majority of Sri Lanka’s tea export earnings are gained as a result of the toil of the country’s women at subordinate levels in the hierarchy, such as tea plucking, until now, there was no reportage on women employed at Assistant Superintendent level across the country – a Planter being equated to a man’s job.
Indeed, the six month training process that Chathurika had to undergo, was no easy feat – walking between 10-15 kilometres daily through the tea fields, in temperamental weather, with unlimited numbers of leeches, insects; plucking tea leaves along with the labourers, fertilizing the tea leaves, pruning the tea fields – spraying chemicals – just to name a few of the daily chores in the training, which Chathurika successfully completed.
When News1st spoke to her, Chathurika’s words were resilient. She said, if Sri Lanka could have a female President, if there are female police officers, army officers and pilots, I don’t see any reason why there can’t be a female Planter.
When asked what her next goal was, Chathurika said she aspires to be Sri Lanka’s first ever Superintendent in the Plantation industry – which would then be yet another first, and indeed, a great leap for the unsung heroes of the country’s tea industry: women.
By: Sonali Wanigabaduge
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