On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, John Keells Foundation (JKF) reaffirmed its long‑standing commitment to combatting gender‑based violence and child abuse through its flagship initiative, Project WAVE (Working Against Violence through Education).
Since its launch in November 2014, Project WAVE has reached over 5.8 million individuals, including employees of the John Keells Group, specific groups such as police officers, lawyers, university students, schoolchildren, teachers, parents, and the wider public.
This year’s campaign was rolled out under the theme “UNiTE to Take Action Against Violence”, adopting a multi‑pronged approach that included internal awareness creation towards preventing and addressing gender based violence (through both awareness sessions as well as an all staff email campaign), a sustained social media campaign and community awareness programmes scheduled across business locations of the John Keells Group. All activities reinforce practical, proactive and everyday actions that individuals can take to prevent or address violence. A symbolic white ribbon‑pinning ceremony was also held with senior management and project staff, underscoring solidarity with survivors and commitment to ending violence. In addition, JKF’s internal e‑learning module as adapted for external audiences will soon be launched via the JKF’s e‑learning platform, with plans to extend access to universities and community groups.
Krishan Balendra, Chairperson of the John Keells Group, in a message addressed to Group staff on the international day noted, “We operate on a zero-tolerance approach to any form of sexual harassment and remain steadfast in our commitment to fostering a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all employees. We also recognise that increasing female participation in the workplace is central to building a truly inclusive culture, and at John Keells Group this remains a key DE&I priority alongside our efforts to eliminate GBV. Our CSR initiatives have played a vital role in internalising these values within and outside the Group.”
Carmeline Jayasuriya, Head of CSR of the John Keells Group commented, “Over the past 11 years since the launch of Project WAVE, much progress has been made in raising awareness, challenging misconceptions and biases, and strengthening ecosystems towards combatting GBV and child abuse. It has been a challenging course but we are encouraged by the progress made and remain committed to our mission of empowering a healthy and progressive Sri Lanka where all our citizens can work towards their aspirations and potential, unhindered by negative influences and social barriers”.
While the International Day serves as a focal point for global collective action, JKF’s efforts extend well beyond this annual observance. Throughout the year, Project WAVE continues to collaborate with its partners and volunteers to deliver ongoing staff awareness and training, community awareness and empowerment, and specialised training of trainer programmes for law enforcement and other stakeholders, ensuring sustained impact across diverse groups in keeping with its vision `Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow’.
Education, Community & Livelihoods, Social Health & Cohesion, and Biodiversity are the four focus areas of John Keells Foundation – the CSR entity of John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), largest company listed on the CSE in terms of market capitalization operating over 80 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. With a history of over 150 years, the John Keells Group provides employment to over 18,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most Respected Entity’ for the last 20 Years by LMD magazine. JKH has placed first for the fourth consecutive year in the ‘Transparency in Corporate Reporting Assessment’ by Transparency International Sri Lanka. Whilst being a full member of the World Economic Forum and a participant of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of `Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow’ through John Keells Foundation and through the social entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’, which is a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution in Sri Lanka.
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Awareness session on GBV
