💡 SL Women in Tech Push for AI Inclusion & Digital Leadership

• The Women in Tech – Chapter Reignite event marked the relaunch of the Sri Lankan Chapter, calling for greater inclusion and leadership opportunities for women in the country’s tech and AI space. • Digital Economy Context: The discussion comes as Sri Lanka's digital economy is gaining momentum, with the government aiming for growth from US$ 3 Billion to US$ 12 Billion by 2030. • Key Challenge: While a significant share of graduates are women in science/engineering, far fewer pursue IT/Technology, representing a gap and "lost potential" for innovation in the ICT/BPM sector. • AI Imperative: Speakers emphasized that everyone must embrace AI for business relevance and innovation, stressing that the journey of AI adoption must be fully inclusive ("no one should be left behind"). • Strategic Focus: Crucial need for a clear national strategy to position Sri Lanka in the global AI race, urging a shift from discussion to rapid implementation. • Inclusion & Localization: Beyond strengthening the women's pipeline, there is a strong need for localization in AI. This means ensuring local voices are heard and incorporating Sri Lankan culture, heritage, and sufficient data sets into AI tools. • Women are urged to actively engage with AI, continuously self-learn, and seize equal opportunity to elevate their roles from participants to leaders and decision-makers in the new era.