A plantation programme aims to help and enhance wellbeing of women and children

The Centre for Children's Rights and Business launched Sri Lanka's first "Mother and her child-Friendly Seal for Proper Business" in conjunction with The save the Children and important players such as the Planters' Associations of Ceylon Plantation Human Development Trust, and the Department of Women and Child Affairs, in a significant step toward ensuring the welfare of women and children from estate sector communities.

The Mother and Child-Friendly Seal is aimed to guide businesses on a path that embraces the wellbeing of women and children across the estate sector despite a potential economic crisis.

"We believe in protecting the health of women and children in the plantation community since they are important to the sector's sustained development," stated Planters' Association of Ceylon (PA) Chairman Bhathiya Bulumulla.

The concept encourages businesses along the tea supply chain – from brands to exporters to brokers to plantation companies and estates – to invest in women and children's well-being.

"Women have helped Sri Lanka's plantation business for years. By strengthening standards with the Mother and Child-Friendly Seal for Responsible Business, we can protect plantation workers' livelihoods and quality of life. We'll maintain working with industry stakeholders to expand these criteria and maximise the societal benefit of such programmes." PA Media's Dr. Roshan Rajadurai explained.

"Since 2008, we've worked to help tea farm youngsters. Our $1.5 million programmes focused on tea plantation enterprises adopting a child protection policy, building community-based child protection systems, and empowering children for child rights. This project led to long-term partnerships with the Planters Association, the Plantation Human Development Trust, tea producers, exporters, and brands to create mother- and child-friendly tea farms.

"We partnered with Sri Lanka's Centre for Child Rights and Business on the Seal programme" This project will create a governing body to oversee pledges, results, and Seal issuance "Save the Children's National Director Julian Chellappah.

The Ministry of Women and Child Affairs was a key member of the strategic advisory committee.

Ministry of Women and Child Development protects and promotes women's and children's rights. The Mother and Child-Friendly Seal for Responsible Business is a huge effort, says Nilmini Herath, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs.