Doubling Women’s Representation in Senior Leadership Through Inclusive Workplace Systems

Fortude began by listening to employees and reviewing its internal workforce context. In 2018, the company conducted an organization-wide survey to understand employee perceptions of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and to assess the relevance of DEI within the workplace.

The findings indicated a clear need for focused efforts in this area. Fortude identified a set of structural and cultural barriers affecting women’s participation, retention and progression. These included low female representation, limited psychological safety in raising workplace concerns, potential bias in access to opportunities and career progression, gaps in awareness of inclusive behaviours, and insufficient support across life stages and caregiving responsibilities. 

The findings helped shape the company’s first actions, including the “I Am Diversity” campaign and the Fortude Diversity Pledge, which promoted inclusion across multiple and intersecting dimensions of identity. These early steps created a common starting point and helped position DEI as a shared responsibility across the organization.

To move beyond one-off awareness activities, Fortude introduced “Better Together” DEI sensitization sessions focused on inclusion, unconscious bias and respectful workplace behaviours, with a particular emphasis on addressing gender bias and promoting inclusive practices in the workplace. The sessions covered topics such as understanding diversity, unpacking gender bias in the workplace, inclusive language, gender equality at work and the use of inclusive pronouns.

To ensure that this learning became part of the employee journey, Fortude then embedded foundational DEI concepts into a mandatory e-learning module for all new joiners. This ensures that key DEI principles are consistently introduced from the start, while completion of the module is tracked and monitored across the organization to support consistent awareness across the workforce.

Fortude strengthened its governance framework by introducing policies and mechanisms to protect employees and clarify expected behaviours. This included the Discrimination, Bullying and Harassment Prevention Policy in 2021, Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Policy for India employees in 2025, and the Safe to Speak Up Policy in 2023, supported by an anonymous third-party reporting mechanism. 

These policies are formally communicated and accessible to all employees through ‘Our Code’, Fortude’s Code of Conduct, employee handbook, and internal platforms providing clear guidance on expected behaviours and avenues for reporting concerns. They specifically reinforce protections against gender- based discrimination, harassment, and unfair treatment, while promoting a safe and respectful workplace environment. 

Employees are also required to review and acknowledge the employee handbook on a regular basis (annually), reinforcing awareness and adherence to these standards across the organization.

The company formalized its commitment to equal opportunity through its Equal Employment Opportunity statement in 2021, which reinforces Fortude‘s commitment to fair, inclusive, and non-discriminatory employment practices. The statement affirms that “Everyone can grow at Fortude, regardless of their identity”, reflecting the organisation’s focus on equitable access to opportunities and a strong sense of belonging.

This commitment is embedded across key practical people processes, including gender-neutral job descriptions,inclusive hiring approaches, merit-based promotion practices, fair evaluation processes and equal access to learning and development opportunities, and is consistently communicated through all its career advertisements. Salary benchmarking through external surveys in Sri Lanka was also introduced to support compensation alignment with market standards, ensuring that decisions are guided by role, performance, and market positioning.

To address representation at the transition from education to employment, Fortude launched the Ignite WomenTech Internship Program in 2024. The two-week program helps women move from education into technology careers. The initiative provides participants with early exposure to the technology sector, foundational learning, mentoring and practical guidance on career pathways, strengthening the pipeline of women prepared to enter technical roles.

Fortude also used its CREATE Graduate Trainee program as a formal early-career pipeline for consulting roles, maintaining at least 50 per cent female representation in each intake and tracking participation across cohorts.

Fortude complemented policy changes with ongoing capability-building. The company delivered sessions on unconscious bias, inclusive language, workplace behaviours and cultural awareness, working with external partners such as IFC, UNFPA, Diversity Collective Lanka and the Grassrooted Trust. 

These initiatives also included broader awareness sessions on gender-related topics, such as menstrual health and hygiene, cyber exploitation and gender-based violence, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) at the workplace and beyond, helping to build a deeper and more inclusive understanding across the workforce.

In 2024, Fortude also introduced the Culture Canvas, co-created with employees to define shared values and behaviours and create a common reference point for inclusive culture.

Fortude introduced practical workplace changes in its Sri Lanka office, its only physical office among its global operations. These included gender-neutral bathrooms to support dignity and accessibility, and sanitary napkin dispensers introduced as part of an International Women’s Day initiative to support women’s reproductive health and wellbeing.

Recognizing that caregiving responsibilities can affect retention and career progression, Fortude introduced support measures across life stages. These included maternity leave aligned with statutory requirements, adoption-related benefits, 15 working days of paternity leave where stronger statutory provisions do not already apply, medical insurance benefits adapted to country-specific contexts, and broader family coverage in Sri Lanka. The company also established an Employee Resource Group for working parents, parenting sessions, wellbeing initiatives, psychological support, bereavement support and financial wellbeing initiatives.

Leadership support helped Fortude move from awareness to sustained implementation. In 2022, the company allocated a dedicated DEI budget and continued to sponsor DEI initiatives.

The company also strengthened its approach through external frameworks and partnerships, including Target Gender Equality Accelerator, the Women’s Empowerment Principles and IFC “Together We Can” programmes. Across its initiatives, the company tracked participation, representation and programme adoption to maintain accountability and guide continuous improvement.

Improving representation is important, but lasting progress depends on embedding inclusive policies, strengthening governance and continuously building awareness and capability across the organization.

Awareness campaigns and training help build momentum, but impact comes when they are backed by policies, governance mechanisms and accountability processes that can be applied consistently and at scale.

Companies should address gender equality at key transition points, from education into employment, from early-career roles into leadership, and across life stages where caregiving responsibilities can affect participation and retention.

Strong leadership commitment helps accelerate progress, but DEI becomes more sustainable when employees are engaged through surveys, learning initiatives and employee-led platforms, making it a shared organizational responsibility rather than only a top-down initiative.