In an attempt to create awareness about the barriers and restrictions society imposes on girls in Sri Lanka, Chamari Athapaththu, Captain of the Sri Lanka Women’s Team, chose to take a stand to challenge the rules imposed by family and society for the sake of future generations. Despite hailing from the region of Kurunegala, an area in which these rules are strictly enforced, Chamari’s parents supported her dream and encouraged her to follow it right to the top.
In her words, by not forcing her to follow these rules when she became a ‘big girl’, she became a ‘big girl’ in the cricketing world. By inviting society to follow her parents’ lead to encourage girls to continue to follow their dreams, Chamari hopes to inspire future generations of ‘big girls’ in the world of sport.
Speaking about the conceptualization of the campaign, Rinesh Jayaratne, Brand Lead, Magic Mango, said, “We have all seen many women’s empowerment movements around the world, but what truly inspired us as Sri Lankans was that it came to life because of a truly local insight. We all know of girls who faced these issues while growing up and believe it is time to change. It was very exciting to work with Chamari Athapaththu not just as fans, but because we believe that she could change the future.”
