Sheroes – Human Library Initiative

Abstract

The Library of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) launched an upgraded version of the human library project in alignment with International Women’s Day 2025 by offering a platform for women leaders (Sheroes) at the SLIIT to share their experiences, knowledge, and unique leadership styles with young minds at the university, especially young females in the community. Sri Lanka is a patriarchal (male-centric) country where engineering, science and IT fields have a lesser contribution from women. This observation lead us to select Sheroes with a technological background, as our intention was to deliver a message to young females that there is no actual gender restriction, and that women can perform the same as men. We hope that at least a few might have gained insight from these sessions and positively changed their lives.

Sheroes shared that leadership extends beyond giving direction to uplifting others, noting that when women lead with heart and purpose, they create strong, lasting, and transformative impact. In all these sessions, more than 100 students participated, both male and female. The post-session survey showed 100% positive feedback from the participants. This project aligns with the UN SDGs 5 and 10.