8 October 2019 – Amsterdam, NL – The ESOMAR Foundation—a charitable organization representing the market research industry—in cooperation with global non-profit Women in Research (WIRe) and Unilever, recently funded a scholarship benefiting a female student entering into a market research-related field of study in Sri Lanka. The scholarship has been awarded to recipient Chamari Jeewanthi, a third-year student of the B.Sc. Marketing Management degree offered by the Department of Marketing Management Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Sri Jayewardenepura.

“We are—more than ever—grateful to WIRe and Unilever for the continuous support of the ESOMAR Foundation scholarship programme,” said ESOMAR Foundation President John Kearon. “We are proud to be able to give Chamari the opportunity to complete her studies and aspire to a bright career. Thank you WIRe and Unilever and all our best wishes to Chamari!”

Chamari J. Hapuarachchcig (pictured left) is the elder daughter in a family of five who has experienced limited access to familial income support. Chamari’s aspiration is to be a market research analyst and she is keenly aware that, in order to reach her goal, she has to work hard on her education. This scholarship comes at the right moment for her, as she’s entered a period in her education where access to additional financial support will allow for career-making opportunities such as field research, internships, and other university activities.

Upon the announcement of her scholarship being funded, Chamari shared that, “First of all, I would like to say thanks for giving me this kind of opportunity… As a marketing management student, I have to spend a lot of money for my academic as well as non-academic activities… but my parents can’t afford it… I have to do my studies well because my target is to join the market research industry. To achieve this, I should have at least a Bachelor’s degree. That’s why I requested this scholarship, [it will help] me to become a contributing member of our society.”

Women in Research (WIRe) raised the funding for the scholarship through outreach to their global community, receiving a generous outpouring of gifts and support which exceeded that of any year prior; funding the scholarship a full four months earlier than ever before. Many of the larger gifts came from market research company and organization leaders, who took to social media to ask similar support from their industry peers. These gifts were further supported by a matching donation from Unilever. WIRe is the only non-profit organization solely dedicated to the advancement of women and underrepresented communities in the market research industry, providing career development and educational opportunities for women while supporting a variety of diversity initiatives. Unilever, a global consumer goods company, with a strong focus on charitable initiatives—especially in emerging markets—matched the WIRe community’s scholarship fund contributions dollar-for-dollar. ESOMAR Foundation, WIRe and Unilever have previously collaborated to award scholarships in Kenya, Cambodia, and Guatemala.

“For the fourth year in a row, the WIRe community has come together to show the industry and the world that the contribution and voice of women in research are valuable, worthy, and necessary to the evolving market research sphere,” said WIRe Founder Kristin Luck. “We’re touched by Chamari’s story and passion for her education and future. I’m personally honored to be a part of the life-changing program and very thankful for the continued support of Unilever and the ESOMAR Foundation.”

About Women in Research
Women in Research (WIRe) is a global non-profit that champions diversity in the marketing research industry, supporting events and educational programming across five continents. WIRe programming facilitates leadership, entrepreneurship, mentoring and other career development goals. WIRe’s mission is to foster inclusion and advance the contributions and voice of women and other marginalized groups in research, both for themselves and the greater good of the market research industry. www.womeninresearch.org

About ESOMAR Foundation
ESOMAR Foundation is a charitable Foundation representing the Market, Social and Opinion Research industry. Our industry has a wealth of knowledge and experience that can be applied to every aspect of society to ensure a more transparent, reliable and sustainable world. The ESOMAR Foundation is the charity arm of ESOMAR, the global industry association of market, social and opinion research. http://www.esomarfoundation.org

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Media Contact: Jessica Sage, jessica@womeninresearch.org,+1 (760) 933-7274