World’s first female Prime Minister Sirima Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike commonly known as Sirimavo Bandaranaike was born into an aristocratic Kandyan family. She was elected as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka in 1960. She served three terms: 19601965, 19701977 and 19942000. Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the world’s first non-hereditary female head of government in modern history when she was elected Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.
She was the wife of a previous Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Solomon Bandaranaike and the mother of Sri Lanka’s third President Chandrika Kumaratunga. She was also mother of Anura Bandaranaike, Sri Lankan Tourism Minister and Sunethra Bandaranaike, philanthropist. A committed socialist, she aimed to raise the standard of living of her people and to reduce inequality. She succeeded in the latter but high government spending also resulted in economic stagnation. Her pro-Buddhist and pro-Sinhalese policies alienated the Tamil minority, resulting in a bloody civil war. Since 1983, about 68,000 people have lost their lives. Although relations with her own children have at times been strained, they have nonetheless followed her into public service. Despite the civil war that blemishes her record, to have served, as a woman, three terms as Prime Minister is no insignificant achievement. That an Asian woman, too, became the first ever female Prime Minister somewhat challenges the notion that Western countries have made greater strides in equalizing gender opportunities.
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