September 6, 2019
Women and politics
For the first time in 20 years a woman candidate has been named to contest at the upcoming Presidential Election. Environmentalist Dr.
Sri Lanka
Political Participation of Women in Local Governance: A Case Study of Selected Local Government Bodies in Eastern Sri Lanka
Back
April 2, 2019
Political Participation of Women in Local Governance: A Case Study of Selected Local Government Bodies in Eastern Sri Lanka
Although Sri Lanka has 51% women, their participation in local governance as well as in the national parliament is 5% in total.
Print article
Although Sri Lanka has 51% women, their participation in local governance as well as in the national parliament is 5% in total.
August 16, 2017
Comparative experiences: Operationalizing the 25% quota for women in Local Government in Sri Lanka
(PRESS RELEASE) – 31 July 2017
Interviews
Naushalya Rajapaksha
Back
March 16, 2016
Naushalya Rajapaksha
2015 Youth Delegate to the United Nations of Sri Lanka
2015 Youth Delegate to the United Nations of Sri Lanka
Print article
2015 Youth Delegate to the United Nations of Sri Lanka
November 5, 2024
A new paradigm– reforming women’s political participation in Sri Lanka
As election cycles come and go, the conversation around the low female representation in Sri Lanka’s political sphere is frequently revisited. After all, while Sri Lanka boasts of having the first female Prime Minister in the world, the actual percentage of women
Election
4533: Sri Lanka, 14/11/2024, Sri Lankan Parliament
| Quota Information | Parliament Information | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Are there legislated quotas? | Yes | Structure of parliament | Bicameral |
| For the Single/Lower House? | No | >Current members | 225 |
| Percentage of women | 5.33% | ||
| Source: Gender Quotas Database | Source: New Parline | ||
Note: this page was last updated on October 4, 2022.
Election for:
February 23, 2026
Minority women excluded from Sri Lankan politics
Women from minority ethnic and religious groups in Sri Lanka continue to be systematically discriminated against and marginalized in mainstream politics, new research shows.
October 14, 2025
Sri Lanka pledges stronger action on women’s rights at Beijing Summit
Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya says Sri Lanka reaffirms its commitment to advancing the rights and well-being of women and girls, and to translating principles into practical action for equality and dignity.
July 15, 2025
The fight for abortion rights in Sri Lanka
This article by Mia Abeyawardene originally appeared on Groundviews, an award-winning citizen journalism website in Sri Lanka.
April 10, 2025
Gendered disinformation: Growing threat to women in local politics in Sri Lanka
At least 30 women politicians associated with different political parties at the local government level from two districts—Ratnapura and Kegalle—came together to discuss the digital threats they experience in their daily political careers due to their gender.
February 6, 2025
Where a strongman failed, women are now fueling a democratic revival
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – It was a brief remark during a mundane session of parliament.
January 14, 2025
Women candidates challenge Vanuatu’s male-dominated politics at snap election
Handicraft market trader Tui Johnson has barely had time to think about politics ahead of Vanuatu’s national election as she struggles to survive after last month’s earthquake.
November 13, 2024
Sri Lanka’s election sees surge in female candidates, but can it break patriarchal norms?
November 5, 2024
A new paradigm– reforming women’s political participation in Sri Lanka
As election cycles come and go, the conversation around the low female representation in Sri Lanka’s political sphere is frequently revisited. After all, while Sri Lanka boasts of having the first female Prime Minister in the world, the actual percentage of women
September 24, 2024
Harini Amarasuriya appointed as new Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
Harini Amarasuriya was officially sworn in as Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister on Tuesday, marking a historic moment as she becomes the first woman to hold the office since Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 2000.
September 23, 2024
Sri Lanka has more women voters than men but no female presidential candidates
September 11, 2024
Sri Lanka's presidential election: Where are the women?
COLOMBO, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Not one of the 38 contenders in Sri Lanka's presidential election this mon
September 11, 2024
Sri Lanka's Gender Gap: Women in Politics
Despite making up over half the voters and workforce, women are starkly underrepresented in Sri Lanka's political landscape.
September 11, 2024
Affirmative Action Vital to Increase Women’s Participation in Politics
It is an enduring stain on Sri Lanka’s democracy and gender equality that only 4.8 percent of parliamentarians are women despite their high literacy rate and educational levels.
September 9, 2024
Sri Lanka’s Presidential Manifestos: What’s Promised for Women?
Sri Lanka is gearing up for its ninth presidential election on September 21, but notably no women candidates are running for the highest office in the country.
July 4, 2024
Empowering Women in Politics: A Catalyst for Change
Sri Lanka’s women are literate and well educated with a 92.3 percent literacy rate and
February 1, 2024
Breaking the glass ceiling for women in politics
Women in Sri Lanka face serious barriers to political representation and the country ranks among the lowest in the world for the percentage of women in national legislatures.
August 9, 2023
Reformative changes are being made to increase the representation of women in politics – President
Normal
0
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August 3, 2023
Sri Lanka’s women MPs meet former New Zealand PMs Jacinda Ardern and Helen Clark
Normal
0
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February 6, 2023
Harassment of women in politics on the rise in Sri Lanka
Election monitors and activists express concern that digital harassment of female politicians will increase when the local council elections campaign gets into full swing in the coming weeks.
April 25, 2022
No women in Sri Lanka’s new Cabinet
The newly appointed Cabinet which consists of 17 Ministers has failed to include female representation.
The new Cabinet was appointed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the President’s House in Colombo today.
November 29, 2021
Women MP’s of Sri Lanka parliament call for action to prevent verbal harassment from male colleagues
Chairperson of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus (WPC) in Sri Lanka parliament, Dr.
July 27, 2020
What is holding back Sri Lankan Women from entering politics: Lihini Fernando decodes
Despite Sri Lankan women having progressed by breaking boundaries in many fields, their participation in the country’s politics has remained abysm
September 6, 2019
Women and politics
For the first time in 20 years a woman candidate has been named to contest at the upcoming Presidential Election. Environmentalist Dr.
August 16, 2017
Comparative experiences: Operationalizing the 25% quota for women in Local Government in Sri Lanka
(PRESS RELEASE) – 31 July 2017
May 30, 2012
Women in Sri Lanka Unite to Demand an End to their Political Exclusion
Women from 17 different political parties in Sri Lanka united on March 8th to create a declaration printed in newspapers for the International Day of the Woman.
May 30, 2012
Terrorism, A Major Setback For Womens' Developmen
Addressing the second International Women's Conference in Bangalore, India last Friday, Madam Shiranthi Rajapaksa said, "women, especially in the developing world face much hardship as a result of terrorism, poverty, lack of education, lack of resources in childcare and healthcare and the spread
May 30, 2012
Sri Lanka: Women and Politics in Sri Lanka
The main obstacle to equal political representation of women in political institutions in Sri Lanka is political - their lack of commitment to give nominations to women, the lack of internal party democracy and the present political culture perpetuated by parties.
May 30, 2012
Sri Lanka: Women's Role in Politics Minimal in Lanka
Sri Lanka displays positive aspects regarding its population, other than in one area:the number of women in politics. According to 2009 data, women hold 13 out of the 255 seats in Parliament, that is five percent of all seats.
May 30, 2012
Sri Lanka: 25 Years On, Women Still Struggle for Their Rights
"While on one side the conflict created havoc in Sri Lanka, on the other hand it—to some extent—helped to advance the rights of women, particularly in strongly male-dominated societies where the women’s place—to use a common phrase—is ‘at home’," noted Dharmadasa, whose own son disappeared during
May 30, 2012
Sri Lanka: Plan to Reserve More Seats for Women
The government is considering increasing the number of seats reserved for women in the Bangladesh parliament from the present 45 to 100.
May 30, 2012
Sri Lanka: Women's Representation in Local Government Elections
Women should be included in political parties. We have been working in one district as a pilot program to take women who are active in politics at district levels.
May 30, 2012
Sri Lanka: Parliamentarian Breaks Silence on Domestic Violence
Upeksha Suwarnamali became famous playing the role of 'Pabha', a poor young girl in love with a rich man in a long running hit television series in Sri Lanka. But these days, she is better known for her real life: A victim of domestic violence turned champion of abused women.
May 30, 2012
Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka politics in need of more women
Today only 5.8 percent of the Sri Lankan parliament is female, most of whom were elected because they inherited a voter base from a male family member. And, at 1.8 percent, the rate of female representation in Sri Lanka’s local politics is even more disturbing.
May 30, 2012
Sri Lanka: Tense atmosphere in Jaffna ahead of elections, women’s vote at risk
Someone threw pieces of dead dog into Tamil campaign offices. Intimidation of opposition candidates also, who have interrupted their campaigns. The Women's Political Academy demands investigation.
Concerns over lack of the voice of women in political arena
Back
September 1, 2024
Concerns over lack of the voice of women in political arena
Sri Lankan women make up over 51% of the population as well as the number of registered voters; they contribute immensely to state revenue through tea and garment trades and inward foreign remittances; manage family budgets; and run homes, but in the political arena the
Print article
Sri Lankan women make up over 51% of the population as well as the number of registered voters; they contribute immensely to state revenue through tea and garment trades and inward foreign remittances; manage family budgets; and run homes, but in the political arena the
Election
4364: Sri Lanka, 30/09/2024, Sri Lankan Presidency 2024
| Quota Information | Parliament Information | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Are there legislated quotas? | Yes | Structure of parliament | Bicameral |
| For the Single/Lower House? | No | >Current members | 225 |
| Percentage of women | 5.33% | ||
| Source: Gender Quotas Database | Source: New Parline | ||
Note: this page was last updated on October 4, 2022.
Election for:
February 23, 2026
Minority women excluded from Sri Lankan politics
Women from minority ethnic and religious groups in Sri Lanka continue to be systematically discriminated against and marginalized in mainstream politics, new research shows.
October 14, 2025
Sri Lanka pledges stronger action on women’s rights at Beijing Summit
Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya says Sri Lanka reaffirms its commitment to advancing the rights and well-being of women and girls, and to translating principles into practical action for equality and dignity.
July 15, 2025
The fight for abortion rights in Sri Lanka
This article by Mia Abeyawardene originally appeared on Groundviews, an award-winning citizen journalism website in Sri Lanka.
April 10, 2025
Gendered disinformation: Growing threat to women in local politics in Sri Lanka
At least 30 women politicians associated with different political parties at the local government level from two districts—Ratnapura and Kegalle—came together to discuss the digital threats they experience in their daily political careers due to their gender.
February 6, 2025
Where a strongman failed, women are now fueling a democratic revival
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – It was a brief remark during a mundane session of parliament.
January 14, 2025
Women candidates challenge Vanuatu’s male-dominated politics at snap election
Handicraft market trader Tui Johnson has barely had time to think about politics ahead of Vanuatu’s national election as she struggles to survive after last month’s earthquake.
November 13, 2024
Sri Lanka’s election sees surge in female candidates, but can it break patriarchal norms?
November 5, 2024
A new paradigm– reforming women’s political participation in Sri Lanka
As election cycles come and go, the conversation around the low female representation in Sri Lanka’s political sphere is frequently revisited. After all, while Sri Lanka boasts of having the first female Prime Minister in the world, the actual percentage of women
September 24, 2024
Harini Amarasuriya appointed as new Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
Harini Amarasuriya was officially sworn in as Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister on Tuesday, marking a historic moment as she becomes the first woman to hold the office since Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 2000.
September 23, 2024
Sri Lanka has more women voters than men but no female presidential candidates
September 11, 2024
Sri Lanka's presidential election: Where are the women?
COLOMBO, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Not one of the 38 contenders in Sri Lanka's presidential election this mon
September 11, 2024
Sri Lanka's Gender Gap: Women in Politics
Despite making up over half the voters and workforce, women are starkly underrepresented in Sri Lanka's political landscape.
September 11, 2024
Affirmative Action Vital to Increase Women’s Participation in Politics
It is an enduring stain on Sri Lanka’s democracy and gender equality that only 4.8 percent of parliamentarians are women despite their high literacy rate and educational levels.
September 9, 2024
Sri Lanka’s Presidential Manifestos: What’s Promised for Women?
Sri Lanka is gearing up for its ninth presidential election on September 21, but notably no women candidates are running for the highest office in the country.
July 4, 2024
Empowering Women in Politics: A Catalyst for Change
Sri Lanka’s women are literate and well educated with a 92.3 percent literacy rate and
February 1, 2024
Breaking the glass ceiling for women in politics
Women in Sri Lanka face serious barriers to political representation and the country ranks among the lowest in the world for the percentage of women in national legislatures.
August 9, 2023
Reformative changes are being made to increase the representation of women in politics – President
Normal
0
-->
August 3, 2023
Sri Lanka’s women MPs meet former New Zealand PMs Jacinda Ardern and Helen Clark
Normal
0
-->
February 6, 2023
Harassment of women in politics on the rise in Sri Lanka
Election monitors and activists express concern that digital harassment of female politicians will increase when the local council elections campaign gets into full swing in the coming weeks.
April 25, 2022
No women in Sri Lanka’s new Cabinet
The newly appointed Cabinet which consists of 17 Ministers has failed to include female representation.
The new Cabinet was appointed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the President’s House in Colombo today.
November 29, 2021
Women MP’s of Sri Lanka parliament call for action to prevent verbal harassment from male colleagues
Chairperson of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus (WPC) in Sri Lanka parliament, Dr.
July 27, 2020
What is holding back Sri Lankan Women from entering politics: Lihini Fernando decodes
Despite Sri Lankan women having progressed by breaking boundaries in many fields, their participation in the country’s politics has remained abysm
September 6, 2019
Women and politics
For the first time in 20 years a woman candidate has been named to contest at the upcoming Presidential Election. Environmentalist Dr.
August 16, 2017
Comparative experiences: Operationalizing the 25% quota for women in Local Government in Sri Lanka
(PRESS RELEASE) – 31 July 2017
May 30, 2012
Women in Sri Lanka Unite to Demand an End to their Political Exclusion
Women from 17 different political parties in Sri Lanka united on March 8th to create a declaration printed in newspapers for the International Day of the Woman.
May 30, 2012
Terrorism, A Major Setback For Womens' Developmen
Addressing the second International Women's Conference in Bangalore, India last Friday, Madam Shiranthi Rajapaksa said, "women, especially in the developing world face much hardship as a result of terrorism, poverty, lack of education, lack of resources in childcare and healthcare and the spread
May 30, 2012
Sri Lanka: Women and Politics in Sri Lanka
The main obstacle to equal political representation of women in political institutions in Sri Lanka is political - their lack of commitment to give nominations to women, the lack of internal party democracy and the present political culture perpetuated by parties.
May 30, 2012
Sri Lanka: Women's Role in Politics Minimal in Lanka
Sri Lanka displays positive aspects regarding its population, other than in one area:the number of women in politics. According to 2009 data, women hold 13 out of the 255 seats in Parliament, that is five percent of all seats.
May 30, 2012
Sri Lanka: 25 Years On, Women Still Struggle for Their Rights
"While on one side the conflict created havoc in Sri Lanka, on the other hand it—to some extent—helped to advance the rights of women, particularly in strongly male-dominated societies where the women’s place—to use a common phrase—is ‘at home’," noted Dharmadasa, whose own son disappeared during
May 30, 2012
Sri Lanka: Plan to Reserve More Seats for Women
The government is considering increasing the number of seats reserved for women in the Bangladesh parliament from the present 45 to 100.
May 30, 2012
Sri Lanka: Women's Representation in Local Government Elections
Women should be included in political parties. We have been working in one district as a pilot program to take women who are active in politics at district levels.
May 30, 2012
Sri Lanka: Parliamentarian Breaks Silence on Domestic Violence
Upeksha Suwarnamali became famous playing the role of 'Pabha', a poor young girl in love with a rich man in a long running hit television series in Sri Lanka. But these days, she is better known for her real life: A victim of domestic violence turned champion of abused women.
May 30, 2012
Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka politics in need of more women
Today only 5.8 percent of the Sri Lankan parliament is female, most of whom were elected because they inherited a voter base from a male family member. And, at 1.8 percent, the rate of female representation in Sri Lanka’s local politics is even more disturbing.
May 30, 2012
Sri Lanka: Tense atmosphere in Jaffna ahead of elections, women’s vote at risk
Someone threw pieces of dead dog into Tamil campaign offices. Intimidation of opposition candidates also, who have interrupted their campaigns. The Women's Political Academy demands investigation.
Violence against women in politics
Highlighting news, interviews, resources and events on violence against women in politics