Sirimavo Bandaranaike

Sirimavo Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician who became the world’s first woman prime minister. She served as prime minister of Ceylon and Sri Lanka in 1960–1965, 1970–1977, and 1994–2000.

Solomon Bandaranaike: A Sri Lankan politician who served as prime minister from 1956 until his assassination in 1959. His assassination left the Sri Lanka Freedom Party leadership and her political future unsettled.
Sinhala Only Act: Sri Lanka’s 1956 law that made Sinhala the country’s sole official language. The language policy she inherited continued to shape conflict during her governments.
Sri Lanka Freedom Party: A major Sri Lankan political party founded in 1951 by Solomon Bandaranaike. She led the party for decades after succeeding her husband.
Women in politics: The participation of women in political institutions, elections, and public decision-making. Her election made women’s executive leadership visible on a global scale.
Chandrika Kumaratunga: A Sri Lankan politician who served as president from 1994 to 2005 and prime minister in 1994. Her daughter succeeded her as prime minister in 1994 and later became president.
Nationalization: The transfer of privately owned assets or enterprises into public ownership. Her governments expanded state ownership across major sectors of the economy.
Assassination of Solomon Bandaranaike: The 1959 killing of Sri Lankan prime minister Solomon Bandaranaike by a Buddhist monk. The assassination transformed her from a political spouse into a leading party figure.
Female heads of government: Women who have held the chief executive office of a national government. Her premiership established a landmark that later women leaders could follow.
Anura Bandaranaike: A Sri Lankan politician who held senior cabinet posts and served as speaker of parliament. Her son became a prominent politician, often in conflict with his mother’s political circle.
Land Reform in Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan laws that limited private landholdings and transferred excess land to the state. The 1972 and 1975 reforms put limits on estates, including plantation land.

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