Women in the Sri Lankan Parliament

Women have served in the Parliament of Sri Lanka since 1931 and have been represented in all successive parliaments to date. The first woman representative was Adeline Molamure, elected to the State Council, daughter of J. H. Meedeniya and wife of Alfred Francis Molamure, both State Councillors. 60 women have served in the legislature of Sri Lanka, including 13 who are currently serving, constituting over 5% of all current Members.

Women in Parliament, however small in numbers, have held high positions in Parliament and the cabinet. Two women have become Prime Minister and one has gone on to become the President of Sri Lanka. Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the world's first female head of government on 21 July 1960, holding the post for a non-consecutive 17 years. Her daughter, Chandrika Kumaratunga, became Sri Lanka's first modern female head of state and president.^[1]

This marked the first time that a female prime minister directly succeeded another female prime minister, and is also the first time that a nation possessed a female prime minister and a female president simultaneously.

The progress of women in Sri Lankan politics, however, has stagnated as expectations are higher for their representation in Parliament.^[2]

Number of women

Number of women in Parliament by House

Number of women in the Sri Lankan Parliament (1931–2024):

#	Legislature	Years	in Parliament	%	in House	%	in Senate	%
1st	Ceylonese State Council	1931–1936	2	3.4%	2	3.4%	-	-
2nd	Ceylonese State Council	1936–1947	1	1.7%	1	1.7%	-	-
3rd	Ceylonese Parliament	1947–1952	1	?%	3	2.9%	4	?%
4th	Ceylonese Parliament	1952–1956	?	?%	2	1.9%	?	?%
5th	Ceylonese Parliament	1956–1959	?	?%	4	3.9%	?	?%
6th	Ceylonese Parliament	1960–1960	?	?%	3	2.9%	?	?%
7th	Ceylonese Parliament	1960–1964	?	?%	3	2.9%	?	?%
8th	Ceylonese Parliament	1965–1970	?	?%	6	5.9%	?	?%
9th	Ceylonese Parliament	1970–1972	?	?%	6	3.8%	?	?%
10th	National State Assembly	1972–1977	6	3.6%	6	3.6%	-	-
11th	National State Assembly	1977–1978	11	6.5%	11	6.5%	-	-
12th	Sri Lankan Parliament	1978–1988	11	4.8%	11	4.8%	-	-
13th	Sri Lankan Parliament	1989–1994	13	5.7%	13	5.7%	-	-
14th	Sri Lankan Parliament	1994–2000	12	5.3%	12	5.3%	-	-
15th	Sri Lankan Parliament	2000–2001	9	4%	9	4%	-	-
16th	Sri Lankan Parliament	2001–2004	10	4.4%	10	4.4%	-	-
17th	Sri Lankan Parliament	2004–2010	13	5.7%	13	5.7%	-	-
18th	Sri Lankan Parliament	2010–2015	13	5.7%	13	5.7%	-	-
19th	Sri Lankan Parliament	2015–2020	13	5.7%	13	5.7%	-	-
20th	Sri Lankan Parliament	2020–2024	12	5.3%	12	5.3%	-	-
21st	Sri Lankan Parliament	2024–2028	23	10.2%	23	10.2%

List of female members

This is a complete list of women who have served as members of the successive Sri Lankan Legislatures, ordered by seniority. This list includes women who served in the past and who continue to serve in the present.^[3]

Service

Representative	Party	Electorate	Years	Notes
Adeline Molamure	-	Ruwanwella	June, 1931- 7 December 1935	Elected in by-election First woman to be elected to the State Council of Ceylon (first elected female legislator)
Naysum Saravanamuttu	-	Colombo North	June, 1931- 4 July 1947	Second woman to be elected to the State Council
Florence Senanayake	Lanka Sama Samaja Party	Kiriella	September, 1947- 8 April 1952	First female to be elected to Parliament
Cissy Cooray	-	-	1947-1952	First female to be appointed to the Senate of Ceylon
Kusumasiri Gunawardena	Lanka Sama Samaja Party	Avissawella	1948- 18 February 1956	Second female to be elected to Parliament Elected unopposed in by-election
Kusumasiri Gunawardena	Viplavakari Lanka Sama Samaja Party	Kiriella	April, 1956- 5 December 1959
Tamara Kumari Ilangaratne	Independent	Kandy	June, 1949- 8 April 1952	Third female to be elected to Parliament Elected in by-election
Tamara Kumari Ilangaratne	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	Galagedara	27 May 1970- 18 May 1977
Doreen Wickremasinghe	Communist Party of Ceylon	Akuressa	May, 1952- 18 February 1956
Clodagh Jayasuriya	United National Party	-	October 1953 - 1956	Elected to the Senate of Ceylon
Vivienne Goonewardena	Lanka Sama Samaja Party	Colombo North	April, 1956- 5 December 1959
		Borella	20 July 1960- 17 December 1964	Elected in by-election
		Dehiwala - Mt. Lavinia	27 May 1970- 18 May 1977
Vimala Wijewardene	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	Mirigama	April, 1956- 5 December 1959	First female cabinet minister
Kusuma Rajaratne	Independent	Welimada	September 1957- 5 December 1959	Elected in by-election
Kusuma Rajaratne	Jathika Vimukthi Peramuna	Uva-Paranagama	19 March 1960- 25 March 1970
Evelyn de Soysa	-	-	April 1959-1963	Appointed member of the Senate of Ceylon
Wimala Kannangara	United National Party	Galigamuwa	19 March 1960- 23 April 1960 22 March 1965- 25 March 1970 21 July 1977- 20 December 1988
Soma Wickremanayake	Lanka Sama Samaja Party	Dehiowita	19 March 1960- 17 December 1964
Sirimavo Bandaranaike	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	Attanagalla	22 March 1965- 20 December 1988	Elected to the office of Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on 21 July 1960, 29 May 1970, 22 May 1972 and 14 November 1994.
		Gampaha	15 February 1989- 24 June 1994
		National List	16 August 1994- 18 August 2000
Sivagamie Obeyesekere	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	Mirigama	22 March 1965- 18 May 1977
Leticia Rajapaksa	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	Dodangaslanda	22 March 1965- 25 March 1970	Elected in by-election
Mallika Ratwatte	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	Balangoda	22 March 1965- 18 May 1977	Elected in by-election
Seetha Seneviratne	United National Party	-	October 1967- April 1970	Appointed member of the Senate of Ceylon (daughter of Adeline Molamure)
Kusala Abhayavardhana	Lanka Sama Samaja Party	Borella	27 May 1970- 18 May 1977
Renuka Herath	United National Party	Walapane	21 July 1977- 20 December 1988
Renuka Herath	United National Party	Nuwara Eliya	15 February 1989- 18 August 2000
Amara Piyaseeli Ratnayake	United National Party	Wariyapola	21 July 1977- 20 December 1988
Amara Piyaseeli Ratnayake	United National Party	Kurunegala	15 February 1989- 9 February 2010
Sunethra Ranasinghe	-	Dehiwala - Mount Lavinia	21 July 1977- 20 December 1988	Elected in by-election
Sunethra Ranasinghe	United National Party	Colombo	15 February 1989- 24 June 1994
Rupa Sriyani Daniel	United National Party	Hewaheta	21 July 1977- 20 December 1988	Nominated
Rupa Sriyani Daniel	United National Party	National List	15 February 1989- 24 June 1994
Ranganayaki Pathmanathan	-	Pottuvil	21 July 1977- 20 December 1988	Nominated
Daya Sepali Senadheera	-	Karandeniya	21 July 1977- 20 December 1988	Nominated and succeeded seat vacated by the death of her husband Bandulahewa Senadheera. Assassinated by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna.
Lohini Wijesiri	-	Harispattuwa	21 July 1977- 20 December 1988	Nominated
Keerthilatha Abeywickrema	-	Deniyaya	21 July 1977- 20 December 1988	Nominated
Samantha Karunaratne	-	Rambukkana	21 July 1977- 20 December 1988	Nominated
Samantha Karunaratne	United National Party	Kegalle	15 February 1989- 24 June 1994
Sumitha Priyangeni Abeyweera	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	Kalutara	15 February 1989- 24 June 1994
Sujatha Dharmawardana	United National Party	Puttalam	15 February 1989- 24 June 1994
Sumedha G. Jayasena	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	Monaragala	15 February 1989-
Chandra Karunaratne	United National Party	Badulla	15 February 1989- 24 June 1994
Rasamanohari Pulendran	United National Party	Vanni	15 February 1989- 24 June 1994
Hema Ratnayake	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	Badulla	15 February 1989- 24 June 1994
Hema Ratnayake	United National Party	Badulla	16 August 1994- 18 August 2000
Daya Amarakeerthi	Sri Lanka Freedom Party	Galle	15 February 1989- 24 June 1994
Chandrika Kumaratunga	People's Alliance	Gampaha	16 August 1994- 18 August 2000	Elected to the office of Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on 19 August 1994, then President of Sri Lanka on 12 November 1994.
Sumitha Priyangani Abeyweera	People's Alliance	Kalutara	16 August 1994- 18 August 2000
Nirupama Rajapaksa	People's Alliance	Hambantota	16 August 1994- 18 August 2000
Nirupama Rajapaksa	United People's Freedom Alliance	Hambantota	2 April 2004- 9 February 2010
Pavithra Devi Wanniarachchi	People's Alliance	Ratnapura	16 August 1994- 7 February 2004
Srimanee Athulathmudali	People's Alliance	Colombo	16 August 1994- 18 August 2000
Amara Badra Dissanayake	United National Party	National List	16 August 1994- 18 August 2000
Ferial Ashraff	People's Alliance	Digamadulla	10 October 2000- 7 February 2004
Ferial Ashraff	United People's Freedom Alliance	Digamadulla	2 April 2004- 9 February 2010
Surangani Ellawala	People's Alliance	Ratnapura	10 October 2000- 10 October 2001
Somakumari Tennakoon	People's Alliance	Kurunegala	10 October 2000- 7 February 2004
Yvonne Sriyani Fernando	People's Alliance	Puttalam	10 October 2000- 10 October 2001
Chandrani Bandara Jayasinghe	United National Party	Anuradhapura	10 October 2000-
A. R. Anjan Umma	Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna	National List	10 October 2000- 10 October 2001
A. R. Anjan Umma	Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna	Gampaha	5 December 2001- 7 February 2004
Larine Perera	United National Party	Puttalam	5 December 2001- 9 February 2010
Mallika de Mel	PA	Matara	5 December 2001- 7 February 2004
Chitra Srimathi Mantilake	United National Party	Kandy	5 December 2001- 7 February 2004
Pavithra Devi Wanniarachchi	United People's Freedom Alliance	Ratnapura	2 April 2004-
Sujatha Alahakoon	United People's Freedom Alliance	Matale	2 April 2004- 9 February 2010
Thalatha Atukorale	United National Party	Ratnapura	2 April 2004-
Pathmini Sithamparanathan	Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi	Jaffna	2 April 2004- 9 February 2010
Thangeswary Kathiraman	Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi	Batticaloa	2 April 2004- 9 February 2010
Sudarshani Fernandopulle	United People's Freedom Alliance	Gampaha	April 2010-
Sriyani Wijewickrama	United People's Freedom Alliance	Digamadulla	April 2010-
Rosy Senanayake	United National Party	Colombo	April 2010-
Upeksha Swarnamali	United National Party	Gampaha	April 2010-
Vijayakala Maheswaran	United National Party	Jaffna	April 2010-
Malani Fonseka	United People's Freedom Alliance	National List	April 2010-
Kamala Ranathunga	United People's Freedom Alliance	National List	April 2010-
Anoma Gamage	United National Party	National List	April 2010-
Rohini Kumari Wijeratne-Kaviratne	United National Party	Lagalla	April 2015-

References

^ "Profile: Chandrika Kumaratunga". BBC. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
^ Bhattacharjya, Satarupa. "Just 10 women in Parliament – a disappointing showing". Sunday Times. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
^ "Lady Members". Parliament.lk. Retrieved 2 August 2013.

External links

Lady Members of Parliament

[1] "Profile: Chandrika Kumaratunga". BBC. Retrieved 2 August 2013.

[2] Bhattacharjya, Satarupa. "Just 10 women in Parliament – a disappointing showing". Sunday Times. Retrieved 2 August 2013.

[3] "Lady Members". Parliament.lk. Retrieved 2 August 2013.

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