Sri Lanka heralds 2026 with a long-fought-for women’s commission. On the one hand, this will be presented internationally and nationally as yet another achievement of our democratic and human rights credentials, while on the other hand, the vitriolic criticisms of the Prime Minister roll on, demeaning her for not conforming to a stereotypical, yet fanciful image of who or what is the “ideal” Sri Lankan woman!
Harini Amarasuriya is ridiculed for being unmarried and childless. Yet these were not criticisms that Mr Dudley Senanayake or Mr Dahanayake, also former Prime Ministers, had to face. Mr Ranil Wickremasinghe could propose education reforms, but he was not challenged for not having children and therefore not being a stakeholder on the subject. Clearly, these vilifiers are threatened by a poised, educated, thoughtful, and dignified woman who has been successful in politics.
These detractors from the margins overlook the fact that Harini Amarasuriya secured over six hundred and fifty thousand votes at the General Elections in 2024. This was the second-highest vote count ever to be gained by a Member of Parliament. Her marital status did not bother her supporters, who included men as well as women. Many people who were undecided on how to vote (commenting that they had been let down by all the parties at some time or another) were willing to experiment with the NPP, recognising that they were bringing in new faces, educated people, and young people, and for these reasons, they deserved a chance. These changes of heart were referred to as “the Harini-factor!” People were yearning for a change in the political culture.
The people who were rejected by the electorate in 2024 lay dormant for a while and are now crawling out of the woodwork, spewing hate and contempt. Although this parliament has the highest number of women, this pattern of contempt is thrown at them, either to silence them or to provoke them to respond in harsh, crude, “unparliamentary” language. Particularly troubling (or I should say disgusting) is that some members of the clergy have led this pack, taking shelter behind their status as priests, confident that they will not or can not be criticised.
Sri Lanka has over 90,000 female-headed households. They have struggled and hold their heads high and rebuild their lives. They are inspirations for their families and communities. If you believe in the dignity of women and that they too are entitled to equal opportunities and to equal treatment of women, Sri Lanka needs a political culture that is respectful of women – it is time to speak out and time to stamp out this rampant misogyny.
Dr Sakuntala Kadirgamar.
Executive Director,
Law and Society Trust.
