Srimati Sirimavo Bandaranaike was the first woman Prime Minister in the World. She took office in Sri Lanka (then called the Dominion of Ceylon) in 1960 and belonged to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party from 1960 to 1994. She served three times as the prime minister of Ceylon (Present Sri Lanka) while Chandrika Kumaratunga was the president of the country.
In this article, we are going to discuss the First Female Prime Minister of the World, with her life and career in detail.
Table of Content
First Female Prime Minister of the World – Overview
Sirimavo Bandaranaike was born in 1916 in Sri Lanka. She belonged to a respected family. Even though she went to English schools she stayed always true and followed her Buddhist beliefs throughout her life. She was able to speak both Sinhala and English well which helped her become a respected leader later. Here is a detailed overview of her life as mentioned below.
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First Woman Prime Minister In The World – Smt Sirimavo Bandaranaike |
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Born |
Sirima Ratwatte aka Sirimavo Bandaranaike |
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Date of Birth |
17th April 1916 |
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Place of Birth |
Ratnapura, British Ceylon (Sri Lanka) |
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Died |
10th October 2000 (aged 84) |
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Place of Death |
Kadawatha, Sri Lanka |
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Political Party |
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) |
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Spouse |
Solomon Bandaranaike (married in 1940, widowed in 1959) |
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Children |
Sunethra, Chandrika, Anura |
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Parent |
Barnes Ratwatte (father) |
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Prime Minister of Sri Lanka |
14th November 1994 – 10th August 2000 |
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President |
Chandrika Kumaratunga, William Gopallawa (1972–1977) |
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Governors General |
Oliver Goonetilleke, William Gopallawa |
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Cause of Death |
Heart attack |
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Place of Death |
Kadawatha, Sri Lanka |
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Legacy |
Sirimavo Bandaranaike was the first woman prime minister in the world. She served Sri Lanka three times as Prime Minister, and her socialist policies aimed to uplift the country’s native population. Although her tenure saw significant developments, including Sri Lanka’s entry into the Non-Aligned Movement, she faced criticism for not significantly impacting women’s representation in politics. |
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Notable Achievements |
Sirimavo Bandaranaike was instrumental in guiding Sri Lanka through significant political and social changes during her time in office. Her leadership saw the country through its transition from a dominion to a republic and the implementation of socialist policies aimed at reducing socio-economic disparities. Despite criticisms and challenges, her contributions to Sri Lanka’s political landscape remain significant. |
First Female Prime Minister of the World – Social Work and Family
Before joining the politics, Sirimavo Bandaranaike worked on helping rural Sri Lankan women and girls. She also took care of her family. After some years, she married Solomon Bandaranaike who was a well-known politician at that time. After finishing the secondary school, she did social work and supported her husband’s political career. When her husband was killed in 1959, she joined in politics. She took over his party and won the election in 1960. Later, she became the main opposition leader. After this, she won with a big majority in 1970 by forming a cleverly structured election alliance with Marxist political parties.
First Female Prime Minister of the World – Political Career
Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s life changed when her husband was killed in 1959. She took over his role in politics and lead the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. The next year, she became Sri Lanka’s first female Prime Minister. She continued her husband’s policies, focusing on socialism, neutrality in foreign affairs, and promoting Buddhism and Sinhalese culture.
- Her government took control of many businesses and declared Sinhalese as the only official language.
- However, for so many economic problems and withdrawned support of alliances to made her weak.
- She lost the 1965 election.
- In 1970, her socialist group won back power, and she became Prime Minister again.
- This time, she enacted even more radical policies, like nationalizing industries and changing the country’s constitution.
- Although these moves reduced wealth inequality, they also caused economic issues and worsened tensions with the Tamil minority.
- Her party faced a huge defeat in the 1977 election, and she lost her position as Prime Minister.
- In 1980, she was banned from politics, but later received a pardon in 1986.
- She tried to become President in 1988 but was unsuccessful.
- Her children also became prominent in politics.
- Her son, Anura, initially a member of her party, later switched sides due to differences with his sister Chandrika.
First Female Prime Minister of the World – Terms
Sirimavo Bandaranaike was prime minister of Sri Lanka three times. Let’s talk about the important things that happened during each of her terms.
First Term – First Female Prime Minister of the World
- Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the first female prime minister in the world on July 21, 1960.
- She took over the position after a landslide victory for the Freedom Party.
- To meet the constitutional requirement, a senator resigned to make way for her to become a member of parliament.
- Initially, she relied on her nephew for guidance as she faced challenges in governing the country.
- She followed her husband’s policy of nationalizing key sectors of the economy.
- Bandaranaike nationalized newspapers, banking, foreign trade, insurance, and the petroleum industry.
- She also nationalized parochial schools, shifting influence away from the Catholic minority.
- Bandaranaike made Sinhala the official language, causing discontent among Tamil speakers.
- She faced civil disobedience and strikes in response to her policies.
- In 1962, there was an attempted coup against her government, which was neutralized.
- Bandaranaike strengthened ties with China but cut relations with Israel.
- She also maintained relationships with India, Russia, and African nations.
- Bandaranaike played a role in reducing tensions between India and China during their border dispute.
- Her government faced criticism for ties with China and lack of economic development policies.
- Economic issues and discontent led to her coalition’s defeat in the 1965 elections. It was the ending her first term as prime minister.
Second Term
- In 1970, Bandaranaike regained power after her coalition won the elections.
- She made constitutional changes and implemented policies to remove British influence.
- Bandaranaike focused on centralizing the economy and controlling prices.
- She attended international conferences and made diplomatic decisions, including recognizing certain countries and opposing others.
- Bandaranaike faced economic challenges, leading to deficits and inflation.
- In 1971, she dealt with a leftist insurgency called the JVP insurrection.
- Her government received aid from various countries during the crisis.
- Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972 under a new constitution.
- Bandaranaike introduced significant land reforms, including nationalizing plantations.
- The oil crisis in 1973 had a negative impact on the Sri Lankan economy.
- She faced criticism and internal conflicts within her coalition.
- Bandaranaike focused on women’s issues and represented Sri Lanka at international events.
- Despite international recognition, she faced allegations of corruption and nepotism.
- Tamil separatism grew that created so many challenges in domestic politics.
- In the 1977 elections, Bandaranaike’s party suffered a significant defeat.
Third Term
- In the presidential election, Gamini Dissanayake was killed before the vote. He was Kumaratunga’s (Bandaranaike’s Daughter) rival.
- Even before the assassination, Kumaratunga won by a large margin.
- Kumaratunga appointed her mother as prime minister according to the constitution.
- Bandaranaike’s role involved with the defense and foreign affairs.
- Kumaratunga and Bandaranaike had different leadership styles, although they agreed on policies.
- By 2000, Kumaratunga sought a younger prime minister.
- Bandaranaike resigned in August 2000 due to health reasons.
Establishment Of Ministry of Women and Child Affairs
Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the world’s first female prime minister, cared deeply about women and children. In 1975, she created the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs in Sri Lanka, showing her commitment to helping those who needed it most. She also held positions as the Minister of Defence and External Affairs of Sri Lanka.
Death and Legacy
Sirimavo Bandaranaike passed away on October 10th, 2000, from a heart attack while returning home from voting in the parliamentary election. Sri Lanka mourned for two days, with state radio playing sad music. Her body was kept in the parliament building before her funeral at Horagolla, where she was buried beside her husband. During a time when people doubted women’s ability to lead a country, Bandaranaike proved them wrong. Her children also played important roles in Sri Lanka’s development. Despite challenges, the Bandaranaike family contributed to breaking social barriers in Sri Lanka through their socialist policies. In 2023, a documentary called “Our Mother, Grandmother, Prime Minister: Sirimavo” came out. It talked about her life, with input from her family and government officials. The documentary won the Best Documentary award at the 21st Dhaka International Film Festival.
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FAQs – First Female Prime Minister of the World
What is the first female Prime Minister?
Sirimavo Bandaranaike was elected as the world’s first female Prime Minister on 21 July 1960. She addressed the 26th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 1971.
Who is the first woman President of world?
The world’s first woman President was Marma Estela ‘Isabel’ Martinez Cartas de Peron of Argentina. She was the President of Argentina from 1974 to 1976.
Who is our first woman minister?
Amrit Kaur became part of Jawaharlal Nehru’s first Cabinet; she was the first woman to hold Cabinet rank, serving for ten years. In January 1949, she was appointed a Dame of the Order of Saint John (DStJ). She was assigned the Ministry of Health.
Who was the first woman CM of India?
Sucheta Kriplani, India’s first woman chief minister, was a fearless fighter for the country’s independence. Born on 25 June 1908 in Ambala, Sucheta’s keen interest in politics took root at a young age, when British rule was at its peak.
Who is the second woman PM of India?
Smt. Indira Gandhi is the second woman PM of India.