“The election results are something that I cannot accept”
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Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Sirima Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike, commonly known as Sirimavo Bandaranaike, was a Sri Lankan stateswoman who thrice served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 1960 to 1965, from 1970 to 1977, and from 1994 to 2000. She was the first woman in the world to be elected prime minister in 1960. A chairperson of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) from 1960 to 1994, she pursued socialist economic policies…
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politics · Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (1916–2000) · politician · diplomat · also Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike, Sirima Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike, Bandaranaike
Born 17 April 1916 · Died 10 October 2000 · Q194291
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2026· 2 entries
Island: Inaugural session of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya Student Parliament held at the Presidential Secretariat
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2025· 1 entry
Nature: Sirimavo Bandaranaike Specialized Children Hospital (SBSCH)
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2023· 2 entries
The Daily Mirror: Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya marks Golden Jubilee
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A documentary film chronicling her life story, titled Our Mother, Grandmother, Prime Minister: Sirimavo, was released
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2018· 1 entry
The Sunday Times: Sirimavo Bandaranaike and Piliyandala Central emerge overall winners
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2014· 1 entry
Hindustan Times: Sirimavo Bandaranaike
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2010· 1 entry
On the 50th anniversary of Bandaranaike's election as the world's first female prime minister, Sri Lankan parliamentarian Rosy Senanayake told the press that Sri Lanka had not made significant progress towards gender equ
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2000· 1 entry
Died 2000-10-10.
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1994· 2 entries
Career landmark: Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (1994–2000).
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Career landmark: Member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka (1994–2000).
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1992· 1 entry
Premadasa Udugampola, head of the Bureau of Special Operations, was forced to retire after an international outcry over human rights abuse surfaced
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1991· 1 entry
Which was led by senior United National Party members such as Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake
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1990· 1 entry
When the 13-month ceasefire was broken by the Tamil Tigers, after other militias surrendered their weapons, the government decided to break off negotiations with the Tigers and employ a military solution
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1989· 2 entries
Career landmark: Member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka (1989–1994).
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Career landmark: Leader of the Opposition (1989–1994).
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1988· 1 entry
Restored her party, which had by now developed more centrist policies and advocated for a reconciliatory approach towards Tamils in the civil war, as a relevant force in the first parliamentary election after 12 year
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1987· 1 entry
The Indo-Sri Lanka Accord laid out terms of the truce between the Sri Lankan Government and the rebels, authorising the Indian Peace Keeping Force to occupy the country in an attempt to promote disarmament
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1983· 1 entry
Insurgent Tamils ambushed an army patrol, killing thirteen soldiers
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1981· 1 entry
Tamil extremists assassinated Arumugam Thiagarajah, a prominent United National Party politician
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1980· 2 entries
For claimed abuses of power during her tenure and barred from government for seven years
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A Special Presidential Commission was appointed by President J
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1978· 1 entry
A new constitution was ratified, replacing the British-style parliamentary system with a French-style presidential system
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1976· 1 entry
Was less than revolutionary due to the fact that Obeyesekere was a relative of Bandaranaike's
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1975· 4 entries
Bandaranaike created an agency to focus on women's issues, which would later become the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs
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Bandaranaike created what would eventually become the Sri Lankan Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, and played a large role abroad as a negotiator and a leader among the Non-Aligned Nations
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That nationalized plantations owned by public companies
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The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) established a Palestinian embassy in Sri Lanka, a year after the establishment of the Sri Lanka-Palestine Solidarity Committee
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1974· 2 entries
Then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi accepted the tiny islet of Katchatheevu as Sri Lankan territory under the Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime agreement aimed at resolving the maritime boundaries in the Palk Strait
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Bandaranaike forced the shut-down of the last independent newspaper group, The Sun, believing their criticism was fuelling unrest
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1972· 1 entry
Bandaranaike introduced major land reforms in Sri Lanka, with the enactment of the Land Reform Act of No
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1971· 1 entry
As part of Bandaranaike’s election campaign, she pledged to close down the Israeli embassy in Sri Lanka in support of the Palestine cause
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1970· 3 entries
Due to a cleverly structured election alliance with rival Marxist parties
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Career landmark: Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (1970–1977).
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Career landmark: Leader of the Opposition (1970–1977).
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1965· 1 entry
Career landmark: Member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka (1965–1980).
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1964· 1 entry
Bandaranaike's government abolished the independent Ceylon Civil Service and replaced it with the Ceylon Administrative Service, which was subject to government influence
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1962· 1 entry
As well as a 1971 insurrection of radical youths, in 1972 she oversaw the drafting of a new constitution and the formation of the Sri Lankan republic, separating it from the British Empire
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1961· 3 entries
Trade unions began a series of strikes in protest of high inflation and taxes
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To bypass the monopolistic pricing imposed on Middle Eastern oil imports, allowing Ceylon to import oil from the United Arab Republic and the Soviet Union
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Attended both the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference in London and the 1st Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Belgrade, SFR Yugoslavia making Sri Lanka one of the founding members of the Non-Aligned Movemen
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1960· 1 entry
Career landmark: Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (1960–1965).
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1959· 1 entry
Was persuaded by the party leadership to join active politics and succeed her late husband as chairwoman, and returned her party to government by defeating prime minister Dudley Senanayake's UNP in the July 1960 elec
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1957· 1 entry
The couple had to cut short their stay when they received news that Bandaranaike's father was gravely ill following a heart attack
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1956· 1 entry
By Prime Minister Sir John Kotelawala, S
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1951· 2 entries
And became prime minister in 1956, she became an informal advisor, and focused on improving the lives of women and girls in rural areas of Sri Lanka
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Persuaded him to resign from the United National Party and establish the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (Freedom Party, aka SLFP)
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1941· 1 entry
Bandaranaike joined the Lanka Mahila Samiti (Lankan Women's Association), the country's largest women's voluntary organisation
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1923· 1 entry
To the primary classes of Ferguson High School in Ratnapura, and was then sent to boarding school at St Bridget's Convent, Colombo
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1916· 1 entry
Born 1916-04-17.
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