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Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Historical figureLK1916-2000

Sirimavo Bandaranaike

Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (1960-1965, 1970-1977, 1994-2000) · World's first woman prime minister

Sri Lanka's three-time prime minister and the first woman to lead a government. She nationalized key industries, pressed Sinhala-language and Buddhist-first policies and led non-aligned diplomacy.

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Profile on 12 axes9 of 12 documented
ECONOMYSTATESOCIETYWORLDOwnershipMarketsWelfareAuthoritySecurityStructureMoralityReligionTechnologyCultureTradeForeign
Where they stood

Sirimavo Bandaranaike, axis by axis

  1. 01Ownership-70
    PublicPrivate
  2. 02Markets-65
    PlannedFree
  3. 03Welfare-50
    SharedSelf-reliant

    Land and house ceilings and nationalized services point to equalizing policy.

  4. 04Authority+35
    DemocraticStrong leader

    She won repeated elections and lost power at the ballot, yet she used emergency powers against Tamil protesters in 1961 and crushed the 1971 uprising. A 1980 commission found she had abused power. Moderately toward strong leadership.

  5. 05Security+50
    LibertyOrder

    She declared a state of emergency in 1961 and suppressed the April 1971 JVP revolt in a way described as ruthless.

  6. 06Structure+70
    LocalCentral

    The 1972 constitution made Sri Lanka a unitary republic and dropped minority safeguards, over Tamil objections.

  7. 07MoralityNo clear record
    ProgressiveTraditional
  8. 08Religion+50
    SecularReligious

    The 1972 constitution gave Buddhism the foremost place.

  9. 09TechnologyNo clear record
    EmbraceCaution
  10. 10Culture+75
    MulticulturalNational identity

    Sinhala as the sole official language, the 1972 constitution and 1970s university standardization all pressed a Sinhala Buddhist national identity, which Tamils experienced as exclusion.

  11. 11TradeNo clear record
    GlobalProtected
  12. 12Foreign policy-35
    CooperationStrength

    She hosted the 1976 Non-Aligned Summit in Colombo and followed her husband's non-aligned line. Leans toward cooperation.

3 axes have no clear record, so matching leaves them out.

Who was Sirimavo Bandaranaike?

Sirimavo Bandaranaike became prime minister on 21 July 1960, the first woman in the world to lead a government. She entered politics after the assassination of her husband, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, and led the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. She governed from 1960 to 1965 and from 1970 to 1977, then returned in 1994 as prime minister under her daughter's presidency until 2000. Her governments nationalized estates, schools and a large newspaper group, adopted a republican constitution in 1972 and followed a non-aligned foreign policy. She died on 10 October 2000, soon after retiring.

Political views

  • Became the world's first woman prime minister on 21 July 1960, and served 1960-1965, 1970-1977 and 1994-2000.Source: dailymirror.lk
  • Nationalized many private enterprises, estates and schools, took over the largest group of private newspapers and created state bodies to run big industrial and commercial ventures.Source: dailymirror.lk
  • Set ceilings on landholdings and on the number of houses one person could own, and gave up thousands of acres of her own land.Source: dailymirror.lk
  • Sought to make Sinhala the sole official language from 1 January 1961. When Tamil leaders began a non-violent satyagraha, the government declared an emergency, used the army and placed them under house arrest.Source: dbsjeyaraj.com
  • In the 1970s, university standardization cut Tamil students' access to higher education, and Tamils faced discrimination in public jobs.Source: dailymirror.lk
  • Her government put down the Marxist JVP uprising of April 1971 with foreign help, a crackdown described as ruthless that drew criticism.Source: dailymirror.lk
  • The 1972 constitution made Sri Lanka a unitary republic, gave Buddhism the foremost position and removed minority protections such as section 29.Source: dailymirror.lk
  • Followed a non-aligned foreign policy and hosted the Fifth Non-Aligned Summit in Colombo in 1976.Source: dailymirror.lk

Legacy

Supporters honor Bandaranaike as a pioneer for women in government and as a leader of the developing world who lifted the role of Sri Lanka in the Non-Aligned Movement. Admirers also cite land reform and public ownership meant to widen opportunity. Critics, many of them Tamil, blame her language policy and the 1972 constitution for deepening ethnic division. She met the 1961 satyagraha with emergency rule and arrests, and the 1971 uprising with a harsh crackdown. In 1980 a commission under her rival J.R. Jayewardene found her guilty of abuse of power and she lost her civic rights until 1986.

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Sirimavo Bandaranaike: questions

Was Sirimavo Bandaranaike the first woman prime minister?

Yes. She became prime minister of Ceylon on 21 July 1960, the first woman anywhere to head a government. She served three separate terms.

What was the Sinhala Only policy?

It made Sinhala the sole official language for administration and courts. Tamil leaders protested, and her government answered the 1961 satyagraha with emergency rule and house arrests.

Did Bandaranaike nationalize industries?

Yes. Her governments took over estates, schools, a major newspaper group and other private firms, and set state bodies to run large industrial and commercial ventures.

Sources