Dr Harini Amarasuriya, 54, was appointed Sri Lanka’s prime minister on September 24 – only the third woman to hold this position – in a huge step for women’s representation in the country. The current proportion of female MPs in the Sri Lankan parliament is only 5.3%, although that has increased by 2% in comparison to 2018.

Born in 1970, she has experience as an academic at the Open University in Sri Lanka and as an activist. She’s one of the most educated prime ministers to date, with a BA in sociology from Delhi, an MA in anthropology from Sydney and a PhD, also in anthropology, from Edinburgh. In 2020, she became an MP for the National People’s Power (NPP) party.

Her goals include improving Sri Lanka’s educational system, providing a higher quality education for students and reducing the emphasis on exam-based learning to a more practical and skill-based education. She is committed to promoting social justice and bridging the country’s ethnic, religious and political divides, and also hopes to improve the healthcare system for all citizens.

The two previous women prime ministers were Sirimavo Bandaranaike, appointed in 1960 (when Sri Lanka was still called Ceylon) and her daughter Chandrika Kumaratunga, who became PM in 1994 and after just a few months was elected as the country’s first and only female president.

Other girls expressed similar sentiments. For example, 19-year-old Samitha* believed that Dr Amarasuriya would give the country some much overdue quality leadership and encourage other women to join this predominantly male space.

The need for better leadership and a shift in Sri Lanka’s political culture is something a lot of young people are passionate about. “I think that Dr Amarasuriya’s story is very inspiring for all young people, and I hope that she accomplishes all her goals and helps Sri Lanka become the best version of itself again,” said 14-year-old Melani*.

Despite all these positive remarks, some naysayers still believe that a woman should not be prime minister and that Dr Amarasuriya is not suitable for the role. This is partly because many Sri Lankans are resistant to change and the country is still very traditional in its values.

Many citizens criticise her views and policies, arguing that her stance on various issues such as gender inequality is too radical and creates a lot of division throughout the community.

Amita*, a 15-year-old from Galle, said opinions at home were divided on the matter. “My father isn’t very optimistic about the fact that we now have a female prime minister and believes that she will make our economy more corrupt because she is a woman and women are not really voiced in our parliament. My mother, on the other hand, is happy that we have an educated prime minister and wants to have more women in our parliament because she believes that it could help develop our economy in future years to a certain extent.”

Outrageous as it may be, patriarchal-thinking patterns still exist in Sri Lankan society. Another politician recently berated Dr Amarasuriya for being a single woman who did not choose motherhood or marriage.

Despite the discrimination against Dr Amarasuriya, she has accomplished exceptional feats in the realm of human rights. For instance, she has been deeply involved in social activism mainly focusing on youth issues, human rights and social development issues. She often publishes research on topics such as: elite politics, social justice and discrimination against women and young people.

Dr Amarasuriya is currently addressing the challenges posed by previous ministers, emphasising the need for systematic and policy-driven governance, and is focused on improving and ensuring that government officials work cohesively.

Whether or not these commitments translate to contributions to Sri Lanka’s future remains to be seen.

*Names changed to retain anonymity.