Who are the women representing the National People’s Power  Party this year in Parliament?

Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel

This year, the representation of women in Parliament has attracted the attention of many. For a long time, there have been various discussions regarding the increase of women’s representation in Parliament, but it seems that it has become a reality this time. Meanwhile, we noticed a post that many people are exchanging these days regarding the representation of women. We have investigated the matter.

Social Media Posts)

This is how a photo was shared on social media saying, “Women Representing Diyawannawa”(“දියවන්නා යන අපේ කාන්තා නියෝජනයන්”). Posting that photo, it was further stated that ‘a different parliament – more women’s representation’.

Fb| Archive

Many others shared this photo stating that they were women representing the Parliament.

Fb|Fb|Fb|Fb|Fb|Fb

Are all the women in this photograph representing the 10th Parliament representing women? According to this photo, the Parliament is represented by only 12 women MPs. This is how we checked the facts about it.

Fact Check

This year’s parliamentary elections were held on November 14, and the National People’s Power won with a two-thirds majority. This election marks several special milestones in political history and this year’s representation of women in Parliament is also one of the milestones in history.

Women’s representation in Parliament has been a topic of discussion both within and outside the Parliament for a long time, and in this year’s general election there was also a discussion about giving nominations to women.

Accordingly, from 1989 until the 2024 parliamentary elections, the percentage of women represented in the parliament had not exceeded 6%.

But this time, we observed that the number of women elected to Parliament is 21 while checking the list of members of Parliament on the Parliament website and the gazette announcement stating the names of the MPs elected to Parliament in the general election.

According to this gazette announcement, 19 female MPs representing the National People’s Force won the general election and were elected to the Parliament, and two female MPs representing the Samagi Jana Balawega were elected to the Parliament.

In addition to this, one member of the National People’s Party National List has also received parliamentary mandate. Accordingly, the total number of women members of the National People’s Force in the 10th Parliament is 20.

The MPs are as follows.

	Name of the MP	Party	District contested for election
1	Harini Amarasuriya	Natinal Peoples Party	Colombo
2	Kaushalya Ariyarathne	Natinal Peoples Party	Colombo
3	Samanmali Gunasingha	Natinal Peoples Party	Colombo
4	Hemali Sujeewa	Natinal Peoples Party	Gampaha
5	Nilanthi Kottahachchi	Natinal Peoples Party	Kaluthara
6	Oshani Umanga	Natinal Peoples Party	Kaluthara
7	TUSHARI JAYASINGHE	Natinal Peoples Party	Kandy
8	Deepthi Niranjani Wasalage	Natinal Peoples Party	Matale
9	Anushka Darshani	Natinal Peoples Party	Nuwara Eliya
10	Hasara Nayanathara	Natinal Peoples Party	Galle
11	Saroja Savithri Paulraj	Natinal Peoples Party	Matara
12	Muthumanike Rathwaththe	Natinal Peoples Party	Digamadulla
13	Geetha Rathna Kumari	Natinal Peoples Party	Kurunegala
14	Hiruni Madhusha	Natinal Peoples Party	Puttlam
15	Ambika Samuel	Natinal Peoples Party	Badulla
16	Nilusha Lakmali	Natinal Peoples Party	Rathnapura
17	Sagarika Gangani Athauda	Natinal Peoples Party	Kegalle
18	Chathui Gangani	Natinal Peoples Party	Monaragala
19	Krishnan Kalaichelvi	Natinal Peoples Party	Nuwara Eliya
20	Chamindranee Bandara Kiriella	Samagi Jana Balawegaya	Kandy
21	Rohini Kumari Wijerathna	Samagi Jana Balawegaya	Matale
22	Lakmali Kanchana Hemachandra	Natinal Peoples Party	National List

Accordingly, the photo s of the MPs representing the Parliament are as follows.

Accordingly, among the women MPs shown in the photo posted on social media, Vrai Kali Balthasar who contested from Colombo District and Rasalingam Venni who contested from Jaffna District have not been elected to Parliament. It is also clear that more than 12 women have been elected to parliament.

Vrai Kali Balthasar and Rasalingam Venni were not elected to Parliament

First-time female parliamentarians

This year, 20 of the women MPs elected for the Parliament are represented in the Parliament for the first time.

Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and MP Rohini Kaviratne have previously represented Parliament. Of these, Mrs. Harini Amarasuriya has come to Parliament through the national list in the 2020 general election and Mrs. Rohini Kaviratne has represented the Parliament twice before. In the general election of 2015, she entered the parliament representing the good governance government including the United National Party and in 2020, she entered the parliament representing the Samagi Jana Balawega.

Women’s representation in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary history

Considering the representation of women in the history of Parliament, it has increased in this Parliament.

The highest number of women MPs represented in Parliament so far is 13. Accordingly, in the years 1989, 2004, 2010, 13 women MPs have represented the Parliament each. Accordingly, it must be clear to you that there is a significant increase in the representation of women in the Parliament this year.

Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike has gone down in history as the first Prime Minister of the world and the first President of this country is Mrs. Chandrika Kumaratunga, the daughter of Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike. Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga won the general election in August 1994 and served as the Prime Minister before becoming the President. She was appointed as the President in November of the same year. She was also the president in 2001.

Accordingly, Harini Amarasuriya has become the Prime Minister of this country after two decades.

Also, when looking at the path of women entering politics in this country, many women entered politics through the family’s political background. Coming to politics after father or mother, or coming to politics after death of master or brother was seen. Most of the women who represented Parliament, including Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike and Chandrika Bandaranaike, had a family political background. In South Asia too, women have entered politics through family politics. Indira Gandhi of India, Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina are such examples.

But this year’s general election has turned that situation upside down and the probability of women running directly for national politics and being elected to parliament without family politics has increased.

Accordingly, the fact that the new Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya does not have a family political background is a catalyst for the empowerment of women’s representation in this country’s politics.

You can read more about the history of women’s representation in Sri Lanka’s Parliament here and here.

You can read more about women who entered politics with a family political background here.

The women who represented the Sri Lankan Parliament up to the 9th Parliament have been mentioned in this way on the Parliament website.

Accordingly, since there are problems that are special and unique to women in the society, it is important that they are represented in the parliament. It is extremely important to have a representation of women in the legislature who can raise their voice for that.

Join us to learn about our investigative reporting

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google News | TikTok 

Conclusion

This year, 22 women represent the 10th Parliament, of which 20 are from the National People’s Power and two are from the SJB . Accordingly, it is clear that Vrai Kali Balthasar and Rasalingam Venni are not representing the Parliament this time.