Women of Power: 10 Examples of Female Heads of State

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike

Sirimavo Bandaranaike wasn’t just the first female Prime Minister in Sri Lanka; she was the first woman to hold such a position anywhere in the world and was also the mother of Chandrika Kumaratunga, who would later become the first female President of Sri Lanka. Born in 1916, Sirimavo spent her early years in social work, meeting and marrying S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike in 1940.

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(Original Caption) 7/21/60-Colombo, Ceylon: Mrs. Sirima Bandaranaike (above in recent photo), who led her neutral-leftist Sri Lanka (freedom) Party to an overwhelming parliamentary victory, became Ceylon’s seventh prime minister July 21st, the first woman believed to head of government in modern history.

When Mr. Bandaranaike, who was prime minister at the time, was assassinated, his widow was elected as his successor. Bandaranaike, who served for three terms, introduced significant socialist changes to the country and helped Sri Lanka become a republic, while also forging strong, peaceful relationships with other nations.

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