Wacky WorldCountries & Flags
Short answer: Sirimavo Bandaranaike became prime minister of Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, on 21 July 1960. Sri Lanka’s Parliament records her appointment as the world’s first woman head of government.
What happened in 1960?
S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, the serving prime minister and leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, was assassinated in 1959. His widow, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, entered party leadership during the political crisis that followed. The party won the July 1960 parliamentary election, and she was appointed prime minister on 21 July.
A constitutional detail that is easy to miss
At the moment of her appointment, Bandaranaike was not a member of the elected House of Representatives. Parliament’s official list explains that she was appointed to the Senate on 2 August 1960 so that she could continue as prime minister. The country was then called Ceylon; it adopted the name Sri Lanka when it became a republic in 1972.
Why the milestone mattered
Women had already served as legislators and ministers in several countries, but no woman had previously led a national government as prime minister. Bandaranaike’s appointment changed what voters and political parties could imagine. It also preceded later women heads of government in countries including India, Israel and the United Kingdom.
Her later terms
Bandaranaike led the government in three periods: from 1960 to 1965, from 1970 to 1977, and again from 1994 to 2000. During her second period in office, Ceylon became the Republic of Sri Lanka. Decades later, her daughter Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga became president, while Sirimavo served again as prime minister under the executive-presidential system.
Evidence and wording
The accurate formulation is “the world’s first woman prime minister” or “first woman head of government.” It does not mean she was the first woman to hold every kind of national leadership position. The date and distinction are confirmed by the Parliament of Sri Lanka, whose historical records list the beginning and end of each term.
A quick timeline
- 1959: Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike is assassinated.
- 21 July 1960: Sirimavo Bandaranaike becomes prime minister.
- 2 August 1960: she enters the Senate, allowing her to continue in office under the contemporary system.
- 1970–1977: she returns for a second period and leads the country through its transition to a republic.
- 1994–2000: she serves a third and final period as prime minister.
Her story therefore belongs to both political history and constitutional history: the office itself changed substantially across the four decades of her public career.
Sources
- Parliament of Sri Lanka: history of women in Parliament
- Parliament of Sri Lanka: official list of prime ministers
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