Sirima Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike, commonly known as Sirimavo Bandaranaike, was a Sri Lankan politician. She was the world's first female prime minister, when she became Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (then the Dominion of Ceylon) in 1960. She served three terms: 1960–1965, 1970–1977 and 1994–2000.
Born into a Sinhalese Kandyan aristocratic family, Bandaranaike was educated in Catholic, English-medium schools, but remained a Buddhist and spoke Sinhala as well as English. On graduating from secondary school, she worked for various social programmes before marrying and raising a family. Playing hostess to her husband S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, who was involved in politics and later became prime minister, she gained his trust as an informal advisor. Her social work focused on improving the lives of women and girls in rural areas of Sri Lanka. Following her husband's assassination in 1959, Bandaranaike entered politics, becoming Chairwoman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party; she led the party to victory in the July 1960 election.
Bandaranaike attempted to reform the former British Colony of Ceylon into a socialist republic by nationalising organisations in the banking, education, industry, media and trade sectors. Changing the administrative language from English to Sinhala, she exacerbated discontent among the native Tamil population, and with the estate Tamils, who had become stateless under the Citizenship Act of 1948. During Bandaranaike's first two terms as Prime Minister, the country was plagued by high inflation and taxes, a dependence on food imports to feed the populace, high unemployment, and polarisation between the Sinhalese and Tamil populations because of her Sinhalese nationalist policies. Surviving an attempted coup d'état in 1962, as well as a 1971 insurrection of radical youths, in 1972 she oversaw the drafting of a new constitution and the formation of the Sri Lankan republic. In 1975, Bandaranaike created what would eventually become the Sri Lankan Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, also appointing the first woman to serve in the Sri Lankan Cabinet. Bandaranaike's tenure was marked by inadequate economic development at the national level. She played a large role abroad as a negotiator and a leader among the Non-Aligned Nations.
Ousted from power in the 1977 elections, Bandaranaike was stripped of her civil rights in 1980 for abuses of power during her tenure and barred from government for seven years. Her successors initially improved the domestic economy, but failed to address social issues, and led the country into a protracted civil war. When she returned to party leadership in 1986, Bandaranaike opposed allowing the Indian Peace Keeping Force to intervene in the civil war, believing it violated Sri Lankan sovereignty. Failing to win the office of President in 1988, she served as Leader of the Opposition in the legislature from 1989 to 1994. When her daughter won the presidential election that year, Bandaranaike was appointed to her third term as Prime Minister and served until her retirement in 2000, two months prior to her death.
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Some of their strengths
Sirimavo Bandaranaike has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Brave, Energetic, Practical, Independent, Honest, Intuitive, and Intelligent.
Independent and Brave
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Sirimavo Bandaranaike is someone who is an independent, brave, and honest person who approaches life with energy, intuition, passion, and generosity. A person who really cares about helping others make the most of what they have.
Strong and Resilient
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Sirimavo Bandaranaike well know them as someone who can be strong, expansive, and stable like a big tree.
Independent and Organized
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Sirimavo Bandaranaike as someone who is independent, organized, inventive, and generous.
A person who is curious and a loves learning, who seems to always know what to say, who has an optimism that can overcome any difficult situation, and who seems to be able to master almost any skill.
Easygoing and Energetic
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Sirimavo Bandaranaike is someone who has an easygoing nature and a healthy sense of humor, with a mind that requires constant stimulation in order to feel fulfilled.
They are also someone who is altruistic, tolerant, and sophisticated, and who tends to be a perfectionist who is always working to try and make everything and everyone better.
Independent and Dynamic
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Sirimavo Bandaranaike tends to be someone who is independent, dynamic, and courageous. Who can be positive, energetic, self-reliant, and adventurous, and who can make friends easily.
Some of Sirimavo Bandaranaike's challenges
While Sirimavo Bandaranaike has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Sirimavo Bandaranaike can be Short-tempered, Impulsive, Hesitant, Narcissistic, Difficult, Perfectionist, and Domineering.
Short-tempered and Impulsive
One of Sirimavo Bandaranaike's key challenges is that they are someone who can come across as short-tempered and impulsive.
Domineering and Impatient
Sirimavo Bandaranaike is someone who can be demanding, egotistical, and controlling, can have a lack of judgment regarding personal finances, be argumentative and stubborn, and who can have a tendency to be withdrawn and spend time in self-imposed isolation.
Aggressive and Domineering
Finally, Sirimavo Bandaranaike also can be aggressive, impatient, impulsive, and short-tempered.
