Sirimavo Bandaranaike facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
In office 14 November 1994 – 10 August 2000
President	Chandrika Kumaratunga
Preceded by	Chandrika Kumaratunga
Succeeded by	Ratnasiri Wickremanayake
In office 22 May 1972 – 23 July 1977
President	William Gopallawa
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Junius Jayewardene
Prime Minister of Ceylon
In office 29 May 1970 – 22 May 1972
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor General	William Gopallawa
Preceded by	Dudley Senanayake
Succeeded by	Position abolished
In office 21 July 1960 – 27 March 1965
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor General	Oliver Goonetilleke William Gopallawa
Preceded by	Dudley Senanayake
Succeeded by	Dudley Senanayake
Personal details
Born	(1916-04-17)17 April 1916 British Ceylon
Died	10 October 2000(2000-10-10) (aged 84) Colombo, Sri Lanka
Political party	Sri Lanka Freedom Party
Spouse	Solomon Bandaranaike (1940–1959)

Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike (born April 17, 1916 – died October 10, 2000) was an important politician from Sri Lanka. She made history by becoming the world's first female head of government. This means she was the first woman to lead a country's government.

Sirimavo Bandaranaike served as prime minister of Sri Lanka three times. She was also the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. Her husband, Solomon Bandaranaike, was also a prime minister. He was shot dead in 1959. Sirimavo's ideas about how to run the country were similar to his. All three of their children later became involved in Sri Lankan politics. She spent 40 years working in government. She stepped down from her role on August 10, 2000. She died two months later, at the age of 84, from a heart attack.

Early Life and Family

Sirimavo Bandaranaike was born on April 17, 1916, with the name Sirimavo Ratwatte. Her family was part of the aristocracy, which means they were from a high-ranking, well-known family. She was a Buddhist. She went to school at a convent in Colombo, Sri Lanka. There, she was taught by Roman Catholic nuns.

In 1940, she married Solomon Bandaranaike. At that time, he was a member of parliament. He later became prime minister in 1956. He led the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). Sirimavo and Solomon had three children: Chandrika, Sunethra, and Anura.

Becoming Prime Minister

Sirimavo Bandaranaike did not start her political career until after her husband was shot dead. This happened on September 26, 1959. After his death, she was chosen to take over his role as the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. She led the party to win the elections in July 1960. She promised to continue the plans her husband had started for the country.

On July 21, 1960, Bandaranaike became Prime Minister. This was a very important moment in history. She was the first woman in the world to become a prime minister. She was also the first woman to be elected as a head of government.

First Term as Prime Minister (1960-1965)

Bandaranaike believed in Socialism. This means she thought the government should control important parts of the economy. She continued her husband's plans to take over major businesses. This process is called Nationalization. For example, she brought schools owned by the Catholic Church under government control.

One of her most well-known early policies was the Sinhala Only Act. This plan was started by her husband but not finished. It aimed to make Sinhala the only official language of the country. This meant removing English as an official language. The plan also included sending some Tamil residents to India. Many people saw this as unfair. It led to protests and problems for the country.

The government's decision to take over foreign businesses, especially oil companies, upset countries like Britain and the United States. Because of this, they stopped giving aid to Sri Lanka. As a result, Bandaranaike built stronger relationships with countries like China and the Soviet Union. In 1962, some Christian military officers tried to take over the government, but they failed.

In 1964, Bandaranaike's government lost a vote of confidence. This meant that parliament no longer supported her. Her party then lost the elections in 1965. Before she left office, her government signed an agreement with India. This agreement decided what would happen to about one million Tamils. Some would become Indian citizens and return to India, while others would become Sri Lankan citizens.

Second Term as Prime Minister (1970-1977)

Bandaranaike became prime minister again after her party won the 1970 elections. A new constitution was created in 1972. This changed Ceylon into the modern republic of Sri Lanka. The monarchy was ended, and the President of Sri Lanka became the head of state instead of Queen Elizabeth II.

During her second term, Bandaranaike became less tolerant of criticism. She closed down media outlets that criticized her government. She also took control of the country's largest newspaper. In 1976, Bandaranaike was chosen to lead the Non-Aligned Movement. This was a group of countries that did not want to take sides in the Cold War.

Even though she had success in foreign affairs, she was losing support in Sri Lanka. Her government was accused of corruption. The country's economy was also getting worse. Elections were supposed to happen in 1975, but Bandaranaike used a rule in the new constitution to delay them. The elections finally took place in 1977. Her party lost very badly. In 1980, Bandaranaike was accused of misusing her power for delaying the elections. She was removed from her seat in parliament. She was also banned from holding public office for seven years.

Later Political Life

Even after losing elections for ten years, Bandaranaike remained the leader of the SLFP. In 1994, her party joined with others to form a group called the People's Alliance. This group won the general elections that year. Bandaranaike's daughter, Chandrika, became prime minister. Then, Chandrika was elected president in the same year.

Sirimavo Bandaranaike became prime minister again. However, the constitution had changed since her last time in office. As prime minister, she now had less power than her daughter, the President. She stayed in office until a few months before her death. She resigned on August 10, 2000. Exactly two months later, she died at 84 years old from a heart attack.

Images for kids

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  The Mahawalatenne family, including Mahawalatenne Rate Mahattaya (back row right) and Agnes Mahawalatenne (née Ellawala, front row right), the maternal grandparents of Sirima Ratwatte.

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  Horagolla Walawwa, the Bandaranaike ancestral manor

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  Bandaranaike, with her children Sunethra, Chandrika, and Anura

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  Bandaranaike Samadhi (where S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike and Sirimavo Bandaranaike were entombed) at Horagolla, Sri Lanka

See also

In Spanish: Sirimavo Bandaranaike para niños