In Sri Lanka’s November 2024 parliamentary elections, Harini Amarasuriya secured 655,289 preferential votes, marking the second-highest tally in the country’s electoral history. Her victory made her the first female prime minister in two decades. Unlike many female leaders in South Asia who emerge through familial political dynasties, Amarasuriya’s ascent came through a career as an academic, social anthropologist, and human rights activist. Her rise reflects a break from traditional political pathways shaped by inheritance and dynastic ties.

Despite this breakthrough, new research from the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES) reveals ongoing challenges in transforming Sri Lanka’s political system to genuinely empower women. A study conducted by researcher Uvini Panditha evaluated the impact of the gender quota system introduced in local government elections, which brought approximately 2,000 women into office. The research, based on interviews with women councillors, academics, activists, and civil society members, found that while women’s representation increased significantly, their influence and decision-making power often remained limited.

Sri Lanka’s quota system, which raised women’s representation in local governments from less than 2% to around 23% by 2018, has been hailed as a milestone. The 2024 parliamentary elections also resulted in the highest number of women ever elected nationally. However, the study highlights that the structure of the quota system may have inadvertently reinforced existing power hierarchies. The system added earmarked women’s seats instead of reserving existing ones, with many female representatives entering through party-controlled proportional representation lists rather than competitive direct elections. This arrangement contributed to perceptions that some women were token appointees rather than legitimate leaders.

Party gatekeeping emerged as a key obstacle, with selections often favoring women perceived as compliant, relatives of loyal party members, or placing strong female candidates in areas where victory was unlikely. Instances were cited where women were assigned to constituencies whose populations spoke languages unfamiliar to them, further limiting their effectiveness. Once elected, many women reported being marginalized during council meetings, denied control over development resources, and labelled with derogatory terms linking their legitimacy solely to the quota mechanism.

The persistence of informal norms, patriarchal power networks, and party cultures has hindered women’s ability to convert electoral presence into authority. Experts note that Sri Lanka’s challenge lies not in lacking capable women—its current parliament includes numerous professionals without dynastic ties—but rather in whether political institutions will embrace them as equal leaders.

This dynamic holds significance beyond Sri Lanka. Across South Asia, gender quotas have increased women’s representation but often failed to dismantle entrenched barriers to power. Effective governance depends on inclusive decision-making at both local and national levels, particularly as Sri Lanka contends with economic recovery, democratic renewal, and social inequality.

The study advocates reforms targeting political parties, recommending transparent and merit-based candidate selection, equitable campaign financing, mandatory training programs, anti-harassment measures, and fair access to leadership resources. Encouragingly, the research also documents women’s resilience in the face of institutional resistance, including efforts to build cross-party networks, assert budgetary oversight, and challenge discriminatory practices.

Sri Lanka stands at a critical juncture. Whether Amarasuriya’s premiership signals a broader transformation or an isolated event will depend on the country’s ability to reshape its political structures to effectively include women in power, rather than merely in numbers. The challenge remains to move beyond symbolic representation toward meaningful influence across the political landscape.