Sri Lanka

Parliament

Political system
Presidential-Parliamentary
Structure of parliament
Unicameral
IPU membership
Yes

Data on women

Information on the current and historical representation of women in the parliament. Consult the 'Elections' tab to see how women have fared in elections or renewals.

Current representation

Women's representation in the current parliament or chamber

Current number of members
225
Women
Click for historical data

Speaker

No information available

Secretary general

Secretary General
Kushani Rohanadeera (Female)

Data on age at the start of the legislature

Number of members, by age (2020-08)
Breakdown of members by age and gender
18 - 20 21 - 30 31 - 40 41 - 45 46 - 50 51 - 60 61 - 70 71 - 80 81 - 90 91 and over Totals per gender
Male 0 5 21 30 40 60 42 10 4 0 212
Female 0 0 0 0 5 6 1 0 0 0 12
Totals per age interval 0 5 21 30 45 66 43 10 4 0 224
Total <= 45: 56 Total >= 46: 168
Percentage of members, by age
Age at the last election or renewal Overall Male Female
Percentage of MPs 30 years of age or younger
2.2% 2.2% 0.0%
Percentage of MPs 40 years of age or younger
11.6% 12% 0.0%
Percentage of MPs 45 years of age or younger
25.0% 25% 0.0%

Reserved seats and quotas

There are reserved seats in parliament for certain groups
No
Electoral quota for women
No

First woman in parliament

Year of first woman in parliament
1947

Notes: 1947: It seems that a number of women were elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka prior to independence, on 14 November 1931, but exact figures are unavailable

First woman speaker

Year of first woman speaker
Not applicable

Notes: No woman has occupied the function of Speaker in the country.

Women’s suffrage

Date of independence
1948
Women’s right to vote
1948
Restricted or universal suffrage
Universal

Notes: Prior to independence, under British administration, women were granted the right to vote on 20 March 1931. This right was confirmed at independence.

Women's right to stand for election
1948
Restricted or universal
Universal

Notes: Prior to independence, under British administration, women were granted the right to vote and stand for election on 20 March 1931. These rights was confirmed at independence.

Women's caucus

Women's caucuses or parliamentary groups that bring together women parliamentarians to strengthen cooperation and amplify their voices. For other parliamentary bodies or committees that have a specific mandate to address gender equality matters, see the ‘Specialized body – Gender equality’ tab.

Historical data for IPU membership

Historical data for IPU membership
Year IPU membership
2020-09
List of values for 2020-09
No
2019-04
List of values for 2019-04
No
2018-06
List of values for 2018-06
No