Following the news has never been the most cheerful task. 

Lately, there seems to be no time to lie down and recover from the political concussion. The moment you close your eyes, another news flash will hit—another story of men turning the world upside down.

Politics is not all doom and gloom, however. Beyond the attention-grabbing headlines, smaller countries that are not consuming as much space on the front page of a paper have made advances towards a better future. 

Sri Lanka, the “Teardrop of India”, has long been a bucket-list destination for many travellers, boasting vast wilderness and pristine beaches. These are beaches that have made it onto the big screen—like in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

But there’s more to Sri Lanka than beaches and film locations. The country was one of 74 nations that held elections last year and, much like the rest of the world, it was a case of “out with the old, and in with the new.” The outcome was historic: the left-wing National People’s Power (NPP) coalition won a two-thirds majority in November—something no party had ever achieved before. The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), which had dominated the previous election in 2020, was reduced to just three seats, reflecting widespread dissatisfaction with the party’s handling of a severe economic crisis. The NPP’s success can also be attributed to its targeted campaigning, which actively encouraged women in particular to engage in politics and make their voices heard.

Besides the support from women for the NPP, even more notable was the support the party received in a specific region: the Jaffna Peninsula. The region hosts a large population of Tamils, a minority ethnic group on the island that previously tended to vote for Tamil nationalist parties. Considering the tensions between the Tamil and Sinhalese majority that began during the British occupation and resulted in a civil war, the fact that the NPP, a Sinhalese-led party, won in a Tamil-majority region was remarkable.

Before the parliamentary election, the NPP’s party leader, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, had already secured a victory in the presidential election in September. He offered an alternative to the political groups that had ruled the country since its independence from Great Britain in 1948. This includes the Rajapaksa family, who have controlled the SLPP since 2005. The Rajapaksa family is one of four main political dynasties that have shaped Sri Lankan politics since the end of British rule.

2024 marked a fresh start for the country, and a crucial one. The percentage of people living below the poverty line has increased by 25.9% since 2020. In 2022, the economic situation for the majority of the population was unbearable. Inflation skyrocketed to 50% annually, and a fuel shortage made petrol and diesel unaffordable. The country’s infrastructure couldn’t withstand this. Essential services such as education and medical provision were brought to a standstill due to transport inaccessibility. 

Change was stirring in Sri Lanka long before the election’s campaign period. 2022 saw massive protests force former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa into resignation and later exile. He fled the country by sea from Colombo as thousands of people took to the streets against a government plagued by corruption and broken promises to resolve the economic crisis. Ultimately, they succeeded.

As previously mentioned, Gotabaya Rajapaksa was part of a political dynasty that had ruled Sri Lanka since 2005. 2005 saw Gotabaya’s older brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, sworn into presidency, vowing to end the civil war that had ravaged the country since 1983. 

The civil war stemmed from a conflict between the Tamil minority, particularly the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and the Sinhalese-led government. Its roots trace back to British rule, which exploited ethnic tensions through “divide and rule”—benefiting the colonisers above all.

After independence, policies like making Sinhala the sole official language fuelled Tamil grievances, sparking demands for an independent Tamil state and setting the stage for war.

The war ended brutally in 2009, with around 40,000 Tamil civilians killed in its final months. The Muslim Moors, also targeted by Sinhalese forces, further complicated a conflict that cannot be explained solely through the dualistic framework of Sinhalese against Tamil

Post-war tensions remained unresolved, and political stability proved elusive. In the 2020s, economic decline, worsened by COVID-19, hit key industries like textiles, construction, and tourism, deepening the crisis.

Sri Lanka’s leaders not only failed to prevent the economic downturn but also struggled to provide clear solutions, further eroding public trust. As one journalist noted in The Guardian, former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa “couldn’t even answer my basic questions” about economic policy, reflecting the government’s lack of direction.

This mounting frustration erupted into mass protests, with women playing a particularly central role, leading to a momentous political shift in 2024.

Today, Harini Amarasuriya holds the position of prime minister, appointed by President Dissanayake, the leader of the victorious NPP.

Female NPP politicians launched a campaign directly targeting women. Their campaign, with the slogan “Gahanu Api Eka Mitata Malimawata” (“We, women, profusely for NPP”) provided a platform for female political activism in a historically male-dominated environment. The NPP campaign organised workshops and training sessions for women, educating them on issues such as gender inequality, violence, and the broader economic and political significance of care work.

Women have shouldered the majority of domestic and care work in Sri Lanka and were therefore more affected by the economic crisis, particularly through food insecurity. However, they have also been at the forefront of the country’s economy, working in essential sectors such as the tea and textiles industries. The NPP’s strategy of raising awareness about their importance empowered women to become politically active.

Vraie Cally Balthazaar, an NPP candidate in the general election from Colombo, told the magazine HIMĀL South Asian, “We drove home the message that relief from their economic situation was their right and that it was the state’s responsibility to ensure this right by providing access to high-quality education, healthcare, and transportation.”

Now, four months after the election, in which strong support from women was a decisive factor in the party’s victory, Harini Amarasuriya holds the second-most powerful position in Sri Lanka and aims to continue driving change for women. Amarasuriya is not the first woman to hold this position—she is actually the third in Sri Lanka—but she is the first woman in South Asia to attain such a role without belonging to an influential dynasty. The prime minister describes her political approach as having a “feminist sensitivity,” which in practice includes improving equal pay and workplace conditions for women. The current female workforce participation rate stands at 33%, but targets aim to increase this to 50%, without specifying a concrete date.

The new government, particularly the Minister of Women and Child Affairs, Saroja Savithri Paulraj, has already taken action by establishing the first National Action Plan for Women, Peace, and Security and strengthening efforts to combat gender-based violence. Additionally, the NPP’s grassroots strategy led to the formation of District Women’s Executive Committees, which advocate for women’s rights at both local and district levels.  

The positive headline of women in government and a shift in political culture should not, however, neglect the fact that progress still needs to be made. There are only two female ministers in the cabinet, compared to 19 men. Women make up just 10% of parliamentarians, though this is still double the rate of women elected into parliament in previous elections. 

Beyond gender representation, the new government must also confront pressing economic challenges that directly impact the entire population. Dissanayake’s administration inherits an economy still reeling from the 2022 financial collapse, with soaring living costs and a frustrated population demanding relief. 

Beyond economic struggles, the government also has to navigate Sri Lanka’s complex geopolitical position. With India and China vying for influence in the region, Colombo must carefully manage its foreign relations while ensuring national interests remain protected. The success of the new leadership will largely depend on its ability to deliver tangible improvements in living conditions while maintaining stability in both domestic and international affairs. For now, Sri Lankans are watching closely—hopeful, but wary of more broken promises.

Even though challenges and crises are still part of Sri Lanka’s political situation, the positive changes—the power of the people, especially women, and the strength of democracy—can still offer some relief from the sense of apocalypse dominating current news coverage.

Sri Lanka is not the light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe the metaphor doesn’t work anyway, considering that politics ideally does not lead to some kind of end. But whether it’s a tunnel or something else, Sri Lanka is a glimmer in an otherwise dark place.