The High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, hosted a special reception at India House on Monday (June 16) in honour of the Women’s Caucus of the Sri Lankan Parliament. The event was attended by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savithri Paulraj, and several other Women Caucus members.
In his remarks, High Commissioner Jha emphasised the historic and evolving role of women in politics in both India and Sri Lanka, noting that the two countries have been global pioneers in women’s political leadership. He highlighted the transformative efforts in India over the past decade, particularly under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which have positioned women as active nation-builders—from participating in space exploration to grassroots governance.
The event also marked growing cooperation between women parliamentarians in both countries, as guided by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Modi. Earlier in May 2025, three members of Sri Lanka’s Women Caucus visited India to participate in an orientation programme at the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) in New Delhi.
With the current Sri Lankan Parliament recording the highest number of women MPs in its history, the initiative aims to strengthen institutional knowledge-sharing and promote democratic values through parliamentary-level exchanges.
