The Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva proudly presented photographic portraits of two prominent Sri Lankan women leaders at the prestigious UN photo exhibition, under the theme “Not a Woman’s Job? Women Leading Countries, Societies and Communities,” held on 30 June 2026 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
The fifth edition of the exhibition which celebrated global women leaders who have systematically challenged existing stereotypes and redefined leadership roles across countries, societies, communities was opened by Director General of the United Nations Office in Geneva, Tatiana Valovaya.
At this exhibition, Sri Lanka presented the legacies of renowned scholar Kumari Jayawardena and legendary filmmaker Sumitra Peries who significantly changed the landscape of women's representation in the global arena. Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Sumith Dassanayake introduced the two photographs and briefed the contributions of two women figures to Director General Tatiana Valovaya, at the exhibition.
Kumari Jayawardena (born in 1931) is a leading Sri Lankan feminist activist and academic and the author of several books and articles on labour and feminist movements in Sri Lanka. Her book, "Feminism and Nationalism in the Third World" is regarded as a groundbreaking work on feminism in the Global South in the 1980s. Her work stands as the norms of third-world feminism which conceptualizes feminist philosophies as indigenous and unique to non-western societies.
Late Sumitra Peries (1935-2023) was the first female film director from Sri Lanka, known as the "Poetess of Sinhala Cinema". She served as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to France, Spain and the Permanent Delegate to the UNESCO in the late 1990s. Sri Lankan classic film ‘Gehenu Lamai’ (The Girls), directed by her in 1978 has received significant recent recognition and was selected for a world premiere at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival 2025.
By spotlighting these two outstanding women figures at the United Nations exhibition, Sri Lanka underscores the critical role women have played in shaping leadership nationally, regionally and internationally.
The Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka remains dedicated to championing gender equality, human rights, and the rich legacy of Sri Lankan women on the multilateral stage.
Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva
30 June 2026