Seeds, Stories & Solidarity (Fall 2025) - Magazine - Page 20
Through struggle, change is possible
The agrarian and economic crisis also helped spark a
movement that created unprecedented change—and hope—
nationwide. Women were a driving force in the Aragalaya
(“struggle”) protests that forced President Rajapaksa to flee
in July 2022, ushering in a new progressive political era.
Anuka describes how rural women participated en masse in
the sit-ins that ultimately ousted the neoliberal strongman.
Elections in 2024 brought down the old elite and brought
a new leftist coalition—including the third female prime
minister in the nation’s history—to power with potential for
greater equity, justice, and inclusion for women in
Sri Lankan political life.
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