Harini Amarasuriya
Politician

Sri Lankan Galle, Southern Province, Sri Lanka

Quick Info

Profession	Politician
Nationality	Sri Lankan
Date of Birth	06/03/1970
Age	56 years
Birthplace	Galle, Southern Province, Sri Lanka

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Bio/Wiki

Full Name	Harini Nireka Amarasuriya
Other Name	Dr Harini Amarasuriya

Physical Stats & More

Height	5' 5" (165 cm)
Eye Color	Black
Hair Color	Black

Educational Qualification(s)

School	Bishop's College, Colombo, Sri Lanka
College/University	Hindu College, University of Delhi (1991-1994) Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia The University of Edinburgh, Scotland
Degrees	BA (Hons.) in Sociology from Hindu College MA in Applied Anthropology and Development from Macquarie University PhD in Social Anthropology from The University of Edinburgh

Personal Life

Religion	Buddhism
Marital Status	Unmarried

Relationships & More

Marital Status	Unmarried

Family

Father	(Tea Planter) (deceased)
Mother	(Homemaker)
Siblings	2 (elder)

Career

Political Party	Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna National People's Power (NPP)
Political Journey	Elected as the Member of Parliament for National List from National People's Power (NPP) on 20 August 2020 Served as a Member of the Committee on Public Accounts and Ethics and Privileges (2020) Served as a Member of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Education (2020) Served as a Member of CoPA Sub-Committee to investigate issues on Medical Supplies and related matters of the Ministry of Health (2020) Appointed as the 16th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on 24 September 2024 Served as a Member of multiple parliamentary committees including Ethics and Privileges, Public Accounts, Women Parliamentarians Caucus, and others in 2024 Reappointed as the 17th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka on 18 November 2024 following the National People's Power's landslide victory in the 2024 parliamentary election Appointed as Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education from November 2024
Academic Career	Joined Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) as a sociology and social anthropology lecturer in 2011 Became a senior lecturer and head of the department Involved in the Federation of University Teachers’ Association and participated in protests Served as Secretary of the Open University Teachers' Association (2012-2013) Served as Assistant Secretary (2014-2015) and Secretary (2016) of the University Teachers' Association Served as a member of the University Grants Commission's Standing Committee on Gender Equality and Social Equity since 2016
Other Notable Work	Worked at a community mental health centre called Nest for abused women Served as a board member for Law and Society Trust (LST) and Centre for Women’s Research (CENWOR) Authored several books focusing on youth, politics, and gender development Served as a member of the People's Representative Committee (PRC) on Constitutional Reforms of Sri Lanka in 2016 Participated in drafting the National Youth Policy of Sri Lanka Participated in the National Human Development Report for Sri Lanka

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Grew up on a tea estate in Sri Lanka and developed an interest in politics from an early age.
2. Moved to Colombo in the 1970s due to nationalisation efforts on tea estates.
3. Spent a year as an exchange student in the US during a time of unrest in Sri Lanka.
4. Originally intended to study English literature before discovering her passion for anthropology.
5. Was involved in the longest trade union strike in Sri Lankan history during her academic career.
6. Has been a prominent advocate for gender equality, women's empowerment, and LGBTQ+ rights on international platforms.
7. First academician-turned-politician to become Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.
8. Third woman to serve as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, after Sirimavo Bandaranaike and Chandrika Kumaratunga.
9. Entered politics through the National Intellectuals Organization in 2019.
10. Received 655,289 preferential votes in the 2024 parliamentary election, the second-highest ever obtained by a candidate in Sri Lanka's parliamentary electoral history.

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