Sri Lanka has more women voters than men but no female presidential candidates

Associated Press

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Women make up more than half of the voters in Sri Lanka, but in Saturday’s presidential election, not even one will be on the ballot. Sri Lanka is voting for a president to take its economy forward after it went through an unprecedented financial crisis in 2022 that led to the then-president fleeing the country. Now, the election will allow more than 17 million eligible voters to choose from a record 38 candidates. Sri Lanka had a female president from 1994 to 2006, but women are largely underrepresented in the country’s politics. The proportion of seats held by women today in a 255-member Parliament is a mere 5.3%.