Today, I had the incredible honor of meeting the Honorable Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. It was a truly inspiring conversation where we discussed my Beauty with a Purpose project and the work I do through my nonprofit organization, Saheli, to combat period poverty in Sri Lanka. A key focus of our discussion was the ongoing effort to repeal taxes on menstrual products, an essential step toward ensuring that every woman and girl in Sri Lanka has access to basic hygiene. As the current government has already taken the initiative to distribute free sanitary napkins to schoolgirls, Dr. Amarasuriya highly appreciated my work in this space and recognized the importance of further policy reforms to support menstrual equity. Beyond policy, she also encouraged my journey to @missworld expressing her support as I prepare to represent Sri Lanka on the global stage at the 72nd Miss World Festival as the 53rd Miss Sri Lanka for Miss World. Sri Lanka made history in global politics in 1960 by electing the world’s first female prime minister. Seeing strong female representation in leadership is something I deeply value, as it paves the way for policies that uplift and empower women. Meaningful reforms come from having diverse voices at the decision making table, and I hope to see more women shaping the future of our nation.
