Mother and activist for Tamils among the 100 most influential women in the world

Sandya Ekneligoda, human rights activist in Colombo, included in the list compiled for 2022 by the BBC. She herself suffered the kidnapping of her husband, an investigative journalist and cartoonist who disappeared in 2010. Her comment to AsiaNews: "I seek justice, but I am still a victim of insults and slander".

Colombo (Asia News) - Sandya Priyangani Ekneligoda, a well-known Sri Lankan human rights activist, has been included by the BBC in its list of the '100 most enlightening and influential women in the world for 2022'. Sandya Ekneligoda has been a spokesperson in Sri Lanka for the thousands of victims of enforced disappearances since her husband Prageeth Ekneligoda, a prominent investigative journalist and cartoonist, disappeared in 2010 while investigating alleged abuses against Tamil Tiger separatists.

In 2017, she received the International Women of Courage Award for her campaigning and fieldwork. A mother of two, Sandya Ekneligoda has helped thousands of mothers and wives who lost loved ones during Sri Lanka's civil war.

"I am not only a woman who fights for others and gets involved in every situation, but also a woman who seeks justice, overcoming challenges with dedication and sacrifice in the midst of many insults and slanders," she told AsiaNews commenting on this new recognition. Sandya accuses supporters of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the former president of Sri Lanka, as being responsible for her husband's disappearance. Although the suspects have been identified, they are currently still unpunished.

This year's BBC list reflects the role of women in the conflicts that bloodshed the world today: from protesters courageously demanding change in Iran, to the female faces of conflict and resistance in Ukraine and Russia. Other notable names include global music phenomenon Billie Eilish, actress and producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas, actress and disability activist Selma Blair and West Side Story Hollywood icon Rita Moreno.

• Sri Lanka
• Colombo
• women
• Tamils
• human rights
• Sandya Eknaligoda
• Mahinda Rajapaksa