The History Hour

The world's first woman premier


Listen Later

Sirimavo Bandaranaike was elected prime minster of Sri Lanka, or Ceylon as it was known then, in 1960 following the assassination of her husband, Solomon Bandaranaike and became the first female prime minister in the world. We hear from Dr Asanga Welikala about her legacy. Plus the first Arab leader to visit Israel, the former hostage taken captive by Somali pirates in 2008 who came to sympathise with their plight and the Jewish refugees given sanctuary by America during WW2. Also the revolutionary and graphic book for women published in 1973 which helped us understand women's bodies and is now published in 33 different languages.

Photo: Sirimavo Bandaranaike the Prime Minister of Ceylon (later Sri Lanka), 1960. Credit Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The History HourBy BBC World Service

  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3

4.3

558 ratings


More shows like The History Hour

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,878 Listeners

From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4

From Our Own Correspondent

375 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,075 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,580 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,800 Listeners

HistoryExtra podcast by Immediate

HistoryExtra podcast

3,201 Listeners

Witness History by BBC World Service

Witness History

980 Listeners

In Our Time: History by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: History

1,904 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,752 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,037 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,958 Listeners

Lives Less Ordinary by BBC World Service

Lives Less Ordinary

584 Listeners

Dan Snow's History Hit by History Hit

Dan Snow's History Hit

4,811 Listeners

Discovery by BBC World Service

Discovery

961 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

411 Listeners

The Inquiry by BBC World Service

The Inquiry

745 Listeners

The Audio Long Read by The Guardian

The Audio Long Read

840 Listeners

Unexpected Elements by BBC World Service

Unexpected Elements

364 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

474 Listeners

Death in Ice Valley by BBC World Service

Death in Ice Valley

2,737 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,218 Listeners

The Ancients by History Hit

The Ancients

3,356 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,011 Listeners