Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya delivered the 2026 Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA) Annual Lecture at St Antony’s College, University of Oxford, titled “The Politics of Development: Sri Lanka and Beyond.”
Addressing an audience of students, academics, and researchers, she reflected on the complex relationship between development, governance, and politics in Sri Lanka, placing it within wider global contexts.
She stressed that development should not be viewed only through economic policies and statistics, but also through the lived experiences of people, especially in countries recovering from economic crises and institutional weaknesses.
The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of women’s participation in politics, noting increased engagement at grassroots levels while acknowledging persistent structural barriers that limit equal representation.
She also emphasized the often-overlooked value of unpaid care work, pointing out that women’s contributions to families, communities, and national economies are frequently excluded from conventional development frameworks.
On economic recovery, she stated that sustainable progress must balance growth with dignity, equity, and social well-being, rather than focusing solely on financial indicators.
She further discussed the role of governments, international agencies, and local institutions, urging that development priorities must remain grounded in local realities and accountable to citizens.
Drawing on her background as an academic, activist, and political leader, she noted that turning social movements into lasting policy change requires patience, dialogue, and long-term commitment.
The lecture concluded with an interactive Q&A session covering governance, institutional reform, political accountability, and economic recovery.
Professor Diego Sanchez-Ancochea, Head of OSGA, praised the address as a timely and insightful contribution linking political experience with academic understanding of development.
