Shiranthi Rajapaksa
| Shiranthi Rajapaksa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First Lady of Sri Lanka | |
|
In role 19 November 2005 – 9 January 2015 | |
| Succeeded by | Jayanthi Pushpa Kumari |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Shiranthi Wickremesinghe Badulla, Sri Lanka |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Spouse(s) | Mahinda Rajapaksa (m. 1983) |
| Children | Namal, Yoshitha, Rohitha |
| Alma mater | Holy Family Convent, Colombo |
| Religion | Catholic |
Shiranthi Rajapaksa (born Wickramasinghe) is the wife of the sixth President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa and was the First Lady of Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2015. She is a professional in child psychology and pre-school education.
Early life
Born to Commodore E. P. Wickramasinghe of Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and his wife, she is the couple's only daughter. Rajapaksa has two brothers.
Education
Shiranthi Rajapaksa completed her primary and secondary education at Holy Family Convent, Colombo. She excelled at school both in the fields of education and sports and was considered a brilliant all-rounder. She finished secondary school with a Diploma in Child Psychology and Pre-school Education.
Miss Universe and Miss World
Rajapakse first entered the limelight prior to her marriage after being crowned Miss Sri Lanka in 1973. Thereafter she had the distinction of being one of the contestants at the Miss Universe 1973 pageant held in Athens. She also participated in Miss World 1973, held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 23 November 1973.
Child educationist career
Shiranthi Rajapaksa, being a professional in the field of child psychology and pre-school education, established six pre-schools in Colombo and in the southern regions of Sri Lanka - Tangalle, Beliatta, Ranna, Walasmulla and Weeraketiya. Each year, over 600 young children are enrolled and 25 teachers are currently employed in these pre-schools.
Family
In 1983, she married Mahinda Rajapaksa. The couple has three sons. Namal is a current Member of Parliament for Hambantota District while his brother Yoshitha was commissioned as an Acting Sub Lieutenant in the Sri Lanka Navy in March 2009 [1] appointed an Aide-de-camp to the President in 2006 and youngest son is Rohitha Rajapaksa.
Corruption
Shyamali Gunawardena, the wife of former DIG Vass Gunawardena, filed a complaint with the Bribery Commission (CIABOC) against the former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa over a gold deal which was revealed by the former DIG. T[2]
See also
References
External links
| Honorary titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Wimalawathi Kumarihami |
First Lady of Sri Lanka 19 November 2005 – 9 January 2015 |
Succeeded by Jayanthi Pushpa Kumari |