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The world's first woman premier

Sirimavo Bandaranaike became Sri Lankan prime minister in 1960, plus the first Arab leader to visit Israel, the only WW2 refugees taken in by the US and the sex book for women.

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

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53 minutes

Last on

Tue 24 Nov 2020 00:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sat 21 Nov 2020 14:06GMT
  • Sat 21 Nov 2020 19:06GMT
  • Tue 24 Nov 2020 00:06GMT

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