By Srinivas Iyer
In a significant step towards strengthening parliamentary cooperation and women-led development initiatives between India and Sri Lanka, a 19-member delegation of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus of Sri Lanka visited India from May 10 to 16, 2026. The delegation was led by Saroja Savithri Paulraj and included 15 Members of Parliament along with four senior officials of the Sri Lankan Parliament, including the Secretary General.
The visit marked the first-ever official tour of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus of Sri Lanka to India and was organised by the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs. The initiative was undertaken in line with the shared vision of Narendra Modi and Anura Kumara Disanayaka to deepen parliamentary engagement and enhance cooperation among women leaders of both nations.
During the visit, the delegation met Om Birla, Annapurna Devi and Rekha Gupta. Discussions focused on women empowerment, gender equality, maternal and child welfare, care economy initiatives, and increasing women’s participation in governance and politics.
The delegation also interacted with Delhi Police personnel, Anganwadi workers, and Women Self-Help Groups to understand India’s governance and welfare models. They visited the Unique Identification Authority of India to learn about digital identity-based service delivery and attended a roundtable hosted by the FICCI Ladies Organisation on women’s role in economic growth and innovation.
The visit concluded with cultural tours to the Taj Mahal and key landmarks in New Delhi.
