BY Methmalie Dissanayake

Despite women making up 52% of Sri Lanka’s population, their presence in the country’s political sphere remains shockingly low. The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2024 ranks Sri Lanka at 115th out of 146 countries—an uncomfortable reminder of the gender imbalance we’ve normalised in both representation and discourse.

This inequality is not confined to statistics. It plays out daily in our media, where the questions posed to male and female politicians are starkly different, shaped by deep-rooted patriarchal norms. Often, even journalists and editors fail to recognise how skewed and gendered their questioning is.

This article aims to flip the script. We asked male local government councillors the same types of questions female politicians are routinely asked in interviews—questions about family, emotion, and domestic responsibilities. Their reactions were revealing.

We interviewed six recently elected male councillors from Colombo, Gampaha, and Kalutara, representing the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), and National People’s Power (NPP).

The Familiar Scene: Gendered Questions in Political Interviews

It’s a scene that plays out all too often: a female minister or MP sits down for an interview, and the conversation quickly shifts from governance to domestic life.

She’s asked:

• “As a mother of young children, how do you manage the pressure of your job?”
• “Who’s taking care of your family while you’re handling this important portfolio?”
• “Does your husband approve of your political career?”
• “Do you think women are too emotional to survive in politics?”
• “Are you planning to have children soon?”
• “How did your family react when you said you wanted to enter politics?”

These questions come with loaded subtext: that her family is her primary responsibility, that emotions are liabilities, and that her place in politics is conditional—not presumed.

So, we turned the tables.

Flipping the Script: How Men Reacted to “Female” Questions

We posed these exact questions to male councillors. Their reactions were telling—ranging from confusion to discomfort to outright dismissal.

Example 1:
Question: “Does your wife approve of your decision to enter politics?”
Response: [Silence] The councillor paused, then asked which media outlet we represented. He promptly hung up and did not answer follow-up calls.

Example 2:
Question: “As a father, how do you balance the monumental task of running this city with your duties at home? Who makes sure the homework gets done while you’re in meetings?”
Response: (Chuckles) “Well, my wife is an excellent mother. She handles everything at home. I support when I can. She’s a great mother and wife. Wait—this is a real interview, right? Not a prank?”

Example 3:
Question: “You’ve been described as passionate and ambitious. Are you ever concerned that people might see you as too emotional or aggressive?”
Response: “That’s just who I am. This is politics—we fight for the people. Passion is a strength, not a weakness.”

Note the contrast. Where women’s passion is questioned as “emotional,” a man’s passion is reframed as leadership.

Example 4:
Question: “How do you handle the pressure of politics as a man?”
Response: [Pause] “As a man, you just bear the pressure. If you can’t do that, you shouldn’t be in politics. Next question?”

Here, enduring pressure is framed as a masculine trait, as if resilience is gender-specific.

Confusion, Dismissal—and a Bit of Outrage

Most male politicians we spoke to didn’t just find the questions unusual—they were confused, even offended. Some wondered if it was a prank. Others challenged the relevance outright, saying these weren’t “real political questions.”

And that, of course, is the point. The questions aren’t just irrelevant—they’re insulting. But that insult only seems visible when the target is male. When directed at women, the same questions are often treated as fair and appropriate.

What This Reveals: Deep-Seated Gender Bias in Sri Lanka

The reactions to this role reversal reveal entrenched double standards in how political figures are treated based on gender. When a man is described as a devoted father, it adds to his image of reliability.

When a woman is a mother, that same description is often used to suggest distraction or divided attention. A passionate speech by a male MP is applauded as strength or conviction, while a woman raising her voice in Parliament is more likely to be dismissed as overly emotional or even unstable.

Men are assumed to fit naturally into politics. Women, in contrast, must prove they deserve to be there, constantly battling the assumption that they are mere placeholders or token representatives.

The Impact: More Than Just Irritating Questions

These biases aren’t simply annoying—they have real consequences. Capable and intelligent women may look at how others like them are treated and decide that entering politics isn’t worth the personal toll.

The focus on family life and appearance undermines their credibility and shifts attention away from their professional insight or policy expertise.

Over time, this reinforces harmful stereotypes that measure a woman’s worth in her roles at home while allowing men to be evaluated solely on their public achievements.

Time for a Reset

The questions we pose to leaders reveal the standards we apply to them. If women are interrogated about their domestic responsibilities while men are asked about the economy, national security, or governance, we are upholding a deeply unfair system.

The answer isn’t to start questioning men about their outfit choices or who’s watching their kids. The answer is to stop asking women those questions in the first place.

This moment calls for a shift—from the media, the public, and politicians themselves. Journalists must move beyond the tired, gendered narratives and focus on substance.

The public must expect better from political reporting and question the lens through which women are covered. And political leaders—regardless of gender—must challenge discriminatory questioning in real time, helping to set a new standard.

The true test of leadership is not based on gender but on vision, ethics, and commitment to public service.

When we all start asking the same fair, relevant questions of every candidate, we will begin to shape a political culture where the only question that really matters is: Are you the best person for the job?