Sri Lanka’s human rights activist Sandya Eknaligoda has been named one of the world’s most influential women of 2022 by the BBC.
The BBC has published the list of 100 most influential women in the world and has included women from several areas such as politics, science, sports, entertainment, and literature.
Sandya Eknaligoda is the wife of investigative journalist and cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda who is reported missing since 2010.
She was a strong critic of the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa-led administration.
She received several accolades for her work carried out to support mothers and wives of missing persons in Sri Lanka.
Sandya Eknaligoda is also a strong advocate of human rights and has made several statements at UN Human Rights Council sessions.
The list also includes global music phenomenon Billie Eilish, Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, actress Selma Blair, the ‘tsarina of Russian pop’ Alla Pugacheva, Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi, record-breaking triple jump athlete Yulimar Rojas, and Ghanaian author Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah.
The list also reflects the role of women at the heart of conflict around the world in 2022 – from the protesters bravely demanding change in Iran, to the female faces of conflict and resistance in Ukraine and Russia.