Sri Lankan Rural Leader Manel Jayasinghe Named Among FAO’s 100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems

Sri Lankan Rural Leader Manel Jayasinghe Named Among FAO’s 100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems

AI-generated illustration. No authentic photograph of Manel Jayasinghe is embedded in this article.

Sri Lankan community leader Manel Jayasinghe has received international recognition for her contribution to agriculture and rural development, after being named among the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ (FAO) 100 Women Heroes in Agrifood Systems and Rural Development.

Her selection places a spotlight on the work of women whose leadership is rooted in local communities, where farming, household livelihoods and shared knowledge are closely connected. For Sri Lanka, the recognition also draws attention to the contribution rural women make not only to food production, but to the relationships and collective efforts that help communities sustain their livelihoods.

A global initiative recognising women’s work

The FAO introduced its 100 Women Heroes initiative to mark the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026. It recognises women working across agrifood systems and rural development, including those helping farmers access markets, supporting responsible management of natural resources, preserving indigenous agricultural knowledge, and creating opportunities for employment and skills development.

These contributions reach well beyond the field. Agriculture depends on a chain of activity that includes growing and distributing food, sharing practical knowledge and building economic opportunities in rural areas. Women’s work can be instrumental throughout that chain, although much of it takes place within families and local groups, where its wider value may not always be visible.

The FAO’s initiative celebrates a diverse group of women whose work reflects the many ways that leadership can strengthen agrifood systems. The organisation says that 609 nominations were submitted by 131 FAO Member States, giving the selection process an international scope and a wide range of candidates to consider.

A selection process with several stages

According to the FAO, nominations were first checked against eligibility requirements and country quotas. Eligible candidates were then assessed and ranked by senior FAO management. Shortlisted candidates went through further rounds of senior-leadership deliberations, with the quality, balance and representativeness of the overall group considered before the final list was approved by the FAO Senior Leadership Committee.

The breadth of this process matters: the honourees were selected from nominations submitted across many countries, with a range of professional and community backgrounds represented. The recognition is therefore not limited to a single model of achievement. It acknowledges contributions across the agrifood sector, including practical leadership in rural communities.

AI-generated illustration of women farmers working and sharing knowledge; it does not depict Manel Jayasinghe or specific members of the Arunodaya Women Farmers’ Society.

Community leadership through the Arunodaya Women Farmers’ Society

In Sri Lanka, Jayasinghe is recognised for community-based work supporting women engaged in farming and rural livelihoods. Through her leadership of the Arunodaya Women Farmers’ Society, she has helped women strengthen their agricultural activities, improve their economic prospects and become more actively involved in community affairs.

The society’s collective approach is a significant part of this work. When women farmers have opportunities to exchange experience and knowledge, they can draw on practical lessons as well as individual expertise. The source reports that Jayasinghe’s efforts have encouraged women to act together, share knowledge, adopt sustainable agricultural methods and participate more meaningfully in local decision-making.

Such work is grounded in the everyday realities of rural life. Farming households must make decisions about land, resources, production and income, while also responding to local conditions. Stronger connections among women farmers can help create space for discussion and mutual learning, and can support women in having a more visible role in community affairs.

The recognition does not suggest that one award alone resolves the challenges facing rural communities. Rather, it gives wider attention to the importance of local leadership and to the value of groups that help women develop their livelihoods and take part in decisions that affect their communities.

Why rural women’s contribution matters

Beyond producing food, women in rural communities frequently play important roles in preserving traditional farming practices, supporting household incomes and maintaining local food networks. These responsibilities are part of a broader agricultural system that connects farms with families, markets and community life.

The FAO initiative’s areas of recognition reflect that breadth. Better access to markets can help farmers connect their work to economic opportunities. Responsible natural-resource management supports the long-term conditions on which agriculture depends. Preserving indigenous knowledge carries forward practices and understanding developed over generations, while skills development and employment opportunities can help strengthen rural livelihoods.

Jayasinghe’s community work, as described by Lanka News Web, brings several of these themes into focus at a local level: women strengthening their farming activities, improving economic prospects and becoming more engaged in community decision-making. The significance lies not only in individual achievement, but also in the potential for knowledge-sharing and collective participation to benefit a wider group.

AI-generated illustration of a rural produce market; it is not a documentary photograph of Jayasinghe or her community.

Recognition that reaches beyond one community

International recognition can help make grassroots contributions more visible to audiences beyond the places where the work takes place. In this case, Jayasinghe’s inclusion among the FAO’s 100 Women Heroes connects a Sri Lankan community leader’s work with a global programme focused on agriculture and rural development.

For rural communities across Sri Lanka, the recognition offers an opportunity to consider how women’s participation can be supported and strengthened. Community-based societies can provide a setting for farmers to share knowledge, build collective action and take part in local discussions. The wider value of such work is not limited to agricultural production: it is also reflected in stronger economic participation and a greater role for women in community life.

For Sri Lankans living in Australia and elsewhere, the story is a reminder that important leadership often takes shape through steady, practical work within communities. Jayasinghe’s recognition offers readers at home and abroad a positive example of a Sri Lankan woman whose contribution to rural livelihoods has received international attention.

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Sources: Lanka News Web and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

This article was written based on the source https://lankanewsweb.net/archives/283548/sri-lankan-rural-leader-manel-jayasinghe-earns-place-among-faos-100-women-heroes/, kindly email us at info@eLanka.com.au if any information needs to be corrected.

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