The First Mrs. World is from Sri Lanka

Rosy Senanayake is crowned to much applause

They say that ‘failures are the pillars of success’… but in the case of Rosy Senanayake and her journey as a beauty queen, it’s been a series of small triumphs that led to a major victory – one that embodied a significant achievement for the island nation she represented to the world at large.

Bernardine Rose Senanayake was educated at Embilipitiya Maha Vidyalaya and Ferguson High School Ratnapura. A recognised beauty from her early days, ‘Rosy’ – as she is widely and popularly known today – entered the world of pageants shortly after her schooling ended.

In 1980, she competed as ‘Miss Sri Lanka for Miss World’; and the next year, she won the Miss Asia-Pacific International title. But it was at the Mrs. World competition in 1985 that Rosy proved her mettle, settling for many the axiom that beauty grows among the thorns – it was, in fact, a trying time for a nation at war, and her win was an achievement for her as much as an accomplishment for the country she represented with such charm and grace.

Indeed, her professional and working life since then has been in the arena of promoting Sri Lanka – and in particular, the island nation’s then burgeoning but neglected trade potential, especially in the export arena to our stakeholders across the globe.

She has worked for the rights of women and adolescents in her homeland, as well as showcasing pertinent issues in her role as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF).

Using her popularity as a platform to launch a political career, Senanayake is the current Mayor of Colombo – she was the first woman to occupy that municipal office in Sri Lanka – in addition to being an activist on many fronts.

Her roles in both government and opposition have gained a great degree of recognisability and fame – and also some notoriety as a result of certain scandalous allegations – and Rosy has served as Spokesperson and Deputy Head of the Prime Minister’s office.

It was, in fact, a trying time for our nation at war, and her win was an achievement for her as much as an accomplishment for the country she represented with such charm and grace