Ajantha Perera
Ajantha Wijesinghe Perera is a Sri Lankan academic, scientist, university lecturer and environmental activist. She is often known for her efforts to end the garbage crisis in Sri Lanka and is nicknamed as Garbage Queen. She founded the National Programme on Recycling of Solid Waste to solve the garbage crisis. She contested as a Presidential candidate at the 2019 Sri Lankan presidential election representing the left wring party Socialist Party of Sri Lanka. She was the only female Presidential candidate to have contested at the 2019 elections.Career
Ajantha Perera completed her higher studies in England and returned to Sri Lanka at the age of 23. She joined the University of Kelaniya as an assistant lecturer in Biochemistry, Physiology and Zoology. She joined the University of Colombo as a senior lecturer in Environmental Studies where she also completed her graduation. She has also worked as an expert with several ministries in Sri Lanka and in Fiji. She is currently working to make recycling management strategy for solid waste in the country.
She took interest in politics in 2019 and contested for the Socialist Party of Sri Lanka at the 2019 Presidential Elections and received 27,572 votes claiming seventh spot among the candidates. She also became the first female Presidential candidate to contest at the elections after 20 years.
