Srilanka, Nov. 23 -- Comrade Samanmali Hettiarachchi, who championed the rights of the working women for more than four decades, passed away on November 12. Born just twelve days after British imperial rule formally ended in Sri Lanka, she later became a founding force and the lifeblood of the Dabindu Collective, an organisation working to protect and promote women worker rights in the Free Trade Zones in the country.

Despite being the devoted wife of trade unionist and political activist P.K. Somapala, and the mother of four children, she never allowed her family responsibilities to limit her political or social commitments. Balancing all of this with remarkable strength, she stood at the forefront of workers' struggles, especially thos...