Sandya Ekneligoda is among BBC’s list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2022. Global music phenomenon Billie Eilish, Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, actresses Priyanka Chopra Jonas and 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 are among others, according to the BBC list.

The BBC described the Sri Lankan as a human rights activist and campaigner who helped thousands of mothers and wives who lost their loved ones during Sri Lanka’s civil war. BBC claimed her husband, Prageeth Ekneligoda, a prominent investigative journalist and cartoonist, went missing in January 2010. The new agency added that Prageeth was a strong critic of the government and investigated alleged abuses against Tamil Tiger separatists.

Since his disappearance, the mother of two has been seeking justice. She accuses the supporters of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the former President of Sri Lanka, of being responsible for her husband’s abduction. While suspects have been identified, they have all been acquitted. The BBC quoted Ekneligoda as having said: “I am a woman who fights on behalf of others at every opportunity, engages in creative struggle, and overcomes challenges amidst insults and slander, through dedication and sacrifice.”

This is the 10th season of 100 Women, so we are taking the opportunity to explore what progress has been made over the last decade. While there have been huge steps forward for women’s rights – from the number of female leaders to the MeToo movement – for women in many corners of the world it still feels like there is a long way to go.

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. For the first time this year, we have also asked previous 100 Women to nominate others who they felt deserved a place on the 2022 list.