Mayor Vraie Cally Balthazaar of Colombo has become a symbol of hope—not only because she emphasised clean governance, anti-corruption measures, urban reform, waste management, and affordable housing (lankasara.com) during her mayoral campaign, but also because she had already established herself as a strong advocate for women’s and gender issues before becoming the city’s chief executive.
Her victory, which ended the centre-right’s dominance for the first time since 1944, has further strengthened the belief that her leadership will usher in a new and better era for Colombo. This optimism is reinforced by the fact that her contributions began long before she took office in June 2025.
Balthazaar started to gain public recognition as a media personality. Beyond that, she was also active in civil society and research, particularly after 2018. She studied how city planning impacted low-impact communities in Colombo as well as gender equality and labour rights.
As part of her commitment to gender equality and sustainable living, she founded Cally Products, a business focused on biodegradable and reusable solutions and has been a vocal advocate for eco-friendly practices and sustainable livelihoods. Through Cally Products, she introduced Cally Reusable Bags, a 10-piece bag set that includes seven drawstring produce bags in two sizes, one printed storage bag, and two large tote bags. The produce bags are ideal for carrying vegetables and fruit, as well as storing grain (rice, dhal, mung beans, and kadala), and you can even carry sugar in the bags.
When asked what inspired her to start the business of this sort, she said, “Ever since the Meethotamulla incident [a garbage landslide at Meethotamulla in the Colombo district], I’ve really had to re-think how we managed our own waste at home. I worked on a small, easy-to-carry bag for use at home at first, but did the prototype in a synthetic fabric – and then realised that it would eventually have a negative impact on the environment as well in the long run, despite it being an alternative to polythene and being reusable. … So I took some time to really think about what would work. It’s evident that Sri Lanka needs alternatives to polythene. And I wanted to make something that I felt would make a big impact, even though the product itself is a fairly simple one. I had to wait it out a bit till I could find the time and money to start up, and am happy I did.” Mayor Balthazaar responded to the challenges facing the city even before taking on the role of city leader. Such commitment will undoubtedly shape the city’s progress in the years to come.
Sources:
https://lankasara.com/news/vrai-cally-balthazar-makes-history-as-colombos-second-female-mayor/
https://www.newswire.lk/2025/06/16/who-is-vraie-cally-balthazaar-colombos-new-mayor/
https://www.dailymirror.lk/life/Vraie-Cally-Balthazaar/243-307758
https://www.newsonair.gov.in/sri-lanka-vraie-cally-balthazar-of-national-peoples-power-elected-mayor-of-colombo-municipal-council/
https://sundaytimes.lk/online/news-online/Researcher-Entrepreneur-and-media-professional-elected-as-Mayor/2-1149510
https://www.ft.lk/FT-Lite/Polythene-free-grocery-shopping-with-Cally-Reusable-Bags/6-663714
Photos:
https://lankasara.com/news/vrai-cally-balthazar-makes-history-as-colombos-second-female-mayor/
https://www.ft.lk/FT-Lite/Polythene-free-grocery-shopping-with-Cally-Reusable-Bags/6-663714
https://www.pexels.com/photo/aerial-view-of-colombo-skyline-and-coastline-33511788/
