ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Female World Leaders

Updated on July 28, 2015

Is USA ready for a Female President?

See results

The 21st Century will see a rapid expansion of female leadership in countries around the world. As global educational standards allow more opportunities for education and knowledge, women are taking their rightful place as competent political world leaders. Below is a list of 19 Female World Leaders that will set a new standard for future generations of women to admire and follow after in a new global arena:

List of Current Female Heads of Government and State

Source
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, President of Argentina
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, President of Argentina | Source

President de Kircher is the Second First Lady who became President. Eva Peron, second wife of President Juan Peron served as President of Argentina in 1974 to 1976 following her husband's death.

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, Argentina

Title: President

Country's Official Name: Argentine Republic

Form of Government: Federal System

  • Elected on 10 December 2007
  • Her late husband was the former President of Argentina and died of heart attack on October 28, 2010.
  • Holds a Degree in Law from the National University of La Plata
  • de Kirchner has worked tirelessly in Argentina to reform economic and social policies to help the poorest members of society achieve economic prosperity, often dealing with internal political squabbling.
  • Argentina is one of the growing economies in Latin America and has proven resilient in dealing with the current global economic crisis.
  • de Kirchner was reelected last month to another term as Argentina's President, achieving a historical winning margin over her election rival.

Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia
Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia | Source

Julia Gillard, Australia

Title: Prime Minister

Country's Official Name: Commonwealth of Australia

Type of Government: Constitutional Monarchy

  • Elected on June 24, 2010
  • Holding a bachelor's degree in Arts and Law.
  • Leading the Labor Party, Gillard has had a long career in public service. Active in foreign affairs, Gillard has worked closely with the United States in Afghanistan and enjoys popular support in domestic affairs with the Australian public.


Sheik Hasina Wajed, Prime Minister of Bangladesh
Sheik Hasina Wajed, Prime Minister of Bangladesh | Source

Sheik Hasina Wajed, Bangladesh

Title: Prime Minister

Country's Official Name: People's Republic of Bangladesh

Form of Government: Parliamentary Democracy

  • Elected on 06 January 2009
  • One of only a few survivors after an assassination attempt killed seventeen members of her family, Wajed went on to have a successful, yet tumultuous political career. A second assassination attempt failed to take her life. Wajed faces the challenge of operating in a very corrupt political environment. Her constant efforts at reforming Bangladesh are slowly improving government practices.

Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil
Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil | Source

Dilma Rousseff, Brazil

Title: President

Country's Official Name: Federative Republic of Brazil

Form of Government: Federal Republic

  • Elected on 01 January 2011
  • With a degree in Economics from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul.
  • As Leader of the Workers' Party in the world's fourth largest democracy, Rousseff is a tireless advocate of women's rights. A self-described social capitalist, she works to provide more freedom in the marketplace while also ensuring protection for workers and impoverished citizens across Brazil.
  • Brazil is currently the 7th largest economy in the world. Its innovations in agriculture and renewable energy has enabled Brazil to achieve food security and produce 45% of its energy needs via renewable energy sources such as hydro-power, bio-mass and biofuels. It's economic growth and resiliency has been remarkable and it is now acknowledged as a growing major player in global affairs.

Laura Chinchilla Miranda, President of Costa Rica
Laura Chinchilla Miranda, President of Costa Rica | Source

Laura Chinchilla, Costa Rica

Title: President

Country's Official Name: Republic of Costa Rica

Form of Government: Constitutional Democracy

  • Elected on May 8, 2010
  • Awarded master's degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University
  • As leader of the National Liberation Party in Costa Rica, Chinchilla is working to reduce crime and promote an economic environment favorable to business expansion that will improve standards of living for all people in Costa Rica.

Jadranka Kosor, Prime Minister of Croatia
Jadranka Kosor, Prime Minister of Croatia | Source

Jadranka Kosor, Croatia

Title: Prime Minister

Country's Official Name: Republic of Croatia

Form of Government: Parliamentary Democracy

  • Kosor is the First Woman Prime Minister of Croatia
  • Assumed office on 06 July 2009
  • She started out as a Journalist and Lawyer.
  • She wrote two books about the Croatian War of Independence, and two books of poetry. She won awards from the Croatian Journalist Association and from the European Community for Humanitarian work.

Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Prime Minister of Denmark
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Prime Minister of Denmark | Source

Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Denmark

Title: Prime Minister

Country's Official Name: Kingdom of Denmark

Form of Government: Constitutional Monarchy

  • Elected on 03 October 2011
  • Leader of Social Democrat Party
  • Earned a Master's Degree in European Studies
  • As a mother and full-time leader of Denmark, Helle Thorning-Schmidt has helped her country deal with the persistent issue of economic instability that is affecting Europe in general and Denmark in particular. She led her party by taking radical steps to increase taxes on the wealthy and increase social spending programs.

Female World Leaders Who've Been in Power for Less than a Year

List of female world leaders who've been in power for less than a year.
List of female world leaders who've been in power for less than a year. | Source
Tarja Halonen, President of Finland.
Tarja Halonen, President of Finland. | Source

Tarja Halonen, Finland

Title: President

Country's Official Name: Republic of Finland

Form of Government: Parliamentary Republic

  • Elected on March 1, 2000
  • Awarded master's degree in Law from the University of Helsinki
  • Leader of the Social Democratic Party, Halonen has worked in politics for many years and is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders. This organization works to encourage women leaders around the world to support collective actions promoting equality and economic development in developing countries.

Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany
Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany | Source

Angela Merkel, Germany

Title: Chancellor

Country's Official Name: Federal Republic of Germany

Form of Government: Federal Republic

  • Elected on 22 November 2005
  • Leader of Christian Democratic Union Party
  • Earned a Doctorate in Quantum Chemistry from the University of Leipzig in 1990.
  • Merkel became involved in politics in the early 1990s and quickly gained distinction for being able to work with many different political groups across the German political spectrum. She is currently working within Germany and across Europe to address the growing fiscal crisis that threatens the European Union.

Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, Iceland
Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, Iceland | Source

Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, Iceland

Title: Prime Minister

Country's Official Name: Republic of Iceland

Form of Government: Parliamentary Republic

  • Elected on February 1, 2009
  • Leader of Social Democratic Alliance Party
  • Capitalizing on the failures of the previous administration, Siguroardottir has won eight elections to office in a row. At age sixty eight, she is the only openly gay political leader in the world.

Pratibha Patil, President of India
Pratibha Patil, President of India | Source

Pratibha Devisingh Patil, India

Title: President

Country's Official Name: Republic of India

Form of Government: Parliamentary System

· Elected on 19 July 2007 and took office as India's First Woman President on 25 July 2007.

· She holds a Masters degree on Political Science and a Practicing lawyer.

· Patil started her political career at age 27 in 1967. She actively worked to help women, children, the poor and underprivileged in her society, but especially for uplifting poor women. After becoming President she said "I am deeply committed to the cause of education and would like to see every person, man, woman, boy and girl, be touched by the light of modern education. Empowerment of women is particularly important to me as I believe this leads to the empowerment of the Nation."

Source

Atifete Jahjaga, Kosovo

Title: President

Country's Official Name: Republic of Kosovo

Form of Government: Parliamentary Republic

  • First Woman President of Kosovo and elected into office on 04 July 2011
  • The youngest Female World Leader to be elected, born on 20 April 1975
  • In her speech to Parliament she said "The ideal of all Kosovo is membership in the European Union and a permanent friendship with the United States. I believe and I am convinced our dreams will come true."

Roza Otunbayeva, President of Kyrgyzstan
Roza Otunbayeva, President of Kyrgyzstan | Source

Roza Otunbayeva, Kyrgyzstan

Title: President

Country's Official Name: Republic of Kyrgyzstan

Form of Government: Parliamentary Republic

  • Otunbayeva is the First woman President in Kyrgyzstan
  • Sworn into office on 03 July 2010
  • She started her career as a Second Secretary for the Communist Party in 1981.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf | Source

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberia

Title: President

Country's Official Name: Republic of Liberia

Form of Government: Unitary Presidential Constitutional Republic

  • Elected on January 16, 2006
  • Awarded Master's Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University
  • Leader of the Unity Party, Sirleaf continues her efforts to unite the people of Liberia under the common cause of prosperity and equal rights for all. She has greatly expanded economic opportunities and educational options for young people in the country.

President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė
President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė | Source

Dalia Grybauskaite, Lithuania

Title: President

Country's Official Name: Republic of Lithuania

Form of Government: Parliamentary Democracy

  • Elected July 12, 2009
  • Awarded PhD in Political Science from the Academy of Social Sciences of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
  • As Lithuania's First Female President and political leader, Grybauskaite is often referred to as the “Iron Lady” for her toughness under pressure and unceasing energy. She is working to modernize the economy of Lithuania and create an educational system that will prepare citizens for work in the global marketplace.

Iveta Radicova, Prime Minister of Slovakia
Iveta Radicova, Prime Minister of Slovakia | Source

Iveta Radicova, Slovakia

Title: Prime Minister

Country's Official Name: Slovak Republic

Form of Government: Parliamentary Republic

  • The first woman Prime Minister of Slovakia
  • Sworn into office on 08 July 2010
  • Radicova was the first woman named as a Professor of Sociology at Comenius University in 2005.
  • She started her political career in 1990 as Spokesperson for The Public against Violence movement.

Micheline Anne-Marie Calmy-Rey, President of Switzerland
Micheline Anne-Marie Calmy-Rey, President of Switzerland | Source

Micheline Anne-Marie Calmy-Rey, Switzerland

Title: President

Country's Official Name: Swiss Confederation

Form of Government: Federal State

  • She is the second woman to hold this office and assumed office on 01 January 2011
  • Calmy-Rey is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.

28th and First Female Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand
28th and First Female Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand | Source

Yingluck Shinawatra, Thailand

Title: Prime Minister

Country's Official Name: Kingdom of Thailand

Form of Government: Constitutional Monarchy

  • Elected on August 5, 2011
  • Leader of Pheu Thai Party
  • Holding a Master's degree in Public Administration from Kentucky State University in 1991;
  • Left her successful career in business to head up the Pheu Thai Party in 2011. Shinawatra is working to increase living standards among the poor in Thailand raising the minimum wage, providing government funded wireless service throughout the country and providing school aged youngsters with tablet PCs; and
  • Younger sister of Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted from Office in a military coup d'état in 2006.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago | Source

Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Trinidad and Tobago

Title: Prime Minister

Country's Official Name: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

Form of Government: Parliamentary Democracy

  • Elected on May 26, 2010
  • Awarded master's degree in Business Administration from the Arthur Lock Jack Graduate School of Business
  • Leading the United National Congress Party Persad-Bisessar works in a trying and difficult political environment and must struggle with divergent coalitions to enact political and social reforms.

Demographics of Female World Leaders

Continent
Country
Female Leader
Africa
Liberia
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
Asia
Bangladesh
Sheikh Hasina Wajed
 
India
Pratibha Patil
 
Thailand
Yingluck Shinawatra
Europe
Croatia
Jadranka Kosor
 
Denmark
Helle Thorning-Schmidt
 
Finland
Tarja Halonen
 
Germany
Angela Merkel
 
Iceland
Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
 
Switzerland
Micheline Calmy-Rey
 
Kosovo
Atifete Jahjaga
 
Kyrgyzstan
Roza Otunbayeva
 
Lithuania
Dalia Grybauskaitė
 
Slovakia
Iveta Radicova
North America
Costa Rica
Laura Chinchilla Miranda
 
Trinidad and Tobago
Kamla Persad-Bissessar
Oceania
Australia
Julia Gillard
South America
Argentina
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
 
Brazil
Dilma Rousseff
working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)