Women Leaders

Is America close to electing a woman as President? I suspect it's too close to call at this point. However, I was thinking this morning, how many countries have already elected women as their leaders?

It turns out, forty-four countries have elected or appointed women to serve as prime minister, president, or chancellor. Here is the list, if you are interested. For more information, check out this site: Equal Representation in Government.

Argentina
President Maria Estella "Isabel" Martínez Cartas de Perón 1974-76
President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner 2007-present

Bangladesh
Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia 1991-1996, 2001-2006
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed 1996-2001

Bolivia
President Lidia Gueiler Tejada 1979-1980

Bulgaria
Prime Minister Reneta Indjova 1994 -1995

Burundi
Prime Minister Sylvie Kinigi 1993-1994

Canada
Prime Minister Kim Campbell 1993

Central African Republic
Prime Minister Elizabeth Domitien 1975-1976

Chile
President Michelle Bachelet Jeria 2006-present

Dominica
Prime Minister Mary Eugenia Charles 1980-1995

Finland
President Tarja Halonen 2000-present
Prime Minister Anneli Tuulikki Jäätteenmäki 2003

FrancePrime Minister Edith Cresson 1991-1992

Germany
Chancellor Angela Merkel 2005-present

Guyana
President Janet Jagan 1997-1999

Haiti
Prime Minister Claudette Werleigh 1995-1996
President Ertha Pascal-Trouillot 1990-1991

Iceland
President Vigdis Finnbogadóttir 1980-1996

India
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi 1966-1977, 1980-1984
President Pratibha Devisingh Patil 2007-present

Indonesia
President Megawati Sukarnoputri 2001-2004

Ireland
President Mary Robinson 1990-1997
President Mary McAleese 1997-present

Israel
Prime Minister Golda Meir 1969-1974

Jamaica
Prime Minister Portia Miller Simpson 2006-2007

Latvia
President Vaira Vike-Freiberga 1999-2007

Liberia
Interim President Ruth Sando Perry 1996-1997
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf 2006-present

Lithuania
Prime Minister Kazimicra Prunskiene 1990-1991

Malta
President Agatha Barbara 1982-1987

Mozambique
Prime Minister Luísa Dias Diogo 2004-present

New Zealand
Prime Minister Jenny Shipley 1997-1999
Prime Minister Helen Elizabeth Clark 1999-present

Nicaragua
President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro 1990-1997

Norway
Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland 1981, 1986-89, 1990-96

Pakistan
Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto 1988-1990, 1993-1996

Panama
President Mireya Elisa Moscoso Rodríguez 1999-2004

Peru
Prime Minister Beatriz Merino Lucero 2003

Philippines
President Maria Corazon Aquino 1986-1992
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo 2001-present

Poland
Prime Minister Hanna Suchocka 1992-1993

Portugal
Prime Minister Maria de Lurdes Pintasilgo 1979-1980

Rwanda
Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana 1993-1994

Sao Tome & Principe
Prime Minister Maria das Neves Ceita Baptista de Sousa 2002-04
Prime Minister Maria do Carmo Silveira 2005-2006

Senegal
Prime Minister Mame Madior Boye 2001-2002

South Korea
Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook 2006-2007

Sri Lanka
Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike 1960-65, 1970-77, 1994-00
President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga 1994-2005

Switzerland
President Ruth Dreifuss 1999
President Micheline Calmy-Rey 2007

Turkey
Prime Minister Tansu Çiller 1993-1996

Ukraine
Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko 2005, 2007-present

United Kingdom
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher 1979-1990

Yugoslavia
Prime Minister Milka Planinc 1982-1986