Who runs the world? American singer Beyoncé once asked this question, and in over 70 nations around the globe, women answered by holding the highest seat of power.
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While some women have been elected, others have been appointed for brief terms, and still others have left a lasting legacy. Here is our list of five formidable women leaders who impacted their nations and the world during their time in office:
1. Margaret Thatcher, UK
The British leader was raised in an apartment above her family’s supermarket. She attended Oxford University and worked as an industrial chemist before entering politics. Rising through the ranks of the Conservative Party, she became its head in 1975. In 1979, she became the country’s first female prime minister and the first woman to lead a major Western country. Thatcher earned the title ‘Iron Lady’ for her hard line against communism (the Soviet press gave her that nickname), and set the UK on a path towards economic growth by promoting free-market policies and weakening labour unions. She was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century, serving for 11 years in office.
2. Indira Gandhi, India
The daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, Gandhi was active in the country’s independence movement from an early age, and assumed a key role in the Congress Party. In 1966, she was appointed party leader, elected to the position of prime minister the year after, and then twice re-elected. She was defeated in 1977 amid popular opposition, and assassinated by her own bodyguards in 1984 in retaliation for ordering the army to attack Sikh separatists at their holy temple.
3. Angela Merkel, Germany
Merkel earned a doctorate in chemistry and worked as a research scientist before entering politics after the fall of the Berlin Wall. When she served in Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s cabinet, he would often patronisingly call her “mein Madchen” (my girl). Merkel shattered the glass ceiling in 2000 when she became the leader of the Christian Democratic Union party – five years later, she became Germany’s first woman chancellor, and at 51 years, its youngest. During her long tenure, she faced the Eurozone debt crisis, the refugee crisis, and Brexit among other events. Merkel stepped down this year after leading Europe’s most populous and powerful country, and the fourth largest economy in the world.
4. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberia
After earning degrees in the US, including a master’s in public administration from US-based Harvard University, Sirleaf launched her career in public service in Liberia, an African country founded by freed US slaves in the 19th century. In 2005, Sirleaf won support from nearly 80 per cent of women voters and became Africa’s first democratically elected head of state. Over 12 years, Sirleaf helped preserve peace, erase national debt and build up Liberia’s economy. Her work for women’s rights earned her the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, although she also drew criticism for nepotism when she appointed three of her sons in government positions.
5. Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, Iceland
In 1980, she was a divorced, single mother, but Finnbogadóttir beat out opponents to become Iceland’s first female leader. Known for promoting Iceland’s culture at home and abroad, she was incredibly popular. Reelected three times, she ran unopposed in two elections and won more than 96 per cent of votes in the third. With 16 years in office, Finnbogadóttir’s tenure is the longest of any woman head of state in history, and she is best known for establishing her nation’s impressive record of gender equality.
Who is your favourite woman head of state? Play today’s Word Search and tell us at games@gulfnews.com.