Here Are All The Countries That Have Had Female Leaders Before The US
America could have elected its first female president on November 8 with Hillary Clinton.
Instead, it chose a racist, misogynistic demagogue who has been publicly accused of assault by a dozen women.
In the 230 years of American history, our leaders have been exclusively male. We reinforced this on Election Day.
These 59 countries around the world have been more progressive than America. They have all had a female leader while the United States still has yet to.
These countries include places where women's rights are not as well protected as they are in America. The list includes countries Republicans refer to when they decide to discuss women not being respected.
Not all of the women were elected. Some assumed office and were appointed. Not all were inspiring or generally good leaders, and not all had successful terms.
Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan was assassinated after holding the office. Former Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana of Rwanda was assassinated in office.
But they were women, and they served.
1. Sri Lanka
Former Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike, 1960
2. India
Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, 1966
3. Israel
Former Prime Minister Golda Meir, 1969
4. Argentina
Former President Isabel Perón, 1974
5. Central African Republic
Former Prime Minister Elisabeth Domitien, 1975
6. United Kingdom
Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, 1979
7. Portugal
Former Prime Minister Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, 1979
8. Dominica
Former Prime Minister Eugenia Charles, 1980
9. Iceland
Former President Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, 1980
10. Norway
Former Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, 1981
11. Malta
Former President Agatha Barbara, 1982
12. Philippines
Former President Corazon Aquino, 1986
13. Pakistan
Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, 1988
14. Nicaragua
Former President Violeta Barrios Torres de Chamorro, 1990
15. Ireland
Former President Mary Robinson, 1990
16. Lithuania
Former Prime Minister Kazimira Danutė Prunskienė, 1990
17. Bangladesh
Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, 1991
18. France
Former Prime Minister Édith Cresson, 1991
19. Poland
Former Prime Minister Hanna Suchocka, 1992
20. Burundi
Former Prime Minister Sylvie Kinigi, 1993
21. Canada
Former Prime Minister Kim Campbell, 1993
22. Rwanda
Former Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana, 1993
23. Turkey
Former Prime Minister Tansu Çiller, 1993
24. Haiti
Former Prime Minister Claudette Werleigh, 1995
25. Guyana
Former President Janet Rosenberg, 1997
26. New Zealand
Former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, 1997
27. Latvia
Former President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, 1999
28. Panama
Former President Mireya Moscoso Rodríguez, 1999
29. Switzerland
Former President Ruth Dreifuss, 1999
30. Finland
Former President Tarja Halonen, 2001
31. Indonesia
Former President Megawati Sukarnoputri, 2001
32. Senegal
Former Prime Minister Mame Madior Boye, 2001
33. São Tomé and Príncipe
Former Prime Minister Maria das Neves, 2002
34. Peru
Former Prime Minister Beatriz Merino, 2003
35. Macedonia
Former Prime Minister Radmila Šekerinska, 2004
36. Mozambique
Former Prime Minister Luísa Diogo, 2004
37. Germany
Chancellor Angela Merkel, 2005
38. Ukraine
Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, 2005
39. Chile
President Michelle Bachelet, 2006
40. Jamaica
Former Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller, 2006
41. Liberia
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, 2006
42. South Korea
Former Prime Minister Han Myung-sook, 2006
43. Moldova
Former Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanîi, 2008
44. Croatia
Former Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, 2009
45. Costa Rica
Former President Laura Chinchilla, 2010
46. Australia
Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, 2010
47. Kyrgyzstan
Former President Roza Otunbayeva, 2010
48. Slovakia
Former Prime Minister Iveta Radičová, 2010
49. Trinidad and Tobago
Former Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, 2010
50. Denmark
Former Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, 2011
51. Kosovo
Former President Atifete Jahjaga, 2011
52. Mali
Former Prime Minister Cissé Mariam Kaïdama Sidibé, 2011
53. Thailand
Former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, 2011
54. Malawi
Former President Joyce Banda, 2012
55. Slovenia
Former Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek, 2013
56. Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Former Prime Minister Sibel Siber, 2013
57. Brazil
Former President Dilma Rousseff, 2011
58. Mauritius
President Ameenah Firdaus Gurib-Fakim, 2015
59. Namibia
Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, 2015
