Of the 196 countries in the world, fewer than 30 have female leaders—the glass ceiling unfortunately still exists. Despite a persistent push for women’s rights and a level playing field, international leadership is still dominated by men. But of the women who have successfully held prime minister or presidential positions, all of them have managed to make impressive strides in their work. Check out some of the most surprising, most powerful, most interesting woman leaders across the globe.
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Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberia
Elected president of Liberia, Sirleaf made headlines as the first elected female head of state in Africa. She became president in 2006, and successfully ran for re-election in 2011. In addition, this powerful leader was one of three winners of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, for her work on women’s safety and rights.
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Angela Merkel, Germany
Constantly in the international spotlight, Merkel is the first female chancellor of Germany. She took office in 2005, making her one of the more established women on this list. She was president of the European Council and chaired the G8, not to mention was a key player in alleviating the financial crisis in Europe.
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Dalia Grybauskaite, Lithuania
Nicknamed the “Iron Lady” or “Steel Magnolia,” Grybauskaite is a formidable president. Born into a working-class family, she went on to get a Ph.D in Russia and then studied at Georgetown University. Grybauskaite won election in 2009 with 68 percent of the vote—the largest margin in any presidential election in Lithuania. If that weren’t enough, she also holds a black belt in karate.
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Dilma Rousseff, Brazil
The first woman to become president of this South American country, Rousseff has a colorful background. She grew up as a socialist and fought in guerilla groups against the military dictatorship. Still possessing relatively radical views, Rousseff is a popular leader with much international recognition, including making it onto Forbes’ list of the most powerful people in the world (alongside other women mentioned here).
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Johanna Sigurdardottir, Iceland
Sigurdardottir, appointed prime minister after massive protests during the financial crisis in 2009, holds an impressive political record. She has won a consecutive eight elections since starting her career in Parliament in 1978. Not only smashing the glass ceiling for women, Sigurdardottir is also the world’s first openly gay head of state, and she married her partner in 2010 when Iceland legalized gay marriage.
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Sheikh Hasina Wajed, Bangladesh
This prime minister is made of steel. In 1975, almost her entire family was assassinated by officers of the Bangladesh; Wajed was safely abroad at the time. She later survived a grenade attack, assassination attempts and criminal charges. Wajed first took office as prime minister from 1996 to 2001, and was re-elected in a landslide victory in 2009.
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Tarja Halonen, Finland
Technically not currently in power, Halonen has accomplished more than enough to earn a spot on this list. She served as president for the past 12 years, recently finishing her second term in March 2012. Tremendously popular, she had a record 88 percent approval rating during her first term. Halonen has championed human rights issues, serving on the board of an LGBT rights organization, in addition to focusing heavily on Finnish foreign policy.
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Laura Chinchilla, Costa Rica
The first female president, Chinchilla won in 2010 with just 47 percent of the vote. Chinchilla has strong security experience and fought heavily for pro-life policies and environmental sustainability. As a social conservative, she opposes the morning-after pill and abortions.
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Julia Gillard, Australia
Gillard, the first female (and unmarried) prime minister, is in a unique position because of Australia’s minority government; the Labor Party (her party) only holds a 76-73 parliamentary majority. She has focused significantly on education and health policy, and has previous experience as the minister for education, employment and workplace relations.
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Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Argentina
Fernández de Kirchner, an icon in Argentina, seamlessly transitioned from First Lady to president of the country in 2007. After succeeding her husband, she successfully won re-election in 2011. While she has dealt with controversies, such as allegations of illegal campaign contributions (involving a suitcase), she has also advocated for issues such as human rights.
