List_of_elected_or_appointed_female_heads_of_government

List of elected and appointed female heads of state and government

List of elected and appointed female heads of state and government

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The following is a list of women who have been elected or appointed head of state or government of their respective countries since the interwar period (1918–1939). The first list includes female presidents who are heads of state and may also be heads of government, as well as female heads of government who are not concurrently head of state, such as prime ministers. The list does not include female monarchs who are heads of state (but not of government).[lower-alpha 5]

This article is about female leaders of independent states. For constituent and dependent territories, see List of female constituent and dependent territory leaders.

Quick Facts

Khertek Anchimaa-Toka, of the mostly unrecognized and now defunct Tuvan People's Republic, is regarded as "first ever elected woman head of state in the world", although not in multiparty, free and fair elections. The wife of the nation's Supreme Leader, she is the first woman to be elected Chairman of a country. She became the chairwoman of the country's presidium in 1940.[1][2]

The first woman to be elected as prime minister of a country was Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka), when she led her party to victory in the July 1960 general election.[3][2]

The first woman to serve as president of a country was Isabel Perón of Argentina, who served as the country's vice president and succeeded to the presidency in July 1974 upon the death of her husband.[4][2]

The first woman elected president of a country was Vigdís Finnbogadóttir of Iceland, who won the 1980 presidential election as well as three subsequent elections, remaining in office for a total of 16 years, which makes her the longest-serving non-hereditary female head of state in history.[5][2]

The first democratically elected female prime minister of a Muslim majority country was Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan, who led her party to victory in the 1988 general election and later in 1993, making her the first woman democratically elected leader of any Muslim nation.[6] Bhutto was also the first of only two non-hereditary female world leaders who gave birth to a child while serving in office, the other being Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand.[7]

The longest-tenured female non-hereditary head of government and longest-serving female leader of a country is Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh. She served as the country's prime minister from 1996 to 2001 and again since January 2009, for a combined total of 20 years.[8]

The prime ministers of Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Peru, and Uganda are included in the list of elected or appointed female deputy heads of government but not in the list of elected or appointed female deputy heads of state, as they are neither heads of government, nor deputy heads of state due to the existence of the office of vice president in these countries, whereas the prime ministers of South Korea are included in both of those lists.

Currently, Barbados is the only republic in the world where both the serving head of state and head of government are women. Honduras, the Marshall Islands, and Peru are republics where the female President is the combined head of state and government.

Elected or appointed female chief executives

This list includes women who were appointed by a governing committee or parliament where heads of state or government are not directly elected by citizens. The list does not include women chosen by a hereditary monarch. Interim heads of state or government are listed in italics.

  Incumbent
More information Name, Portrait ...

Elected or appointed acting female chief executives

This list includes women elected or appointed in an acting capacity, wherein they assumed a vacated office on a temporary basis.

  Incumbent
More information Name, Portrait ...

Female members of collective head-of-state bodies

  Incumbent
More information Name, Portrait ...

Female viceregal representatives

  Incumbent

Below are women who have been appointed representatives of heads of state, such as female governors-general and French representatives of Andorra. As governors-general are appointed representatives of the monarch of the Commonwealth realms (currently Charles III) and the French Representatives of Andorra are appointed representatives of the French Co-Prince of Andorra (currently Emmanuel Macron), they act as heads of state and carry out on a regular basis the functions and duties associated with such a role in the Commonwealth realms (excluding the United Kingdom, which has no governor-general, as the monarch of the Commonwealth realms primarily resides there) and Andorra, respectively.

More information Name, Portrait ...

Acting female viceregal representatives

This list includes women appointed as viceregal representatives in an acting capacity, wherein they assumed a vacated office on a temporary basis.

  Incumbent
More information Name, Portrait ...

See also

Notes

  1. Does not include those serving in acting capacities
  2. Map does not include the former states of East Germany, the Soviet Union, Tannu Tuva, Transkei, or Yugoslavia, or the partially recognized states of Kosovo, Northern Cyprus, or Transnistria
  3. Does not include those in countries with a monarchial head of state and no vice-regal representative
  4. Includes appointed female vice-regal representatives, and does not include monarchial female heads of state
  5. As of 2024, there is one female monarch of a sovereign state, Ntfombi of Eswatini (as Queen Mother and co-head of state with her son, King Mswati III).
  6. Tannu Tuva was a partially recognized state which existed between 1921 and 1944. Only the Soviet Union and Mongolia recognized its independence, and it was later absorbed into the Soviet Union in 1944.
  7. Transkei was a partially recognized state which existed between 1976 and 1994. The only United Nations member state that recognized its independence was South Africa, and it was later reabsorbed into South Africa in 1994.
  8. Transnistria is an unrecognized state which declared its independence in 1990. It does not have any international recognition as an independent nation by United Nations member states, and is considered by the international community to be part of the Republic of Moldova.
  9. Northern Cyprus is a partially recognized de facto state. Only Turkey recognizes its independence, while the remainder of the international community considers it to be part of the Republic of Cyprus.
  10. The political status of Taiwan is contentious. The Republic of China (Taiwan) maintains diplomatic relations with 13 United Nations member states, and has unofficial relations with 59 UN member states. The People's Republic of China conducts most international relations on behalf of China.
  11. Constitution of Gabon[9]

    Title II: The Executive Power, I. Of the President of the Republic, Article 8
    • The President of the Republic is the Chief of State; he or she ensures respect of the Constitution; the President assures, by his or her determination, the regular function of public powers as well as the continuity of the State.
    • The President determines, in concert with the Government, the policies of the Nation.
    • The President is the supreme bearer of executive power, which he or she shares with the Prime Minister.
    Title II: The Executive Power, II. Of the Government, Articles 29 and 31
    • The Prime Minister directs the actions of the Government. He or she assures the execution of the laws. According to the conditions of Article 20 mentioned above, the Prime Minister exercises regulatory power and nominates civil and military posts of the State.
    • The Government is composed of the Prime Minister and other members of Government.
    • The Prime Minister is the Chief of Government.
  12. Constitution of Togo[10]

    Article 78
    • The Prime Minister is the head of the Government. He directs the action of the Government and coordinates the functions of the other members. He presides over the Committees of Defense.
    • Before his entry into office, the Prime Minister presents before the National Assembly the program of action of his Government.
    • The National Assembly accords its confidence to him by a vote with the absolute majority of its members.

References

  1. [1]
    "Khertek Anchimaa Toka: the world's first female head of state". The Times. 2 December 2008. Archived from the original on 23 May 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2008.
  2. [2]
    "6 of the First Women Heads of State". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  3. [3]
    "From the archive, 22 July 1960: Sri Lanka elects world's first woman prime minister". From the Guardian archive. Archived from the original on 24 August 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  4. [4]
    Cords, Suzanne (4 February 2021). "Isabel Peron turns 90". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  5. [5]
    Einarsdóttir, Gréta Sigríður (15 April 2020). "Vigdís Finnbogadóttir's 90th Birthday". Iceland Review. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  6. [6]
    Burns, John F. (28 December 2007). "Benazir Bhutto, 54, Who Weathered Pakistan's Political Storm for 3 Decades, Dies". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2007.
  7. [7]
    Khan, M Ilyas (21 June 2018). "Ardern and Bhutto: Two different pregnancies in power". BBC News. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  8. [8]
    "Survey: Sheikh Hasina tops as longest serving female leader in world". Dhaka Tribune. 11 September 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  9. [9]
    "Gabon's Constitution of 1991 with Amendments through 2011" (PDF). constituteproject.org. 2011.
  10. [10]
    "Togo's Constitution of 1992 with Amendments through 2007" (PDF). constituteproject.org. 2007.
  11. [11]
    "No wars, no drama for Matsepe-Casaburri". IOL News. 26 September 2008. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  12. [12]
    Chikane, Frank (28 April 2012). "Emotional farewell as Mbeki holds last cabinet meeting". Daily Nation. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  13. [13]
    "Institucije BiH u periodu 1992-1996: Ko su bili članovi Predsjedništva, premijeri i ministri RBiH". Faktor.ba (in Bosnian). 22 May 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  14. [14]
    "FFC finally agree on nominees for Sudan's Sovereign Council". Sudan Tribune. 20 August 2019. Archived from the original on 20 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  15. [15]
    "Woman on Sudan's ruling council quits, saying civilians are being ignored". Reuters. 22 May 2021.
  16. [16]
    The council was briefly dissolved from October to November 2021 as a result of the 2021 Sudan coup d'état. Nicola was restored to her position after the council was reconstituted in November. Source: "Sudan coup leader restores restructured Sovereignty Council". Radio Dabanga. Khartoum. 11 November 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
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