Theresa May has become the UK’s second female prime minister and in November we could see the first woman being elected president of the USA, an event as historic for the world as for the USA itself. However, the number of female leaders remains incredibly low. Despite women making up more than 50% of the population, just 18 of the world’s 175 heads of state or government are female. In this context, if Hillary Clinton takes on the leadership of the most powerful country on Earth, it will be a hugely significant moment.
The twentieth century produced some notable female leaders, including Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi (1966–77, 1980–84), Israeli prime minister Golda Meir (1969– 74), and British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (1979–90). In 1988, Benazir Bhutto (1988–90, 1993–96) became Pakistan’s prime minister, and the first elected female head of government of an Islamic state. Both Gandhi and Bhutto were assassinated.
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