This is one of my buttons, which was detonated in a recent dinner conversation. A young professional woman, whom I have respect for, relayed the story of her young son’s first foray into political opinions. When she had asked him who to vote for in the recently held elections, he said the man candidate. To her credit, she asked but why not the woman, and here is where my analytical mind left my physical body. “There are not any/many women presidents in the world” ….
To be fair, there are not 100 women presidents that come to mind, so today’s post is about setting it right. It is not about a competing list of how many men presidents come to mind, it is about celebrating those nations that got it right (and sometimes, a little bit less right) to not automatically dismiss strong women candidates in the global political arena.
I have referenced the key highlights of each person from Wikipedia. I have also included my own inspiration, and I encourage you to find your personal connection with these formidable women.
- Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (born Ellen Eugenia Johnson, 29 October 1938) is a Liberian politician who served as the 24th president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018. Sirleaf was the first elected female head of state in Africa.
Many years ago, I was interviewed for partner admission, and when asked who I would invite for dinner, she was the first name that came to mind. Being a lady president, the first in our African continent, is surely someone I could have long conversations about overcoming stereotypes to get to the substance of leadership. There was also something about planting forests/trees, which was way before ESG became fashionable.
- Mother Teresa
Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu MC, better known as Mother Teresa or Saint Mother Teresa, was an Albanian-Indian Catholic nun, founder of the Missionaries of Charity and is a Catholic saint. Born in Skopje, then part of the Ottoman Empire, she was raised in a devoutly Catholic family. At the age of 18, she moved to Ireland to join the Sisters of Loreto and later to India, where she lived most of her life and carried out her missionary work.
Strictly speaking not a President, but certainly a humbling leader on a global scale; she wins my vote for self-less leadership and serving humanity, and I know someone who actually worked with her. Another self-less woman who made a massive impact for 100 children infected and affected by AIDS, at Hope Village Namibia. Hope you beat the cancer Marietjie.
- Margaret Thatcher
Wikipedia: Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was a British stateswoman and Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990. She was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century and the first woman to hold the position.
Like all leaders, regardless of gender, not without controversy, and I will always thank her for teaching me that a string of pearls can soften the impression of an iron clad will. I have 3 pairs.
- Kamala Harris
Wikipedia: Kamala Devi Harris is an American politician and attorney who has been the 49th and current vice president of the United States since 2021 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female U.S. vice president, making her the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history.
Obviously near the top of my mind given the recent US elections. I don’t dabble in US politics, so I don’t understand why she did not win. But hats off to her for facing off against typical male tyranny, without compromising on her femininity.
- Aung San Suu Kyi
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, is a Burmese politician, diplomat, author, and pro-democracy activist who served as State Counsellor of Myanmar (equivalent to a prime minister) and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2016 to 2021.
I must admit, I struggled to remember her name correctly, but she stuck in my mind for being under house arrest for nearly 15 years, and Bono being a one-time supporter in a time where he also supported Nelson Mandela. Strictly speaking she was also not a president due to a clause in the Myanmar constitution (her husband and children being foreign citizens). Still she was a prominent leader as State Counsellor of Myanmar.
- Evita Peron
María Eva Duarte, better known as just Eva Perón or by the nickname Evita, was an Argentine politician, activist, actress, and philanthropist who served as First Lady of Argentina from June 1946 until her death in July 1952.
Permit me please, to include her in our list of prominent female leaders in the global political arena. She is firmly entrenched in my memory as if she was President. Partly due to “Don’t cry for me Argentina” a song heard and sang so often throughout my life, and from a play I had gotten lost in, and the movie in which Madonna showcased her version of Evita Peron.
She came from a very poor background, and through her work, combativeness and passion, became the leader of the people, to such an extent that she was given a state funeral upon her death due to cancer, at the age of 33, a prerogative generally reserved for heads of state.
Then there are the ones I am embarrassed to admit, did not come to mind immediately.
1st head of state in the world, 1940: Khertek Anchimaa-Toka, of the mostly unrecognized and now defunct Tuvan People’s Republic. In what year did your country grant voting rights to women?
1st prime minister of a country, 1960: Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka). I love the bag girlfriend.
1st serving president of a country, 1974: Isabel Peron (not to be confused with Evita/Eva), Argentina.
1st elected president of a country, 1980: 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.
1st democratically elected female prime minister of a Muslim majority country, 1988: Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan. Also, the first non-heredity world female leader giving birth while in office.
Jacinda Ardern, prime minister of New Zealand, and youngest female head of government at age 37. Also, the only other non-heredity world leader that gave birth while in office and featured in the press for her swift response to COVID outbreaks, and her support to the Muslim community following a mosque shooting.
Please, don’t be caught unprepared next time someone asks you to name women leaders. Pick your top 5 and commit to sharing their successes with the young ones (of any “identified orientation”) so that we can get out of the cycle of stereotypes.
I’m going to stop there. There are many more strong leaders, who happen to be women. It is the authentic ones, regardless of gender or any other box you want to place them in, those leaders are the ones we need to put in office.