Top 10 countries led by women heads of state and government in 2024

The United States of America is gearing up for its highly anticipated presidential election on November 5th, 2024, with Democratic Party’s Kamala Harris on the brink of making history, as the first woman to hold the office of President of the United States of America.

“Kamala Harris is raising her hand and taking the oath of office as our 47th President of the United States, on the other side of that glass ceiling,” Hillary Clinton, who made history as the first woman nominated for president in 2016, stated while expressing her support for Harris.

Historically, 59 nations have had women in leadership roles, starting with Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka in 1960, and presently, about nine of the 13 current female leaders are the first women to hold their positions, including recent appointments like Peru’s Dina Boluarte and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni.

Not so surprisingly, Europe reigns as the region with the highest concentration of female-led nations, with most of its countries having had three or more women leaders, according to the data by the Council on Foreign Relations.

Switzerland leads in female leadership, having had five women serve as presidents of the Swiss Confederation; Finland follows closely with four female leaders; and Iceland has had three female leaders, among them Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, who made history as the world’s first elected female president, serving from 1980 to 1996.

Notably, India has also had three women-led heads of state and government, with Indira Gandhi (serving from 1966–1984) making history as the first Prime Minister of India, Dr. Pratibha Patil (2007–2012) as the first women president, and the present Droupadi Murmu (2022–present) as the first tribal President of India.

While we see women today walking parallel with men across diverse fields, it’s worth noting that, currently, they politically lead only 13 of the 193 United Nations member states, and fewer than a third of these countries have ever had a female leader, according to the Pew Research Centre.

Research shows that when women constitute a substantial portion of legislative bodies—typically around 25 to 30 percent—they are more inclined to challenge traditional norms and influence policy agendas.

A map showing countries with woman leaders; most nations have never had a woman leader, though countries with woman leaders serving for at least 15 years include the Philippines, India, New Zealand, Germany, Norway and Bangladesh. (Source: Pew Research Center)

However, albeit slowly, we are still paving towards it, with the global gender gap closed at 68.5 per cent in 2024 with the political empowerment gap being closed by 22.5 per cent, as per the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) latest Global Gender Gap Report 2024.

Today on August 26, as we mark Women’s Equality Day 2024; out of 25 countries in total, here are 10 countries where women are at the helm and hold prominent leadership positions as heads of state or government, as of August 2024.

Source: Women Power Index, Council of Foreign Relations

Please note: The data is as of August 20, 2024.

Know more about India’s President, Droupadi Murmu:

President of India, Droupadi Murmu (File Photo)

India’s 15th and current President, serving from July 25, 2022, Droupadi Murmu is India’s first tribal president, and the second woman President, succeeding Pratibha Patil. As President, Murmu has focused on issues such as tribal welfare, women’s empowerment, and social justice. She has also been a strong advocate for India’s role in the world.

Know more about Iceland’s President, Halla Tómasdóttir:

President of Iceland, Halla Tómasdóttir: (X/@HallaTomas)

Halla Tomasdottir, a businesswoman and investor, won Iceland’s presidential election in June 2024, is currently serving as Iceland’s president since June 2024. She is the second Icelandic female president, following Vigdís Finnbogadóttir.

Know more about Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni:

Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni (Reuters photo)

One of the most popular political leaders, the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, is an Italian politician who has served as Prime Minister of Italy since October 2022, the first woman to hold this role.

From the homepage

India responds to Trump’s claim on Russian oil: No conversation between PM Modi and US President yesterday

Kapil Sharma’s cafe attacked for the third time in Surrey

Assam Police to head to Singapore over Zubeen’s death probe