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Worldwide
Guide to Women in Leadership
FEMALE
HEADS OF STATE
AND GOVERNMENT
CURRENTLY IN OFFICE
Including
leaders of Self-governing External Territories
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1952- H.M. Elizabeth II of United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland and Her other Realms and Territories Queen,
Defender of the Faith, Head of the Commonwealth |
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Until 1953 her title was Queen of Great Britain, Ireland and the
British Overseas Dominions. She is head if state in 15 countries apart
from Great Britain and as
Head of the Commonwealth
she is the front person of the organization of many other former
British colonies and territories. She is the
first child of The Duke and Duchess of York. Although when born it was
unlikely that she would become Queen, events in the 1930s led to her
father's Accession and her becoming heir to the Throne. Her reign
takes place during a period of great social change, she has carried
out her political duties as Head of State, the ceremonial
responsibilities of the Sovereign and an unprecedented programme of
visits in the United Kingdom, Commonwealth and overseas.
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary is the
mother of three sons and a daughter. Married to Phillip Mountbatten,
former Prince of Greece. (b. 1926-).
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1972- H.M. Margrethe II, by the Grace of God, Denmark's
Queen |
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Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces and Head of the
Evangelical-Lutheran Church. The Rigsfælleskab - or
Commonwealth of the Realm - includes the external territories of The
Faero Islands and Greenland. She has engaged
in translation work and made her mark artistically in several genres.
She has made a point of knowing and reaching out to all parts of the
realm, and the Faeroe Islands and Greenland are favourite
destinations. The Queen has also succeeded in giving her traditional
New Year Message a strongly personal touch, which has helped to
consolidate her popularity.
She succeeded her father, Frederik 9, and married to Count
Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, Prince Henrik. Margrethe Alexandrine
þorhildur Ingrid is mother of two sons. (b. 1940-)
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1980- H.M. Beatrix, By the Grace of God, Queen of the
Netherlands |
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Queen Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard is also Princess van Oranje-Nassau,
Princess van Lippe-Biesterfeld
etc, etc, etc. The Kingdom of The Netherlands includes the
external territories of Aruba and The Nederlandse Antillen. She
succeeded upon the abdication of her mother,
Queen Juliana, and she closely follows
affairs of government and maintains regular contact with ministers,
state secretaries, the vice-President of the Council of State, the
Queen's Commissioners in the provinces, burgomasters, and Dutch
ambassadors etc. She meets the Prime Minister every Monday. Much of
her work consists of studying and signing State documents. She
regularly receives members of parliament, as well as other authorities
on social issues. Married to Prince Claus of the Netherlands,
Jonkheer von Amfeld (1926-2002), and mother of 3 sons.
(b. 1938-). |
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1997- President Mary McAleese, Ireland |
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She
was Professor of Law and 1993-97 Pro-chancellor of University of
Belfast.
The
eldest of nine children, she grew up in Northern Ireland and her
family was one of many adversely affected by the conflict.
She
is an experienced broadcaster, having worked as a current affairs
journalist and presenter in radio and television with Radio Telefís
Éireann. She has a longstanding interest in many issues concerned with
justice, equality, social inclusion, anti-sectarianism and
reconciliation but never engaged in party politics. During the
1997-elections 5 candidates were female and there was only one token
male candidates finishing a distant last. (b. 1951-). |
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1997- Governor-General Hon. Dr. Dame C. Pearlette Louisy, St.
Lucia |
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A
former civil servant, she a non-political appointee.
(b. 1946-) |
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1999- Prime Minister Hon. Helen Clark, New Zealand |
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MP
since 1981. Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Select
Committee 1984-87,Minister of Housing and Conservation 1987-89, Deputy
Premier and Minister of Labour and Health 1989-90, Deputy
Leader of Labour 1990-93 and Leader of Labour since 1993. As Prime
Minister she also holds the portfolios of Arts and Culture and
Security Intelligence Service and Ministerial Services. In 1981 she
married Dr. Peter Davis. No children. (b. 1950-). |
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2000- President Tarja Halonen, Finland |
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Social Democrat member of Parliament 1979-2000, 1984-87 Chairperson of
the Social Affairs Committee and Member of the Presidium of the
Parliament, 1987-1990 Second Minister of Health and Social Affairs
(Health Minister) and 1989-1991 Minister of Nordic Co-operation,
1989-91 Co-leader of Soumen Sosialidemokraattinen Pulolue, The Social
Democrats. 1990-1991 Minister of Justice, 1995-2000
Minister of Foreign Affairs. (b. 1943-). |
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2001- Executive President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, The
Philippines (20.1-) |
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As
executive GMA is also Head of the Cabinet. 1987-1989 she was Assistant
Secretary and 1989-92 Undersecretary of Trade and Industry and
Senator 1992-98.
Vice-President 1998-2001 and Secretary of Social Development and
Welfare 1998-2000 and charged with the leadership of the Cabinet
Meetings. In 2001 the parliament sacked President Estrada because of
corruption and she was sworn in as his successor. 2002 Secretary of
Foreign Affairs, 2003 and 206-07 of Defence. Does not belong to a party but has
formed her own block of parliamentarians. (b. 1947-).
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2004- Prime Minister Luísa Días Diogo, Moçambique
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Head of Department in the Ministry of Finance 1986-89, National Budget
Director 1982-89 in Ministry of Planning and Finance, worked in World
Bank 1993-94. Worked in World Bank 1993-94. 1994-2000 Vice-Minister
and since 2000 Minister of Planning and Finance 2000-05. Mother of
three children. She represents the Liberation Front of Mozambique (FRELIMO).
(b. 1958-). |
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2004- President of the General Council Nassimah Magnolia Dindar,
Réunion (French Oversea's Territory) |
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Vice-President of the Regional Council 2001-04 (b. 1960-). |
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2005- Governor-General Michaëlle Jean, Canada |
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She
is daughter of Haitian immigrants who fled the Duvalier regime in
1968, former university literature professor, social activist and
veteran CBC broadcaster from Quebec, and non-political. Married to
French-born Jean-Daniel Lafond, and mother of Marie-Eden (b. 1999).
She is (b. 1957-). |
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2005- Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany |
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1990 Deputy Spokesperson of the Government of the DDR, 1990-98 Deputy
Chairperson of CDU, 1991-94 Federal Minister Women and Youth and
1994-98 Federal Minister of Environment, Protection of Nature and
Reactor Safety, 1993-2000 Chairperson of CDU in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, 1998-2000
Federal Secretary General and since 2000 Federal Chairperson of CDU
and 2002-05 also Parliamentary Leader. Bundeskanzlerin in a Grand
Coalition between CDU/CSU and SPD. Née Kasner and married secondly to
Joachim Sauer, no children. (b. 1954-). |
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2006- Executive President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Liberia |
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1972-73 and 1977-79 Secretary of State of Finance, 1979-80 Minister of
Finance, 1980 President of the National Bank, 1980-85 worked for the
World Bank, 1985-86 in house arrest after her return, 1990-92 Leading
member of exile-government of Amos Sawyer in United States of America,
1992-97 African Director of the UNDP (United Nations Development
Program). From 1997 Leader of the Unity Party. Presidential Candidate
in 1997, Candidate for the Chairmanship of the National Transitional
Government in 2003 and finally won the presidential elections in
November 2005. She is divorced, mother of a number of children, and
grandmother. (b. 1938-). |
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2006- Executive President Michelle Bachelet Jeria, Chile |
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2000-02 Minister of Health and 2002-04 Minister of Defence. Her
father, a general, was killed by the Pinochet dictatorship. Her
boyfriend was also detained, tortured and disappeared. She and her
mother were also detained and tortured and afterwards lived in exile
in Australia and East Germany. She returned to Chile in 1979 and
worked for various NGOs helping children of the tortured and
disappeared. She had two children with her first husband and a
daughter with her former partner. (b. 1952-). |
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2006- Minister-President Emily de Jongh-Elhage, Nederlandse
Antillen (Self-governing Part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
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Commissioner of Public works and Public Housing of Curaçao 1998-99,
Commissioner of Education, Sport and Cultural Affairs 1999-2002,
Minister of Education and Culture of the Nederlandse Antillen 2002-03
and Commissioner of Public Enterprises and Public Housing 2004-05 of
Curaçao. From 2005 Leader of De Partido Antia Restrukturá (PAR). Also
Minister of General Affairs and External Relations. |
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2007- President
Pratibha Patil, India |
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Deputy Minister
1967-72
and Cabinet Minister 1972-83 and Congress Leader and Leader of the Opposition 1979-80 in Maharastra, Deputy Chairperson of the Union Upper House, the Rajya Sabha 1986-88, Governor of Rajasthan 2004-07. Married to Devisingh Shekhawat, a former Mayor of Amravati. (b. 1934-). |
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2007- Executive President Cristina E. Fernández de Kirchner, Argentina |
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Won the first round of the presidential elections in
October 2007 as candidate for Partido Justicalista. She was Member of the Assembly of Santa Cruz 1989-95 and 1. Vice-President of the Assembly in 1990, National Senator 1995-97 and again since 2001, National Deputy 1997-2001. President of the Senate Committee of Contitutional
Affairs since 2001. Her husband, Nestor
Kirchner was President until 2007..
Mother of 2 children. (b. 1953-). |
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2007-
Governor General
Dame Louise Lake-Tack, Antigua and Barbuda
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A former nurse and magistrate from 1995. (b. 1944-). |
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2007-
President
Borjana Kristo,
The Federation of Bosnia (Bosnia-Hercegovina)
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2003-07 Minister of Justice of the Bosniak-Croat
Federation an entity in The Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The former Vice-President of the Parliament,
Spomenka Micic, was elected one of the 2 Vice-Presidents of
Federation. (b. 1961-) |
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2007- Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko, Ukraine |
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Her name is also transcribed as Yulia Voldyrovna Timoshenkno. She is
former Co-Leader of the Hromda party, Director of United Energy System
1998-2000, In January 2001 dismissed from the government, detained
charged with corruption but later acquitted. Leader of Batkivsjtjina
(Fatherland's Party) 2000/01-05 and of the Bloc Tymoshenko from 2005.
She was Chief of Government in 2005 and Designate Prime Minister in
2006.
(b. 1961-). |
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2007- Premier
Viveca Eriksson, Åland (Finish External
Territory) |
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Chairperson of the Liberal Parliamentary Group 1999-2001, Member of the
Speaker's Conference 1999-2000, Chairperson of the Finance Committee
1999-2001, first Vice-speaker 2000-01 and 2005-07,
Speaker 2001-05 and Party
Chairperson from 2004.
(b. 1956-). |
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2008 Captain Regent Rosa Zafferani, San Marino |
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Director in the Department of Finance, Budget and Programs before
she was elected to the Consiglio Grande e Generale in 1998.
Captain Regent in 1999, Secretary of State of Health, Social Security and Provision 2002-04,
Secretary of State of Public Education, University and Cultural
Institutions from 2004 and 2005-06 also in charge of Internal
Affairs.
(b.
1960 in USA). |
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2008-
Prime Minister Zinaida Grecianîi, Moldova
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Vice-Minister 2000-01 and First Vice-Minister of Finance 2001-02,
Minister of Finance 2002-05 and 1. Vice Prime Minister and Coordinator
of the activity of executive
institution in charge with economic-financial sector
from 2005.
Prime Minister from 2008.
(b. 1956-). |
Last update 01.04.08 |