In Pictures

Gallery

In pictures: Woman power

The number of female leaders around the world is at an all-time high as Brazil swears in its first woman president.

Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Rousseff, Brazil(***)s first female president, will face many challenges including education and economic reforms [EPA]
Published On 2 Jan 2011

Save

Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel - Germany
Under Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany has posted its best economic figures since reunification [GALLO/GETTY]
Advertisement
Clinton Global Initiative Brings Business And World Leaders Together
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, president of Liberia, was listed as one of the 10 best leaders in the world by Newsweek magazine in 2010 [GALLO/GETTY]
Queen Elizabeth II Visits Primary School
Queen Elizabeth II will become the longest-reigning British monarch if she is still reigning on September 10, 2015 [GALLO/GETTY]
Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor
Jadranka Kosor, Croatia(***)s prime minister, had a career as a journalist before she entered politics [EPA]
President Mary McAleese - Ireland president
Mary McAleese, Ireland(***)s second female president, is currently serving her second term, which she won in 2004 [EPA]
Cristina Fernandez, President of the Republic of Argentina
Cristina Fernandez Kirchner, Argentina(***)s president, has often been compared to Eva Peron [GALLO/GETTY]
Advertisement
Johanna Sigurdardottir - Iceland''s former prime minister
Johanna Sigurdardottir, Iceland(***)s prime minister, has been nicknamed "Saint Johanna" for her work for the rights of the handicapped, elderly and disadvantaged [EPA]
President Pratibha Patil - The President Of India Makes A State Visit To The UK
Prathibha Patil assumed office as India(***)s first woman president on July 25, 2007 [GALLO/GETTY]
Queen Margrethe 2 - Denmark
Denmark(***)s Queen Margrethe II was not born to be monarch as at the time of her birth, only males could ascend the country(***)s throne [EPA]
Laura Chinchilla Miranda, President of Costa Rica,
Laura Chinchilla Miranda won 47 per cent of the vote in the May 2010 election to become the first female president of Costa Rica [EPA]
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite
President Dalia Grybauskaite, dubbed "the hope of Lithuania", is known for charting her own path [GALLO/GETTY]
President Roza Otunbayeva
Kyrgyzstan(***)s Roza Otunbayeva(***)s inauguration on July 3, 2010, made her Central Asia(***)s first female president [EPA]
Iveta Radicova - Slovakia
Prime Minister Iveta Radicova leads a centre-right coalition in Slovakia [EPA]
Queen Beatrix - Netherlands
Queen Beatrix of Netherlands dedicated her Christmas message to courage and encouragement [GALLO/GETTY]
Julia Gillard - Australia - NATO Summit Lisbon 2010 - Day 2
A sudden change in the Australian Labor Party(***)s leadership made Julia Gillard the country(***)s first female prime minister [GALLO/GETTY]
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Visits China
Sheikh Hasina Wajed led the secular Awami League party to a landslide victory in Bangladesh(***)s December 2008 general elections, to win her second term as prime minister [GALLO/GETTY]
President of the Consideration Micheline Calmy-Rey, Switzerland
Micheline Calmy-Rey, the Swiss president, was widely criticised at home for covering her head to meet Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad [GALLO/GETTY]
Kamla Persad-Bissessar - Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Kamla Persad-Bissessar, prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, has weathered many political storms and broken gender barriers to get to her current position [GALLO/GETTY]
Mari Kiviniemi - Finland Prime Minister
Mari Kiviniemi says she aims to build a better tomorrow for Finland as prime minister with trust, hope and a positive attitude [EPA]