The United States had no women at the top - other countries already

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This year, 45 countries in the United Nations held national elections to determine their top management. According to an analysis of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, which CNN was carried out, only four countries chose a woman to the head of the state or the government.

women in management positions: a review

Although the United States had the opportunity to choose its first female president, voters had to accept a defeat for the second time within eight years. The three countries that chose a female manager in 2024 - North Macedonia, Namibia and Mexico - did so for the first time in the history of their nations.

The development of female leadership roles since the Second World War

Only in the past two decades many countries have experienced the choice of their first female leaders, according to the analysis of CNN about the women’s power " Index des Council on Foreign Relations. This data includes the Member States of the United Nations and exclude monarchs as well as monarchs appointed by monarchs and chairwoman of collective governments. In the past seven decades, 49 UN member states have had a female leadership in their history. Another 18 countries had two female leadership figures, nine countries three and only two - Finland and Iceland - were led by four different women. Nevertheless, a woman has never served 115 UN member states as head of state or head of government.

The path of women to political influence

The first continent with a female head of state after the Second World War was Asia. In 1960, Sri Lanka - then called Ceylon - chose his first female prime minister, Sirimavo Bandaranaike. She joined politics after her husband, who was the prime minister at the time, was murdered.

Since then, 13 other countries in Asia have led women to the top. Many of them came to politics through their husbands or fathers, especially in former colonial states. "The earliest women who came to power were often those with dynastic connections to power, and in regions in which this dynastic connection was closely associated with the struggle for independence," said Minna Cowper-Coles, research scholarship at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership of King’s College London.

leading female personalities in politics

Asia also leads to the duration of the proportion of women in political offices. Sheikh Hasina holds the record for most years as female head of state. It was from 1996 to 2001 and again from 2009 until her Bangladesh after massive protests against the government had taken place. Her father was an independence leader and the first Prime Minister Bangladesh.

Isabel Perón was the first female head of state in the America. Her husband, Juan Perón, was President of Argentina and died in office in 1974. As Vice President, she took over many of his tasks when he got sick and was introduced to the presidency after his death. In October, Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in Mexico's first female president.

women in African politics

The first woman led by an African country was Elisabeth Domitien, who was appointed Prime Minister of the Central African Republic in 1975. The first elected female head of state in Africa was Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who became President of Liberia in 2006. In 2021 Tunisia was the first Arab country, which was ruled by a woman, Najla Bouden, as Prime Minister.

European pioneers

Margaret Thatcher became the first female prime minister in Europe in 1979. A few months later, Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo from Portugal took on the role of the second female head of government of the continent. Since 2010, 28 countries in Europe have had at least one female manager, with the region now having the highest proportion of countries with female leadership. About two thirds, or 65%, the 43 UN member states in this region already had a female leader, and almost a quarter are currently being managed by a woman.

female leaders in Europe have also achieved significant terms, which is reflected in five leadership positions among the ten longest serving, all of whom have been in office for over 10 years. Angela Merkel, who became Chancellor in Germany for the first time in 2005, paused this office for 16 years.

The importance of women's policy participation

experts emphasize that it is important that women take key roles in the government, as this expands the representation. "We know that it has a certain strength to see people like you represented. That counts," said Farida Jalalzai, deputy dean for global initiatives and Engagement as well as professor of political science at Virginia Tech, in an interview with CNN before the US election. "The more examples for diverse people exist in these roles - be it nominated, president or president - the more the concept is broken off by what these leaders should look like."

A possible positive result of women who win elections worldwide could be that their success encourages others to strive for leadership roles and to bring younger generations of women to politics. "We can talk about the power of recruitment," said Jalalzai. "If a woman wins, we may have learned the lesson that a woman can win ... And then we will find more women who are ready to apply for these positions."

methodology

The Council on Foreign Relations leads a list of UN Member States and their advances in gender equality in political participation since 1946. Database includes whether a woman was currently or ever head of state or head of state or head of government, and was last updated on December 9, 2024. CNN updated this list with additional research.

This data does not count: monarchs or governors appointed by monarchs; incumbent or provisional heads of state or heads of government who have not been chosen or confirmed afterwards; Voluntary heads of state or heads of government; Community or collective heads of state or heads of government as well as their chairperson or leading members.

As a result, female leaders are excluded for Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although Kosovo has a female president, the country is not a UN member state and is therefore not counted.