Women Leaders

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Throughout history, there have been many women leaders who have made significant contribution to the field. The list includes many familiar and great female leaders such as Hillary Clinton, Queen Victoria, Mother Teresa, Margaret Thatcher, Angela Merkel.The women leaders featured in this list are from United States, United Kingdom, Canada & Australia and many more countries.
Vote for Your Favourite Women Leaders
 1 
Margaret Thatcher
(The Longest-Serving British Prime Minister of the 20th Century)
Margaret Thatcher
111
Birthdate: October 13, 1925
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Grantham, Lincolnshire, England
Died: April 8, 2013

United Kingdom’s first female Prime Minister and also the longest serving Prime Minister in the 20th century, Margaret Thatcher served three consecutive terms in the office from 1979 till 1990. Her political views and leadership approach, known as Thatcherism, got her the nickname of Iron Lady. Though controversial, she prominently ranks high in the list of the best British Prime Ministers.

 2 
Jacinda Ardern
(40th Prime Minister of New Zealand)
Jacinda Ardern
92
Birthdate: July 26, 1980
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Hamilton, New Zealand

Jacinda Ardern is the current Prime Minister of New Zealand. In October 2017, at the age of 37, she became the world's youngest female head of government. Ardern was praised for the way she led her country after the Christchurch mosque shootings in March 2019 and handled the COVID 19 pandemic. She led her party to victory in 2020 general elections.

 3 
Evita Peron
(First Lady of Argentina from 1946 to 1952)
Evita Peron
6
Birthdate: May 7, 1919
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Los Toldos, Argentina
Died: July 26, 1952

Evita Peron was an Argentine actress, activist, politician, and philanthropist. She is best remembered for her service as the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 to 1952. She also served as the President of a political party called Female Peronist Party. A staunch philanthropist, Evita Peron was the president of the Eva Perón Foundation, which operated from 1948 to 1955.

 4 
Jeanine Pirro
(American Conservative Television Host and A Former New York State Judge)
Jeanine Pirro
11
Birthdate: June 2, 1951
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Elmira, New York, United States

Jeanine Pirro is an American TV host and author. Over the years, she has made important contributions to The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, a syndicated morning talk show. As a former prosecutor and New York State judge, Jeanine Pirro played an important role in several cases involving crimes against the elderly and domestic abuse.

 5 
Indira Gandhi
(3rd Prime Minister of India)
Indira Gandhi
51
Birthdate: November 19, 1917
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India
Died: October 31, 1984

The third Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi served as PM from 1966 till 1977 and then again from 1980 till her assassination in October 1984. She is considered one of India’s strongest PM and is hailed for leading India to victory over Pakistan in 1971, which resulted in the creation of Bangladesh. However, she is also categorised as authoritarian and is criticised for imposing Emergency in 1975.

 6 
Lyudmila Putina
(Ex-Wife of Russian President Vladimir Putin)
Lyudmila Putina
10
Birthdate: January 6, 1958
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Kaliningrad, Russia
Lyudmila Putina was married to Russian president and former prime minister Vladimir Putin from 1983 to 2013. Their divorce was publicly announced on national TV, during the intermission of a ballet performance. She has been associated with programs developing the Russian language and was previously a flight attendant for Aeroflot.
 7 
Tammy Duckworth
(United States Senator from Illinois )
Tammy Duckworth
39
Birthdate: March 12, 1968
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Bangkok, Thailand

A war veteran who lost both her legs during the Iraq War, Tammy Duckworth is a symbol of courage and resilience. Her never-say-die spirit enabled her to become the first woman with a disability and the first Thai-American woman to earn a seat in Congress. She is the first member of Senate to give birth while in office.

 8 
Aung San Suu Kyi
(Former State Counsellor of Myanmar (2016 - 2021) and Winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize)
Aung San Suu Kyi
50
Birthdate: June 19, 1945
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Yangon, Myanmar (Burma)

Aung San Suu Kyi is a Burmese politician and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She is credited with co-founding the National League for Democracy, which eventually ended the rule of Myanmar's military junta. In 1999, she was named one of the Children of Gandhi by Time magazine for enduring almost 15 years of house arrest for the greater good of Myanmar.

 9 
Queen Rania of Jordan
(Queen consort of Jordan.)
Queen Rania of Jordan
18
Birthdate: August 31, 1970
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Kuwait City

Queen Rania of Jordan is the current queen consort of Jordan. Since her marriage to Abdullah II of Jordan, Rania has focused on improving education and health in Jordan. In 2005, Queen Rania joined hands with the Ministry of Education to launch the Queen Rania Award for Excellence in Education, an annual teachers’ award.

 10 
Nikki Haley
(The First Female Governor of South Carolina)
Nikki Haley
84
Birthdate: January 20, 1972
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Bamberg, South Carolina, United States

Born to Indian immigrant parents, Nikki Haley went on to become the first Indian-American to hold an office in South Carolina and later became its governor—the first woman and second Indian American to be appointed governor in the US. A published author, she has also served as the US ambassador to the United Nations.

 11 
Kristi Noem
(Governor of South Dakota)
Kristi Noem
44
Birthdate: November 30, 1971
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Watertown, South Dakota, United States
 12 
Shirley Chisholm
(Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 12th District (1969 - 1983))
Shirley Chisholm
13
Birthdate: November 30, 1924
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: January 1, 2005

A courageous political leader, Shirley Chisholm made history when she became the first African-American woman to be elected the United States Congresswoman. Later, she yet again created history when she—though unsuccessfullyVran for Democratic Party's presidential nomination to contest for US presidency. Throughout her career, she advocated racial equality and women empowerment. As an author, she penned two books.

 13 
Golda Meir
(Former Prime Minister of Israel (1969 - 1974))
Golda Meir
12
Birthdate: May 3, 1898
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Kyiv, Ukraine
Died: December 8, 1978

Born in present-day Ukraine and brought up in the United States, the phenomenal rise of Golda Meir to become the prime minister of Israel was driven by her sheer leadership qualities. She steered her country amid hostilities from its neighbourhood during her eventful term as premier which also saw the Yom Kippur War. She is remembered as a strong-willed woman.

 14 
Betty Ford
(Former First Lady of the United States)
Betty Ford
6
Birthdate: April 8, 1918
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: July 8, 2011

Betty Ford served as the First Lady of the US from 1974 to 1977. One of the most popular First Ladies in history, Ford was a passionate supporter of abortion rights and worked towards raising breast cancer awareness. She commented on topics like sex, drugs, abortion, and equal pay. In 1991, she was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

 15 
Wu Zetian
(Chinese Empress)
Wu Zetian
7
Birthdate: February 17, 0624
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Lizhou, Tang Dynasty
Died: December 16, 0705

Wu Zetian was a Chinese empress regnant who ruled the Zhou dynasty from 690 to 705. She is the only female monarch in Chinese history. Before ruling the Zhou dynasty, Wu Zetian had served as the de facto ruler of China from 665 to 690. Under her political and military leadership, the Chinese empire expanded beyond its former territorial limits.

 16 
Jo Cox
(Former British Member of Parliament for Batley and Spen (2015 - 2016))
Jo Cox
11
Birthdate: June 22, 1974
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Batley, West Yorkshire, England
Died: June 16, 2016

British MP and Labour Party politician Jo Cox had also worked with Oxfam. The world was shocked by the news of her brutal assassination in 2016. She was shot and stabbed multiple times by far-right terrorist Thomas Mair, who believed the white race was under threat due to leftist beliefs.

 17 
Sanna Marin
(The 46th Prime Minister of Finland)
Sanna Marin
19
Birthdate: November 16, 1985
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland

Finland’s 46th prime minister, Sanna Marin has also previously been the country’s minister of transport and communications. A Social Democratic Party member, she was dragged into a controversy after a video of her partying and dancing became viral in 2022, with critics accusing her of drug abuse.

 18 
Valentina Tereshkova
(The First and Youngest Woman in Space)
Valentina Tereshkova
8
Birthdate: March 6, 1937
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Bol'shoe Maslennikovo, Russia
Former cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova is currently part of the Russian State Duma. In 1963, she became the first woman to fly into space when she went on a solo mission aboard the Vostok 6. She has won many honors, such as the Hero of the Soviet Union.
 19 
Katie Porter
(U.S. Representative from California's 45th Congressional District)
Katie Porter
9
Birthdate: January 3, 1974
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Fort Dodge, Iowa, United States

Currently a member of the House of Representative from the 45th Congressional District in Orange County, California, American politician Katie Porter practiced law before taking up teaching as her full time profession. Eventually she won the 2018 election to the House and is now a member of the House Natural Resources Committee and deputy chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

 20 
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
(24th President of Liberia (2006 - 2018))
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
16
Birthdate: October 29, 1938
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Monrovia, Liberia

Liberian politician, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, served as the 24th President of Liberia from 2006 to 2018. She was the first elected female head of state in Africa. An alumnus of the Harvard University, she began her political career in the 1970s and rose through the ranks with time. She is the recipient of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize.

 21 
Tsai Ing-wen
(7th President of the Republic of China)
Tsai Ing-wen
12
Birthdate: August 31, 1956
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Taipei, Taiwan

Taiwanese politician and academic, Tsai Ing-wen, is currently serving as the seventh president of the Republic of China (Taiwan). She has been in office since 2016. She is a member of the Democratic Progressive Party and the first female president of Taiwan. As the president, she has taken steps to fund green energy initiatives and supports LGBTQA+ rights.

 22 
Condoleezza Rice
(66th United States Secretary of State (2005-09))
Condoleezza Rice
72
Birthdate: November 14, 1954
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Birmingham, Alabama, United States

The 66th United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made history in 2005 when she became the first female black Secretary of State. She is also the first female to serve as National Security Advisor, a position which she served from 2001 to 2005. One of the most powerful women in the world at one point of time, she has been depicted in Hollywood films.

 23 
Carly Fiorina
(CEO of ‘Hewlett-Packard’, the First Woman to Lead a Fortune Top-20 Company)
Carly Fiorina
9
Birthdate: September 6, 1954
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Austin, Texas, United States

Carly Fiorina made history by becoming the first female head of a Dow Jones-listed company when she became the CEO of HP. The daughter of a law professor father, she had initially joined law school but then dropped out to study management. She has also been Ted Cruz’s vice-presidential running mate.

 24 
Theresa May
(Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom)
Theresa May
28
Birthdate: October 1, 1956
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Eastbourne, United Kingdom

Theresa May is a British politician who became the United Kingdom's second female prime minister. She served as prime minister from 2016 to 2019. During her prime ministership, May's involvement in the Brexit negotiations gave rise to the Brexit withdrawal agreement. She is also credited with co-founding Women2Win, which promotes women empowerment.

 25 
Marsha Blackburn
(American Politician & Businesswoman)
Marsha Blackburn
9
Birthdate: June 6, 1952
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Laurel, Mississippi, United States
 26 
Amber Rudd
(Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (2018 - 2019))
Amber Rudd
12
Birthdate: August 1, 1963
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Marylebone, London, England, United Kingdom

Amber Rudd is a former politician who served as the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions of the United Kingdom from 2018 to 2019. From 2016 to 2018, she served as Home Secretary under Prime Minister Theresa May. Also a humanitarian, Amber Rudd is part of an organization called Snowdon Trust, which helps disabled people access education.

 27 
Kim Yo-jong
(North Korean Politician and Deputy Department Director of the Publicity and Information Department of)
Kim Yo-jong
12
Birthdate: September 26, 1987
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Pyongyang, North Korea
North Korean politician Kim Yo-jong is the current deputy director of the WPK. She was previously part of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea. She is the youngest child of Kim Jong-il, the former supreme leader of North Korea, and the younger sister of current dictator Kim Jong-un. 
 28 
Glenda Jackson
(English Actress and Politician Known for Her for Role as ‘Gudrun Brangwen’ in the Film ‘Women in Love’)
Glenda Jackson
8
Birthdate: May 9, 1936
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Birkenhead, England

Glenda Jackson is best known for her Academy Award-winning roles in the films Women in Love and A Touch of Class. She has also won two Emmys for playing Elizabeth I in the TV series Elizabeth R and a Tony for her role in the play Three Tall Women.

 29 
Irène Joliot-Curie
(French Physicist, Politician and Winner of the 1935 Nobel Prize in Chemistry)
Irène Joliot-Curie
6
Birthdate: September 12, 1897
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: March 17, 1956

Marie Curie and Pierre Curie’s daughter, Irène Joliot-Curie, herself a brilliant scientist, won the 1935 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, along with her husband, Joliot-Curie, for discovering artificial radioactivity. She was also one of the first three female French government members. She tragically died of leukemia caused by exposure to radiation.

 30 
Elizabeth Dole
(Former United States senator)
Elizabeth Dole
7
Birthdate: July 29, 1936
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Salisbury, North Carolina, United States
 31 
Benazir Bhutto
(Former Prime Minister of Pakistan)
Benazir Bhutto
287
Birthdate: June 21, 1953
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Karachi
Died: December 27, 2007

Benazir Bhutto was a Pakistani politician who served as Pakistan's prime minister in two separate terms and became the first woman in a Muslim majority nation to lead a democratic government. She was assassinated, at the age of 54, and after her death has been revered by many as an icon for women's rights.

 32 
Gabrielle Giffords
(Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona's 8th district (2007-12))
Gabrielle Giffords
8
Birthdate: June 8, 1970
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Tucson, Arizona, United States
 33 
Michele Bachmann
(Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota's 6th District from 2007 to 2015)
Michele Bachmann
7
Birthdate: April 6, 1956
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Waterloo, Iowa, United States

Politician Michele Bachmann is a member of the Republican Party. She represented Minnesota in the United States House of Representatives and is the first Republican woman to represent the state in Congress. She is a lawyer by qualification and a founder of the House Tea Party Caucus. She has been criticized for her homophobic views and anti-abortion stance.

 34 
Linda McMahon
(25th Administrator of the Small Business Administration (2017 - 2019))
Linda McMahon
14
Birthdate: October 4, 1948
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: New Bern, North Carolina, United States

Linda McMahon is an American political executive and former professional wrestling executive. She is credited with co-founding Titan Sports, Inc., which is now called as WWE, Inc., along with her husband Vince McMahon. She then left WWE to focus on her political career; from 2017 to 2019, she served as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration under Trump’s presidency.

 35 
Barbara Boxer
(Former United States Senator)
Barbara Boxer
8
Birthdate: November 11, 1940
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
 36 
Nirmala Sitharaman
(Politician)
Nirmala Sitharaman
17
Birthdate: August 18, 1959
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Madurai, Madras State, India (present-day Tamil Nadu)
One of the world’s 100 most powerful women in 2020 according to Forbes, BJP member Nirmala Sitharaman is the first woman to be a full-time finance minister of India. The Madurai-born JNU alumna had earlier quit her PhD program in economics midway to move to London with her husband.
 37 
Ursula von der Leyen
(President of the European Commission )
Ursula von der Leyen
18
Birthdate: October 8, 1958
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Ixelles, Belgium
Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen is currently serving as the first president of the European Commission. Named to Time 100 in 2020, she has previously been the first female defense minister of Germany, and has held positions such as the deputy leader of the CDU and the minister of labor.
 38 
Angela Rayner
(Politician)
Angela Rayner
8
Birthdate: March 28, 1980
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Stockport, England
 39 
Elise Stefanik
(Politician)
Elise Stefanik
11
Birthdate: July 2, 1984
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Albany, New York, U.S.
 40 
Jennifer Granholm
(Was the First Female Governor of Michigan)
Jennifer Granholm
6
Birthdate: February 5, 1959
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Jennifer Mulhern Granholm is a politician, lawyer, educator, and author. She is currently serving as the 16th United States Secretary of Energy, in office since February 2021. Previously, she was the 47th governor of Michigan, the first woman to serve in this position. She was made a Commander of the Royal Order of the Polar Star in 2010. 

 41 
Diane Abbott
(Former Shadow Home Secretary)
Diane Abbott
12
Birthdate: September 27, 1953
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Paddington, London, England, United Kingdom
 42 
Liz Cheney
(Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wyoming's At-Large District)
Liz Cheney
15
Birthdate: July 28, 1966
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Madison, Wisconsin, United States

Liz Cheney is an American politician and attorney. Since 2017, Liz Cheney has been serving as Wyoming's at-large congressional district's U.S. Representative. The elder daughter of ex-Vice President Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney is credited with co-founding a nonprofit organization called Keep America Safe, which aims at combating national security issues.

 43 
Elaine Chao
(18th United States Secretary of Transportation (2017 - 2021))
Elaine Chao
31
Birthdate: March 26, 1953
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Taipei, Taiwan
Elaine Chao has served as the U.S. secretary of transportation under Donald Trump and has also previously been the secretary of labor. A Harvard alumna and a recipient of 37 honorary doctorates, she became the first Asian-American female and the first Chinese/Taiwanese American to be part of the U.S. cabinet.
 44 
Miriam Defensor Santiago
(The First Filipina to be an International Criminal Court Judge)
Miriam Defensor Santiago
42
Birthdate: June 15, 1945
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Iloilo City
Died: September 29, 2016

Known for her legal expertise and her resolve to fight corruption, Miriam Defensor Santiago also became the first Filipina and the first from an Asian developing country to serve as a judge of the International Criminal Court. The senator was also a Ramon Magsaysay Award recipient and died of lung cancer.

 45 
Giorgia Meloni
(Politician)
Giorgia Meloni
4
Birthdate: January 15, 1977
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Rome, Italy
 46 
Kirsten Gillibrand
(United States Senator from New York)
Kirsten Gillibrand
13
Birthdate: December 9, 1966
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: AlAlbany, New York, United States

Lawyer and politician Kirsten Gillibrand is a member of the Democratic Party. Since 2009, she has served as the junior United States Senator from New York. An alumnus of the UCLA School of Law, she practiced law for a few years before entering politics. She is known for speaking against sexual harassment.

 47 
Ann Richards
(Politician)
Ann Richards
9
Birthdate: September 1, 1933
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Lacy Lakeview, Texas, United States
Died: September 13, 2006
 48 
Ronna McDaniel
(Politician)
Ronna McDaniel
10
Birthdate: March 20, 1973
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Austin, Texas, U.S.
 49 
Katie Hill
(Former United States Representative)
Katie Hill
18
Birthdate: August 25, 1987
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Abilene, Texas, United States
 50 
Yulia Tymoshenko
(10th and 13th Prime Minister of Ukraine)
Yulia Tymoshenko
8
Birthdate: November 27, 1960
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Dnipro, Ukraine

The feisty Orange Revolution leader Yulia Tymoshenko became Ukraine’s first lady prime minister in 2005 and was back in power from 2007 to 2010. She made her signature blonde ponytail, sometimes worn in a crown-shaped braid, a fashion statement. Tymoshenko was on Forbes’s list of the world’s most powerful women.