Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Politics
Caroline Mortimer

The map that shows the countries that have had a woman leader

The US hasn't had one (though it might next year). Nor has Sweden.

In fact, since Sri Lanka Sirimavo Bandaranaike was elected the world's first female leader in 1960, there have been a total of 63 women prime ministers and presidents

Some were only in power for weeks or even days but others - including Britain's Margaret Thatcher and Ireland's Mary McAleese - were in power for more than a decade.

The map below, based on Pew Research Center research from 2014 and compiled for The Independent by Statista UK, shows the number of total years women have been in charge of democratic countries.

The number of countries who have had a female leader between 1964 and 2014

 

 

One notable exception is the US, which has lagged behind its G8 allies - although the election of Hillary Clinton next year would change that.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.