The following countries have had women prime ministers:
- Sri Lanka
- India
- Pakistan
- Israel
- Germany
- United Kingdom
- Australia
- Ireland
- Bangladesh
- Thailand
Also, the Philippines and Iceland have had female presidents. South Korea recently installed a female president.
These lists are not exhaustive; they represent only what I can easily recall, so there very likely are more.
The United States, on the other hand, has never had a female president or vice president. There have been three female Secretaries of State in the last 20-some years; and women have held other Cabinet positions.
The United States Supreme Court briefly had three women sitting on it (out of nine members), but that was exceptional.
The United States Senate currently has one-fifth female members. The percentages of women in the Senate and on the Supreme Court, taken with the lack of female presidents or even vice presidents, show that the United States, which views itself as an advanced country, may yet have a ways to go regarding equality for women.
And in much of the world the situation is dismal. The news recently has focused on a girl in Afghanistan named Malala, who was shot in the head by the Taliban because she wanted education for herself and others of her gender. In Saudi Arabia women presently are fighting for the right to drive a car.
And in many countries women are still regarded as chattel. The idea that the man is the boss in a married couple still widely prevails and means that a woman might not be able to decide for herself when or if to bear children. Even in the West, some marriage ceremonies still include the woman vowing to obey her husband. If a married man forces himself on his wife sexually, that often—maybe usually--is not criminal.
Update. I have added to the list of women prime ministers several times, as I have learned of more such.
Copyright © 2013 by Richard Stein
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