World's Famous Women Leaders

Women have been at the forefront of politics, for a long time now. They have ruled since the dawn of time. Egyptian queens governed the Mesopotamian area, as early as 3000 BC. Women became members of parliament in East European countries after the Great War. They hold offices in many governments. In 1960, Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the first woman to become the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. In 1974, in Argentina, Isabel Peron became the first woman ever to become the democratically elected President of the country. Sweden was the first country to have a majority of women ministers. There are queens who are reigning monarchs in three countries: the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Denmark.

Here, we will be discussing five famous women leaders, namely - Margaret Thatcher, Indira Gandhi, Angela Merkel, Benazir Bhutto and Rosa Parks.

Margaret Thatcher: As a student, Margaret Thatcher studied chemistry and law. When she became an education minister, she met resistance from student revolutionaries. Margaret Thatcher was the prime minister of United Kingdom for more than eleven years (three terms). She was a conservative whose diplomacy facilitated the breakup of Soviet Union, which helped end the Cold War. She was also a hardcore capitalist, who reduced government spending and was all for deregulation and privatization. She gained popularity when she waged a war against Argentina over the Falkland Islands. During her third term, her tax policy was not liked by many. She also strongly opposed the European Community because she felt it interfered with the UK's sovereignty and would cause problems that came with big government. She had to contend with opposition from the miners' unions and the Irish Republican Army (IRA). She was a great orator and has become one of the most notable, historical figures, as the first woman to lead a political party in any European country.

Indira Gandhi: Indira Gandhi was the prime minister of India for three terms (14 years). Jawaharlal Nehru, her father, was the first prime minister of India. Her policy of Garibi Hatao (Abolish Poverty) was instrumental in her victory, in the 1971 elections. She won the war against Pakistan, after which she enforced a state of emergency in India. This move made her most unpopular with the Indian masses, and was the reason why she lost the following elections. After coming back into power, Indira Gandhi somehow earned the hatred of Sikhs. She authorized an attack on the Golden Temple, a Sikh place of worship, in Punjab, acting on intelligence information, that terrorists were hiding there. In a retaliatory action, her Sikh bodyguards assassinated her.

Angela Merkel: Angela Merkel was born on July 17, 1954. She is the current head of the government in Germany. She is the president of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), since April 10, 2000, and the president of the CDU-CSU grouping, which is an alliance between CDU and its sister party, Christian Social Union of Bavaria. She is also a leader of the coalition of CSU and and Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). She is also the president of the European Council and chairperson of the G8. Concerning the internal affairs of Germany, she is directly involved in the matters of health policy and energy policy. In 2008, she was number 1 in Forbes magazine's list of 100 most powerful women in the world. She was awarded the Charlemagne Prize in 2008, for her contribution towards betterment of the European Union.

Benazir Bhutto: Benazir Bhutto was a politician who presided over Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). PPP is a progressive party in Pakistan. Bhutto was the first female head of a Muslim country. She served as prime minister of Pakistan for two terms. She was a Sindhi and a Shia Muslim. Both her terms ended, when she was abruptly removed from power for reasons of corruption. She received a pardon from President Musharraf for her corruption wrongdoings. She was assassinated at a gathering organized by PPP, during the 2008 election.

Rosa Parks: Rosa Parks was a civil rights leader, who fought for the freedom of the black citizens of United States. In 1955, Parks disobeyed a busman's command to vacate her bus seat to create space for a white passenger. This triggered the 'Montgomery Bus Boycott', a movement against the racial discrimination in buses. The movement led to a decrease in income for the public transport and this caused the law to be changed, making racial segregation illegal. Rosa Parks became an important icon of civil rights protests. She joined hands with Martin Luther King. Rosa Parks got awards from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the United States Congress. She wrote an autobiography titled Rosa Parks: My Story. In 2005, she died at the age of 92.

These women are important leaders who have changed the world for the better. There are many other women leaders who have reached great heights. Some of them were born leaders, while others learned the skills and qualities required to become good leaders. They are competent, efficient, broad-minded and straightforward. They are ethical and could show sound judgment, while being passionate about their vision. Let us hope that other women emulate these women leaders and be instrumental in world progress.