Current Female Leaders Around the World

Female empowerment has been on the rise since women fought for the right to vote, but in the past decade it has gained momentum like never before. Women have been creating a space for themselves in politics much more adamantly and some have reached the ultimate pinnacle by becoming leaders of their nations. Instead of focusing on the women leaders who have held a position before, I wanted to focus on women who are incumbent at the moment. My research led me in various directions but I came to some conclusions which I wanted to share here in this article. 

Angela Merkel

As a German, I knew exactly who I was going to research and talk about first. Angela Merkel is the first female Chancellor of Germany and she has been in office since 2005. She decided not to pursue a fifth term in the 2021 elections by stepping down as party leader, and depending on who you ask, that was either a welcoming or a rather harrowing thought. She rose to the forefront of German politics after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, leaving behind the life of academia. Whether you like her or not, one must admit she has broken many stereotypes and paved the way for women in politics. She pursued a career deviant to what she had gained her doctorate in, which was quantum chemistry, and rather became a politician. She nurtured a nation and put her career ahead of having her own children. We often say “to gain respect you have to show respect” and I think she is one of the very few leaders in the world who has gained respect by showing her people respect. 

Eastern European Women Pave the Way

There has been a welcoming rise in female leaders in Eastern Europe; with at least ten women incumbent as either presidents or prime ministers. Many of these women are the first female leaders of their nations. For instance, the first female presidents are: Kersti Kaljulaid of Estonia, Maia Sandu of Moldova, Katerina Sakellaropoulou of Greece, Zuzana Čaputová of Slovakia, Salome Zourabichvili of Georgia and Vjosa Osmani of Kosovo. The first ever female prime ministers are Kaja Kallas of Estonia and Ana Brnabić of Serbia. If there is one thing I noticed straight away, it is that these women are ready to straighten their countries’ spines. They are ready to move out of Russia's shadow and influence. These women have challenged the crippling corruption which has been drowning their nations and which has left their people poor in all senses. They are not merely consolidating power but instead are rebuilding nations during a pandemic. Some have even shattered glass ceilings, for instance, like Ana Brnabić being the first female and openly gay prime minister of Serbia, or Vjosa Osmani, a refugee forming her own political party, or Kaja Kallas removing the far-right party from her cabinet. These women have a lot of work ahead of them, yet, so far, their efforts are promising for their nations. 

The Nordic Countries

Another cluster of nations have an interesting relationship with female leaders. The Nordic Countries always scored high on the Global Peace Index and are considered some of the most gender-equal societies for women. Currently Mette Frederiksen of Denmark, Sanna Marin of Finland, Erna Solberg of Norway and our own Katrín Jakobsdóttir of Iceland are serving as prime ministers. In the 2020 Global Gender Gap Index, the top four countries are Iceland, Norway, Finland and Sweden because more women are in positions of influence and power. I think the women leaders of the North are setting standards instead of breaking glass ceilings. They are setting the precedent that no nation will fall apart if a woman leads it. If anything, a community with gender equality will only benefit our society as a whole. 

Women of Colour

Some countries have seen their first ever women leaders and they are either Black or a person of colour. The president of Singapore, Halimah Binte Yacob is the first Muslim and female leader of the nation. Similarly, Samia Suluhu of Tanzania is the first female and Black Muslim president of the nation. Both women stand up for women’s rights, and against extremism and oppression of women. Just like Tanzania, three other African nations have seen their first ever female leaders. Rose Raponda of Gabon, Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia and Victoire Dogbé of Togo have risen through the ranks to steer their nations out of post-colonial depression and into advancement and betterment. Since the Black Lives Matter movement spearheaded an open conversation around how women of colour are some of the most marginalised people of society, for me any woman of colour in an authoritative position is a welcome relief. They have to further the cause of liberation of women from cultural and social bounds. 

Killing them with kindness

Lastly, I wanted to talk about Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand. She is always the first person who comes to mind when I think of a female world leader. When the Christchurch attacks occurred her response was one I would expect to see from a woman in power. She showed she was human. She showed that kindness and unity can only make New Zealand a stronger nation. In my opinion her actions in the situation were exemplary and praiseworthy.

It’s a Man’s World

In today's day and age there should be no reason why a woman cannot lead her nation. The fact that it has taken decades for women to fight for basic equal rights to men is shameful. Even more disturbing is the inclination that men can be trusted more in politics and that it is a man’s place to lead a country. We need to see more female role models in leadership positions.