Women leaders in Asia-Africa elected head of nations but US yet to get a woman President
Shams Ur Rehman Alavi
editor@asiantribune.net
Across the world, all eyes are on United States of America (USA), as the country is all set to elect its next president.
As a superpower & a country that is considered world leader in many aspects, it remains a unique aspect that despite high literacy, women empowerment and tradition of democracy, US has never had a woman as its head of state.
It’s all the more surprising considering the fact that th comparatively new and small democracies have elected women Presidents and Prime Ministers. Among the ten biggest countries in the world, in terms of population, several females have served the highest office in their nations.
In Asia, not just India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey and Indonesia but many small countries have also seen women leaders reach the top post. Sirimavo Bandaranaike was among the early leaders who became PM and had a long reign in Sri Lanka.
Apart from her, Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister for nearly a decade and half in India. In South Asia, Benazir Bhutto led Pakistan. All these women had mass support and were powerful leaders, not mere figureheads.
Similarly, Bangladesh has two powerful leaders—Khaleda Ziaand Sheikh Hasina, who headed the main parties and either of them, remained at the top post in the country, during the last three decades.
It was not so long ago, when in Turkey, Tansu Ciller was Prime Minister. Apart from these leaders, Israel’s Golda Meir and British PM Margaret Thatcher’s names are well-known.
In recent years, Halimah Yacob, Jacinda Ardern and Giorgia Meloni have been at the helm in three different countries in three continents. Meloni is Prime Minister of Italy. Halimah, a hijab wearing woman, had become Singapore’s President, in the year 2017.
Besides, Samia Suluhu Hassan became Tanzania’s president. That’s recent history, but for long, women have reached top political posts in countries in Asia and Africa as well as Europe.
Take the case of the biggest Muslim country of the world i.e. Indonesia. Sukarno was the first President of the country and his daughter Megawati Sukarnoputri too served as President.
Ameena Gurib-Fakim was the President of Mauritius and the list is too long to name all the leaders.
Angela Merkel was Chancellor of Germany and Edith Cressonwas PM in France. Jacinda Ardern, Theresa May and many other women led their countries in recent years.
