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New page on female political leaders
Until the 20th century, the few women with political ambitions had to operate in the background as the "power behind the throne", backing up their husbands or lovers. As women got the vote in more and more countries, they began to climb the ladder. Many women that have got to the top in politics have tougher, more decisive, and more practical than male leaders.
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| style="text-align: center; padding: 10px 40px 10px 40px;" | Newest Layer by century, 1600s-1900s<br> 0-0-0-0
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{{clear}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Female political leader
!Dates of office
!Position
!Comments
|-
|[[Sirimavo Bandaranaike]]
|1960-65, 1970-77 & 1994-2000
|Prime Minister of Ceylon (now [[Sri Lanka]]
|The first female head of government in modern times. Paved the way for Gandhi, Meir and the "Iron Lady" herself.
|-
|[[Indira Gandhi]]
|1966-77 & 1980-84
|Prime Minister of [[India]]
|India's aging power-brokers thought that Nehru's daughter would be a push-over. They got a dreadful shock...
|-
|[[Golda Meir]]
|1969-74
|Prime Minister of [[Israel]]
|This strong-willed "grandmother of the Jewish people" won a magnificent victory over Arab aggression.
|-
|[[Margaret Thatcher]]
|1979-90
|Prime Minister of the [[United Kingdom|UK]]
|The "Iron Lady" struck fear into the hearts of trade unionists, the Soviet gerontocracy and enemies of freedom everywhere.
|-
|[[Benazir Bhutto]]
|1988-90 & 1993-96
|Prime Minister of [[Pakistan]]
|The first female head of government in a Muslim country.
|-
|[[Edith Cresson]]
|1991-92
|Prime Minister of [[France]]
|Included because female leaders can sometimes be just as rubbish as male ones. When someone as useless as Cresson becomes PM, you know that women are starting to achieve equality with men.
|-
|[[Angela Merkel]]
|2005-present
|Chancellor of [[Germany]]
|"The Second Iron Lady", "The Second Iron Chancellor"... She talks a lot of sense to irresponsible governments of other European countries.
|-
|[[Nicola Sturgeon]]
|2014-present
|First Minister of [[Scotland]]
|A straight-talking, no-nonsense lady with a reputation for competence but not compromise.
|-
|}
<!--{| align=lwft border=1 cellspacing=0 style="border-width: 5px; border-color: #c0c0c0; background: #e0e0e0; margin: 2em;"
| style="text-align: center; padding: 10px 40px 10px 40px;" | Newest Layer by century, 1600s-1900s<br> 0-0-0-0
|}-->
{{clear}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Female political leader
!Dates of office
!Position
!Comments
|-
|[[Sirimavo Bandaranaike]]
|1960-65, 1970-77 & 1994-2000
|Prime Minister of Ceylon (now [[Sri Lanka]]
|The first female head of government in modern times. Paved the way for Gandhi, Meir and the "Iron Lady" herself.
|-
|[[Indira Gandhi]]
|1966-77 & 1980-84
|Prime Minister of [[India]]
|India's aging power-brokers thought that Nehru's daughter would be a push-over. They got a dreadful shock...
|-
|[[Golda Meir]]
|1969-74
|Prime Minister of [[Israel]]
|This strong-willed "grandmother of the Jewish people" won a magnificent victory over Arab aggression.
|-
|[[Margaret Thatcher]]
|1979-90
|Prime Minister of the [[United Kingdom|UK]]
|The "Iron Lady" struck fear into the hearts of trade unionists, the Soviet gerontocracy and enemies of freedom everywhere.
|-
|[[Benazir Bhutto]]
|1988-90 & 1993-96
|Prime Minister of [[Pakistan]]
|The first female head of government in a Muslim country.
|-
|[[Edith Cresson]]
|1991-92
|Prime Minister of [[France]]
|Included because female leaders can sometimes be just as rubbish as male ones. When someone as useless as Cresson becomes PM, you know that women are starting to achieve equality with men.
|-
|[[Angela Merkel]]
|2005-present
|Chancellor of [[Germany]]
|"The Second Iron Lady", "The Second Iron Chancellor"... She talks a lot of sense to irresponsible governments of other European countries.
|-
|[[Nicola Sturgeon]]
|2014-present
|First Minister of [[Scotland]]
|A straight-talking, no-nonsense lady with a reputation for competence but not compromise.
|-
|}