# Council of Women World Leaders

The Council of Women World Leaders, created in 1996, is a network of 83 current and former presidents and prime ministers. It is the only organization in the world dedicated to women heads of state and government. The council's Ministerial Initiative also involves current and former cabinet ministers and secretaries in the work of the council.
The first summit was held April 29–30, 1998, at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

## Leadership

* Katrín Jakobsdóttir Council Chair (2020–present) Prime Minister of Iceland (2017–2024)
* Laura Liswood Secretary General (1996–present)

## Chair Emeritae

* Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Council Chair (1996–1999) President of Iceland (1980–1996)
* Kim Campbell Council Chair (1999–2003) Prime Minister of Canada (1993)
* Mary Robinson Council Chair (2003–2009) President of Ireland (1990–1997)
* Tarja Halonen Council Chair (2009–2014) President of Finland (2000–2012)
* Dalia Grybauskaitė Council Chair (2014–2019) President of Lithuania (2009–2019)
* Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović Council Chair (2019–2020) President of Croatia (2015–2020)

## Members
### Members currently serving as heads of state or government

* Mette Frederiksen Prime Minister of Denmark (2019–present)
* Saara Kuugongelwa Prime Minister of Namibia (2015–present)
* Katerina Sakellaropoulou President of Greece (2020–present)
* Maia Sandu President of Moldova (2020–present)
* Ingrida Šimonytė Prime Minister of Lithuania (2020–present)
* Sahle-Work Zewde President of Ethiopia (2018–present)
* Salome Zourabichvili President of Georgia (2018–present)
* Hilda Heine President of the Marshall Islands (2016–2020, 2024–present)

### Members who previously served as heads of state or government

* Mercedes Aráoz Prime Minister of Peru (2017–2018)
* Jacinda Ardern Prime Minister of New Zealand (2017–2023)
* Gloria Macapagal Arroyo President of the Philippines (2001–2010)
* Michelle Bachelet President of Chile (2006–2010, 2014–2018)
* Joyce Banda President of Malawi (2012–2014)
* Gro Harlem Brundtland Prime Minister of Norway (1981, 1986–1989, 1990–1996)
* Micheline Calmy-Rey President of Switzerland (2007, 2011)
* Susanne Camelia-Römer Prime Minister of the Netherlands Antilles (1993, 1998–1999)
* Tansu Çiller Prime Minister of Turkey (1993–1996)
* Helen Clark Prime Minister of New Zealand (1999–2008)
* Paula Cox Premier of Bermuda (2010–2012)
* Édith Cresson Prime Minister of France (1991–1992)
* Viorica Dăncilă Prime Minister of Romania (2018–2019)
* Luisa Diogo Prime Minister of Mozambique (2004–2010)
* Ruth Dreifuss President of Switzerland (1999)
* Park Geun-hye President of South Korea (2013–2017)
* Julia Gillard Prime Minister of Australia (2010–2013)
* Pamela F. Gordon Premier of Bermuda (1997–1998)
* Ameenah Gurib-Fakim President of Mauritius (2015–2018)
* Atifete Jahjaga President of Kosovo (2011–2016)
* Emily de Jongh-Elhage Prime Minister of the Netherlands Antilles (2006–2010)
* Kersti Kaljulaid President of Estonia (2016–2021)
* Cristina Fernández de Kirchner President of Argentina (2007–2015)
* Mari Kiviniemi Prime Minister of Finland (2010–2011)
* Jadranka Kosor Prime Minister of Croatia (2009–2011)
* Chandrika Kumaratunga President of Sri Lanka (1994–2005)
* Doris Leuthard President of Switzerland (2010)
* Maria Liberia Peters Prime Minister of the Netherlands Antilles (1984–1986, 1988–1994)
* Sanna Marin Prime Minister of Finland (2019–2023)
* Theresa May Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (2016–2019)
* Mary McAleese President of Ireland (1997–2011)
* Beatriz Merino Prime Minister of Peru (2003)
* Angela Merkel Chancellor of Germany (2005–2021)
* Laura Chinchilla Miranda President of Costa Rica (2010–2014)
* Mireya Moscoso President of Panama (1999–2004)
* Maria das Neves Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe (2002–2004)
* Roza Otunbayeva President of Kyrgyzstan (2010–2011)
* Pratibha Patil President of India (2007–2012)
* Kamla Persad-Bissessar Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago (2010–2015)
* Michèle Pierre-Louis Prime Minister of Haiti (2008–2009)
* Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca President of Malta (2014–2019)
* Dilma Rousseff President of Brazil (2011–2016)
* Jenny Shipley Prime Minister of New Zealand (1997–1999)
* Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir Prime Minister of Iceland (2009–2013)
* Maria do Carmo Silveira Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe (2005–2006)
* Portia Simpson-Miller Prime Minister of Jamaica (2006–2007, 2012–2016)
* Ellen Johnson Sirleaf President of Liberia (2006–2018)
* Jennifer M. Smith Premier of Bermuda (1998–2003)
* Erna Solberg Prime Minister of Norway (2013–2021)
* Simonetta Sommaruga President of Switzerland (2015, 2020)
* Laimdota Straujuma Prime Minister of Latvia (2014–2016)
* Hanna Suchocka Prime Minister of Poland (1992–1993)
* Megawati Sukarnoputri President of Indonesia (2001–2004)
* Helle Thorning-Schmidt Prime Minister of Denmark (2011–2015)
* Aminata Touré Prime Minister of Senegal (2013–2014)
* Yulia Tymoshenko Prime Minister of Ukraine (2005, 2007–2010)
* Mirtha Vásquez Prime Minister of Peru (2021–2022)
* Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga President of Latvia (1999–2007)
* Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf President of Switzerland (2012)
* Sophie Wilmès Prime Minister of Belgium (2019–2020)
* Begum Khaleda Zia Prime Minister of Bangladesh (1991–1996, 2001–2006)
* Natalia Gavrilița Prime Minister of Moldova (2021–2023)
* Paula-Mae Weekes President of Trinidad and Tobago (2018–2023)
* Tsai Ing-wen President of the Republic of China (2016–2024)
* Ana Brnabić Prime Minister of Serbia (2017–2024)
* Sheikh Hasina Prime Minister of Bangladesh (1996–2001, 2009–2024)

### Deceased members

* Corazon Aquino President of the Philippines (1986–1992)
* Sirimavo Bandaranaike Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (1960–1965, 1970–1977, 1994–2000)
* Benazir Bhutto Prime Minister of Pakistan (1988–1990, 1993–1996)
* Eugenia Charles Prime Minister of Dominica (1980–1995)
* Janet Jagan President of Guyana (1997–1999)
* Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo Prime Minister of Portugal (1979–1980)