BBC ON THIS DAY | 20 | 1960: Ceylon chooses world's first woman PM About This Site | Text Only 1960: Ceylon chooses world's first woman PM Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranaike, widow of Ceylon's assassinated prime minister Solomon Bandaranaike, has become the world's first woman prime minister. Her Sri Lanka Freedom Party won a resounding victory in the general election taking 75 out of 150 seats. Mrs Bandaranaike only entered politics after her husband was shot by an extremist Buddhist on 26 September 1959. She has become known as the "weeping widow" for frequently bursting into tears during the election campaign and vowing to continue her late husband's socialist policies. This week's election was called after Dudley Senanayake's United National Party failed to produce a working majority after winning elections in March. Aristocratic by birth Mrs Bandaranaike was born into the Ceylon aristocracy and her husband was a landowner. She was educated by Roman Catholic nuns at St Bridget's school in the capital, Colombo, and is a practising Buddhist.

She married in 1940 aged 24 and has three children - and until her husband's death seemed content in her role as mother and retiring wife. Her SLFP aims to represent the "little man" although its policies during the campaign were not clear. Mr Bandaranaike attributed her success to the "people's love and respect" for her late husband and urged her supporters to practise "simple living, decorum and dignity". Her husband came to power in 1955, eight years after independence, and declared himself a Buddhist which appealed to nationalists. But his government was wracked by infighting among Sinhalese and Tamils and lacked direction. Mrs Bandaranaike inherits a country in a state of flux and her party's proposed programme of nationalisation may bring her into conflict with foreign interests in commodities like tea, rubber and oil. Sri Lanka elects world's first woman prime minister: from the archive, 22 July 1960 | From the Guardian | The Guardian Share on Messenger Close Mrs Sirima Bandaranaike, leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, made history today when she became the world's only woman Prime Minister.

She is the sixth Prime Minister of Ceylon since independence in 1947. Her party secured 75 of the 151 elected seats and will be supported by eight other elected members and six appointed members. This will give her an absolute majority in the House of Representatives. Although Mrs Bandaranaike is not a member of the House of Representatives or the Senate, under Ceylon's present Constitution she can hold the Premiership for four months. It remains to be seen how she will meet this situation. It has been mentioned that one of the party back-benchers may resign his seat in her favour. The suggestion has also been made that she can take her place in the Senate to which she can either be elected by the Lower House or appointed by the Governor-General. After the swearing-in ceremony today she paid homage to the Buddha at one of Colombo's more famous temples. She was cheered along the streets of the city wherever she went. Earlier Mr Dudley Senanavake, leader of the United National Party handed his resignation to the Governor-General Sir Oliver Goonetilleke, who then immediately summoned Mrs Bandaranaike. The new Prime Minister is expected to announce her Cabinet tomorrow.

Mrs Bandaranaike entered politics only after the assassination of her husband last September. She achieved her election victory in spite of allegations by the UNP that she was selling out Ceylon to Marxist dictatorship, but she is expected to pursue a policy of mild socialism with the emphasis on social welfare. A local newspaper quoted her as saying in an interview that her party intended to nationalise life insurance. Asked about the nationalisation of the country's British-owned tea and rubber estates, she said: "The Indian question (the problem of citizenship of settlers of Indian origin) must be settled first." She also said that several members of other parties returned in the election had asked for membership of the Freedom Party. The party's election manifesto proposed the setting up of a commission to inquire into the working of the press, but she did not touch on this subject in the interview. Mrs Bandaranaike said her party intended taking immediate action to appoint a commission to inquire into political aspects of her husband's assassination. Sirimavo Bandaranaike | prime minister of Sri Lanka | Britannica.com prime minister of Sri Lanka Written By: Alternative Titles: Sirimavo R. D.

Bandaranaike, Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike Sirimavo Bandaranaike Prime minister of Sri Lanka Also known as Ranasinghe Premadasa Sirimavo Bandaranaike, in full Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike, also called Sirimavo R.D. Bandaranaike (born April 17, 1916, Ratnapura , Ceylon [now Sri Lanka]—died October 10, 2000, Colombo , Sri Lanka), stateswoman who, upon her party’s victory in the 1960 Ceylon general election, became the world’s first woman prime minister . She left office in 1965 but returned to serve two more terms (1970–77, 1994–2000) as prime minister. The family she founded with her late husband, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, rose to great prominence in Sri Lankan politics. Sirimavo R.D. Bandaranaike, 1960. Keystone/FPG Born into a wealthy family, she married the politician S.W.R.D.

Bandaranaike in 1940 and began to interest herself in social welfare. After her husband, who became prime minister in 1956, was assassinated in 1959, she was induced by his Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) to become the party’s leader. The SLFP won a decisive victory at the general election in July 1960, and she became prime minister. Bandaranaike carried on her husband’s program of socialist economic policies, neutrality in international relations, and the active encouragement of the Buddhist religion and of the Sinhalese language and culture . Her government nationalized various economic enterprises and enforced a law making Sinhalese the sole official language. By 1964 a deepening economic crisis and the SLFP’s coalition with the Marxist Lanka Sama Samaja Party (“Ceylon Socialist Party”) had eroded popular support for her government, which was resoundingly defeated in the general election of 1965. In 1970, however, her socialist coalition, the United Front , regained power, and as prime minister Bandaranaike pursued more radical policies.

Her government further restricted free enterprise, nationalized industries, carried out land reforms, and promulgated a new constitution that created an executive presidency and made Ceylon into a republic named Sri Lanka. While reducing inequalities of wealth, Bandaranaike’s socialist policies had once again caused economic stagnation, and her government’s support of Buddhism and the Sinhalese language had helped alienate the country’s large Tamil minority. The failure to deal with ethnic rivalries and economic distress led, in the election of July 1977, to the SLFP’s retaining only 8 of the 168 seats in the National Assembly , and Bandaranaike was replaced as prime minister. In 1980 the Sri Lanka parliament stripped Bandaranaike of her political rights and barred her from political office, but in 1986 President J.R. Jayawardene granted her a pardon that restored her rights. She ran unsuccessfully as the SLFP’s candidate for president in 1988, and after regaining a seat in parliament in 1989 she became the leader of the opposition.

Britannica Stories Madam Sirimavo Bandaranaike | 21 July 1960 – Election of the world’s first woman Prime Minister Contact us 21 July 1960 – Election of the world’s first woman Prime Minister Ascending to the premiership of Ceylon, Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the first woman to ever hold the position of Prime Minister. The second General Election of 1960had given the Sri Lanka Freedom Party a comfortable victory with which to govern the country. At 4.30pm Mrs Bandaranaike took the oath of office as Prime Minister of Ceylon before Governor General Sir Oliver Goonetilleke at the swearing-in ceremony at his house. Promising to carry on with the reform agenda of her late husband and implement the socialist policies that he had fought for, Mrs Bandaranaike, who was to serve as the Minister of Defence and External Affairs, was stepping into territory that many were vary about, but she, given her upbringing, close following of her husband’s political career and her own involvement in social service endeavours, proved her ability in her own right as the unfolding decades would testify.

Quick Link Bandaranaike Center for International Studies (BCIS) President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall The Sovereign Hotel, Colombo World's First Elected Woman Prime Minister -1960 - SRI LANKA - YouTube World's First Elected Woman Prime Minister -1960 - SRI LANKA Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Mar 20, 2011 Sirimavo Bandaranaike, became the world's first elected woman prime minister on 20 July 1960. In a recent survey for world gender equaltiy, Sri Lanka was ranked 14, while the U.S. came in 21st place.Women of all ages in Sri Lanka are greatly respected.

Woman Premier Ministers 17.12.1917-09.03.1918 (Acting) Evheniya Bohdanivna Bosch, Ukraine Евгения Богдановна Бош, Yevgeniya Bogdanovna Bosh, or Yevheniya Bohdanivna Bosh was People's Commissioner of, and it was regulated by a number of documents that the holder of this office was the Acting Head of the Executive Power. She had been a socialist activist from 1890's, Head of the Kyiv Committee of the Russian Social Democratic Workerï¿½s Party (RSDRP) 1911-12 until she was imprisoned and a deprived of civil rights and exiled to Siberia for life. After the revolution she became Secretary of Regional Committee of RSDRP(B). She resigned from the government in protest to the Brest-Litovsk Peace, according to which Soviet Russia occupied Ukraine. Afterwards she worked on different party and Soviet posts outside Ukraine. When the pain of her disease became unbearable, she committed suicide.

She was of German-Jewish origin, and she originally named Gotlibovna Maysh, and lived (1879-1925). 21.07.1960-27.03.1965 Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike, Sri Lanka 29.05.1970-23.07.1977 14.11.1994-10.8.2000 Chairperson 1960-93 and 1993-2000 President of Sri Lanka Freedom Party, 1965-70 and 1988-94 Leader of The Opposition, 1976 Chairperson of the Association of Non Aligned Nations. As Prime Minister, she also held the posts as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Defence, Finance etc. She carried on her husband's policies of socialism, neutrality in international relations, and the active encouragement of the Buddhist religion and of the Sinhalese language and culture.

In 1964 her coalition with the Marxist Lanka Sama Samaja Party caused dissension in her government, which was subsequently defeated in the general election of 1965. In 1970, however, her socialist coalition, the United Front, regained power, and as prime minister she pursued more radical policies. Her strategy, which included the nationalization of important industries, was nullified by repressive measures and failure to deal with ethnic rivalries and economic distress; in the election of July 1977 her party retained only 8 of 168 seats in the National Assembly and she was replaced as prime minister. In 1980 parliament expelled her and barred her from political office, but in 1986 the president granted her a pardon that restored her rights Before her appointment to Prime Minister in 1994, she was Senior Minister without Portfolio (Second in Cabinet) in her daughter, Chandrika's cabinet. She stepped down in August 2000 to let her daughter reorganize the cabinet ahead of elections; she died shortly after voting on election day.

She was the widow of Solomon B., Premier of Ceylon 1956-59 until he was assassinated. Her father Mr. Ratwatte was a Senator. She is mother of three children. She lived (1916-2000). 19.01.1966-24.03.1977 Indira Gandhi, India 14.01.1980-31.10.1984 (ï¿½) President 1959-60 and 1966-77 Leader of the Congress Party. She was Minister of Information 1964-66 and member of Rajya Sabha 1964-67 and of Lok Sabha 1967-77, 1978 and 1980-84. In 1975 she declared a stated of emergency and ruled as a dictator. She lost the 1977-elections and imprisoned.

After her release she was leader of Congress (I) 1978-84 and as Premier she also held posts of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Defence, Finance, Home Affairs etc. Killed by Sikh bodyguard. She was daughter of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru (1947-64(ï¿½)), married to Feroze Gandhi in 1942. Her younger son Rajiv Ghandi was Prime Minister (1984-89(ï¿½)). She lived (1917-84). 17.03.1969-10.04.1974 Golda Meï¿½r, Israel Ambassador to USSR 1948-49, Minister of Labour 1949-56 and Minister of Foreign Affairs 1956-64, 1964-69 Secretary General and 1969-74 Leader of Labour. When she became Foreign Minister her last name was hebrewnized. She was born in Russia as Golda Mabovic and later immigrated to USA.

Mother of two children and she lived (1898-1978). 03.01.1975-07.04.1976 ï¿½lisabeth Domitiï¿½n, Central African Republic As Premier Minister she was also Deputy Head of State and acted as President on occasions when President Bokassa was abroad. Also vice-President of the ruling Social Evolution Movement of Black Africa (MESAN) 1975-79. She criticized the plans of her cousin, Jean Bedel Bokassa, who had been chief of state since 1966, who wanted to become emperor, and in effect he sacked her. After his fall from power in 1979 she was imprisoned and tried in February 1980. She later became an influential businesswoman in Bangui, Married to the chief of the Mobaye Canton-Mayorship. She lived (1925-2005).

03.05.1979-22.11.1990 Margaret Thatcher, United Kingdom of Great Britain MP 1959-90, Parliamentary Secretary of Pensions and National Insurance 1961-64, Secretary of State of Education 1970-74, Shadow Minister of Environment and Housing 1974-75, Shadow Special Minister of Finance and Public Expenditure 1975, Leader of The Conservative Party 1975-90, Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition 1975-79. As Prime Minister she was also First Lord of the Treasury and Minister of the Civil Service. Head of the European Communities Presidency - President of the European Council 1981 and 1986, she was President of the Group of Seven, G-7 all of 1984. Created Baroness Thatcher of Kestaven in 1990 and member of the House of Lords. Mother of twins. She lived (1925-2013). 01.08.1979-3.01.1980 Dr.

Maria de Lourdes Ruivo da Silva de Matos Pintasilgo, Portugal Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo was secretary of State of Social Affairs 1974, Ambassador to UNESCO 1975-79, Minister of Social Affairs 1974-75, Member of Council of State 1979-86 and Presidential Candidate in 1986. Member of the European Parliament 1979-86. Unmarried. She lived (1930-2004). 21.07.1980-14.06.1995 Dame M. Eugenia Charles, Dominica Leader of Dominican Liberty Party 1964-94 and 1974-80 Leader of the Opposition. During her tenure as Premier she was also Minister of External Affairs, Finance, Trade and Industry, Defence, Minister of Information and Public Relations. In 1992 she was Knighted by Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, the former Head of State of Domenica. Unmarried and lived (1916-2005).

04.02.1981-14.10.1981 Gro Harlem Brundtland, Norway 09.05.1986-16.10.1989 30.11.1990-25.10.1996 Minister of Environmental Protection 1974-79, Deputy Leader 1975-81, Deputy Parliamentary Leader 1980-81, Leader 1981-93 and Parliamentary Leader, Parliamentary Leader of Arbeiderpartiet, Labour, 1980-81 and 1989-90 Chairperson of the Foreign and 1989-90 of the Finance Committees, 1998-2002 Director General of the World Health Organization, WHO, and Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations. In 1986 she appointed a world record number of women to the cabinet - 8 of 18. A medical doctor, daughter of Gudmond Harlem (1917-88) a former Minister and mother of 4 children. (b.

1939-). 15.05.1982-15.05.1986 Milka Planinc, Yugoslavia Secretary of Treï¿½njevka Peopleï¿½s Assembly 1957, Secretary of Cultural Affairs of the City of Zagreb 1961-63, Croatian Secretary for Education 1963-65, President of Assembly 1967-71, Leader of the Communist Party in Croatia 1971-82. She lived (1924-2010). 02.12.1988-06.08.1990 Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan 19.10.1993-05.11.1996 Co-Chairperson 1984-94 and Leader of Pakistan People's Party 1994-2007, in house arrest 1977-84 and in exile 1984-86. She also held the Portfolios of Defence, Atomic Energy, Finance, Economy, Information and Establishment.

Both in 1990 and 1996 she was removed from office by the President on charges of corruption and later convinced. Returned to Pakistan in 2007 after 10 years in exile in United Kingdom and Dubai to contest elections in January 2008, which she was widely expected to win, but was killed by a suicide bomb in December 2007, her son and widower took over as party-leaders and in 2008 Asif Ali Zardari was elected president. She was daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the former President and Prime Minister, who was executed after the coup dï¿½etat in 1979. Her three children were born in 1988, 1989 and 1993. She lived (1953-2007). 17.03.1990-10.01.1991 Kasimiera Prunskienė, Lithuania Deputy Premier and Minister of Economy 1989-90 and one of the leaders of the struggle for independence.

She became leader of the government after the declaration of independence at 11.3.90, which was internationally recognized at 6.9.91. In 1991 Chairperson of Democratic Party, and from 1995-2001 Chairperson of Womenï¿½s Party, 1996-2000 Group Chairperson of the independent MPï¿½s, and Chairperson of the Peasants and New Democratic Parties Union 2001-04. Presidential Candidate in 2002 and 2004 and Minister of Agriculture 2004-08. (b. 1945-). 20.03.1991-30.03.1996 Begum Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh 01.09.2001-29.10.2006 Vice-Chairperson of The Nationalist Party 1982-84 and Leader since 1984.

Her husband, President Zia-ur-Rahman, was Premier Minister 1976-77 and President 1977-81 until he was assassinated. Khaleda was detained seven times during nine years of autocratic rule. In the face of mass upsurge spearheaded by the seven-party alliance, led by Khaleda, and the eight-party combine, led by Sheik Hasina Wajed, Ershad resigned in 1990 and handed over power to neutral caretaker government, bringing an end to his nine-year autocratic rule. During her first tenure as Premier she was also Minister of Defence, Establishment, Cabinet Diversion and Planning, Information Energy and Resources. 1996-2001 Leader of the Opposition. Resigned in October 2006 to prepare for the elections later in the year, which was postponed because of unrests. Her sons, Tareque Rahman and Arafat Rahman Koko were arrested on corruption charges in March and April 2007, and In September the same year she was herself charged with corruption and the military supported care-taker government tried to pressure her into exile.

The charges against her was dropped in 2008. (b. 1945- ) 15.05.1991-02.04.1992 Edith Cresson, France Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, External 1981-83, Trade 1983-84, Industry 1984-86, European Affairs 1988-90. She was European Union Commissioner for Science, Research, Education and Youth 1995-99. In march 1999 she brought along the downfall of the EU-Commission as she refused the step down after a rapport had demonstrated that she was responsible of nepotism and mismanagement. (b. 1934-). 08.07.1992-26.10.1993 Hanna Suchocka, Poland As Minister President she was also Vice-President of the National Security Council. Member of Solidarity in 1980 and member of the Sejm 1982-85 and again 1989-2002 for various parties.

1991-97 member of Committee for Foreign Affairs and the Constitutional Committee. Vice-President of the Council of Europe 1991-92. In 1994 she was co-founder of the new Freedom Union (UW, liberal and social democratic) and member of it's leadership. The following year she was candidate in the party's primary for Presidential candidate, 1997-2000 Minister of Justice and Procurator-General. 1999 official Polish candidate for the office of the secretary general of the Council of Europe. Since 2002 Ambassador to the Vatican. Unmarried. (b. 1946-). 10.07.1993-11.02.1994 Sylvie Kinigi, Burundi By the time of her appointment as Premier she was Head of the Economic Planning Office in the Presidentï¿½s Office. During the Civil War the President was killed and as the highest ranking remaining official, she became Acting President (27.10.93-5.2.94). After her resignation she left politics and joined the Burundiï¿½s Commercial Bank. (b.

1952-). 25.06.1993-07.03.1996 Tansu ï¿½iller, Turkey Assistant Professor 1974-83 and 1983-90 Professor of Economics at Bosphorus University. Minister of State and Chief Economic Coordinator 1991-93, Deputy Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs 1996-97. She was Deputy Chairperson 1990-93 and 1993-2002 Chairperson of DYP, The True Path Party. On 1.6.97 Premier Minister Erbakan, leader of the Islamic Party resigned in order with the purpose of her taking over as Premier, but President Demirel chose Meshut Yilmaz, who managed to form a government among others because of defections from her party. Mother of two children. (b. 1946-). 25.06.1993-04.11.1993 A.

Kim Campbell, Canada Executive Director, Office of British Columbia Premier 1985-86, Progressive Conservative MP 1988-93, Minister of State (Indian Affairs and Northern Development) 1989-90, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General 1990-93 and Minister of Defence and Minister of Veteran Affairs in 1993. As Prime Minister, 1993, she was also Minister responsible for Federal-Provincial Relations. She was leader of the Progressive Conservative party, 13.06.1993-13.12.1993, resigning after the party lost all but two seats in the House of Commons in the 1993 election in spite of gaining about 16% of the vote. She became a lecturer at Harvard University and has been Consul General of Canada in Los Angeles since 1996. Married with a stepdaughter. (b. 1947-).

18.07.1993-07.05.1994 (ï¿½) Agathe Uwilingiyimana, Rwanda Minister of Education from 1992 till her appointment as Premier. On the 06.05 1994 the Hutu President Habyarimana was killed together with his Burundian colleague, Cyprien Ntaryamira, when their plane was rocketed on its way to Kigali airport. Agathe, a Hutu, was killed by the Tutsi Presidential guard together with her family and 10 Belgian soldiers, the day before she was supposed to step down as Premier Minister. The two killings sparked off the civil war and genocide of approximately 1 million Hutus and Tutsies. Mother of about 6 children. She lived (1953-94). 16.10.1994-25.01.1995 (Interim) Reneta Ivanova Indzhova, Bulgaria Also know as Reneta Injova she was leader of an interim government consisting of technocrats.

Her Deputy Premier, Minister of Economy and Finance was Hristina Vucheva. In 1995 she was mayoral candidate in Sofia, 2001 Presidential Candidate and the same year she became Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance. (b. 1953-). 19.8.1994-14.11.1994 Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Sri Lanka Chief Minister of the Western Province before becoming Prime Minister. After a few months she became President , and later appointed her mother, Sirivamo Bandaranaike, to her third term as Prime Minister. She was President 1994-2005. (1945-). 07.11.1995-27.02.1996 Claudette Werleigh, Haï¿½ti An economist, she became Minister of Social Affairs 1990-91, Minister of Foreign Affairs 1993-95 and was Executive Director of the Washington Office of Haiti 1993. Later an UN official. (b.

1946- ), 23.06.1996-15.7.2001 Sheikh Hasina Wajed, Bangladesh 06.01.2009- Her father, Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1920-72-75), and most of her family was killed during a military coup in 1975 when she and her sister were abroard. Returned to Bangladesh in 1981, President of the Awami Leauge from 1981, Opposition Leader 1986-87 and 1991-96 and 2001-06. In 1983, she formed the 15-party alliance to launch a movement to oust General Ershad from power and was in and out of prison throughout the 1980s and was under house arrest a few times. Her party, along with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Begum Khaleda Zia, was instrumental in the movement against the military rule.

2007 she was arrested on corruption and murder charges, but was allowed to go to USA for medical treatment in 2007 though the military supported care-taker government tried to pressure her into exile. Returned in November 2008 to lead her party in the election campaign, which her party won overwealmingly. Married to the nuclear scientist Dr M. A. Wazed Miah and mother a son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and a daughter, Saima Wazed Putul, who both lives in the USA. (b. 1947- ). 17.03.1997-22.12.1997 Janet Jagan, Guyana As Premier Minister she also held the title of 1. Vice-President and she was Minister of Mines. Her political career started in 1950 and she held many positions. In 1997 her husband, Dr. Cheddi Bharat Jagan, died, and she was chosen to replace the Premier who succeeded Mr. Jagan as President. Janet was chosen as her party's candidate in the following Presidential elections, which she won.

Afterwards she re-appointed the former President to the post of Prime Minister after being sworn in as President . She was born as Janet Rosenberg in Chicago and mother of two children, and lived (1920-2009). 08.12.1997-10.12.1999 Jenny Shipley, New Zealand Minister of Women's Affairs 1990-98, Social Affairs 1990-93, Minister of Health 1993-96, Transport, State Services and State-Owned Enterprises, Accident Rehabilitation and Compensation Insurance 1996-97. As Premier she was also Minister in charge of the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service. She ousted then Prime Minister Jim Bolger as leader of the National Party and after his resignation she became leader of the government. 1999-2001 she was Leader of the Opposition. Mother of two children. (b. 1952-).

31.08.1998-23.09.1998 (Acting) Anne Enger Lahnstein, Norway Acting Premier during Kjell Magne Bondevik's sick leave because of stress and psychological problems. She was Deputy Leader 1983-91, Parliamentary Leader, 1989-91 and Leader of The Centre Party 1991-99. 1. Deputy to the Prime Minister and Minister of Culture of the centre-right-government 1997-99, Vice Chairperson of the Defence Committee of Stortinget 1999-2001 and Governor of ï¿½stfold since 2003. (b. 1950-).

03.05.1999-10/18.05.1999 (Acting) Irena Degutienï¿½, Lithuania 27.10.1999-03.11.1999 (Acting) Medical Doctor, 1994-97 Vice-Minister of Health and Minister of Labour and Social Affairs 1997-2000, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas 2008-09 and from 2012 and Speaker 2009-12. (b. 1949-). 22.07.1999-30.07.1999 (Acting) Tuyaa Nyam-Osoryn, Mongolia A former journalist and director in the Foreign Ministry, she was Minister of Foreign Affairs 1998-2000 and appointed acting Premier after her predecessor's resignation. (b. 1958-). 10.12.1999-19.11.2008 Helen Clark, New Zealand MP since 1981.

Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Select Committee 1984-87, Minister of Housing and Conservation 1987-89, Deputy Premier and Minister of Labour and Health 1989-90, Deputy Leader of Labour and of the Opposition 1990-93 and Leader of Labour 1993-2008 and Leader of the Opposition 1993-99. As Prime Minister she also held the Portfolio of Arts and Culture and Security Intelligence Service and Ministerial Services and Acting Foreign Minister in 2008. Head of the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP from 2009. In 1981 she married Dr. Peter Davis. No children and Candidate for UN Secretary General in 2016. (b. 1950-). 03.03.2001-04.11.2002 Mame Madior Boye, Sï¿½nï¿½gal Former assistant to the Attorney General of the Republic, judge and first vice President of the Regional High Court in Dakar and former President of the Court of Appeal in Dakar.

Councillor to the Supreme Court of Appeal and Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals in 2000-2001. In 2002 she took over as Minister of Defence after the former incumbent resigned after almost 1.000 persons died in a ferry-disaster. (b.1940-). 11.07.2002-31.07.2002 (Acting) Chang Sang, South Korea Appointed Acting Prime Minister upon her designation, which was vetoed by the parliament at the 30.7 and about one month later the parliament also rejected President Kim Dae Jung's nominee as her successor. She holds a doctorate in philosophy from Princeton Theological College in the United States. She has been President of Ewha Women's University since 1996. (b. 1939-).

03.10.2002-16.07.2003 Maria das Neves Ceita Batista de Sousa, Republic of Sï¿½o Tomï¿½ e Prï¿½ncipe 23.07.2003-18.09.2004 Maria das Neves worked as a civil servant in the Ministry of Finance and in the African Development Bank. 1999-2001 Minister of Economics, Agriculture, Fisheries, Commerce and Tourism, 2001-02 Minister of Finance and 2002 Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism. On 16th of July 2003 she was detained during a military coup d'etat but on the 23rd the government was reinstated. The following year she was dismissed after aaccusations of corruption. Vice-President of the National Assembly since 2010 and Presidential Candidate in 2011. (b. 1958-).

17.04.2003-24.06.2003 Anneli Jï¿½ï¿½tteenmï¿½ki, Finland 1991-94 and 1999-2000 Deputy Parliamentary Leader and since 2000 leader of Suomen Keskusta/Centern i Finland, 1994-95 Minister of Justice. In 2003 Speaker of the Parliament. On 18.06 she tendered in her resignation application after it was revealed that she had used confidential material to aid her election campaign and then lying about how she had got the documents. (b. 1955-). 28.06.2003-15.12.2003 Dr. Beatriz Merino Lucero, Peru Senator 1990-92, Member of the Congress 1995-2000, Vice-Presidential Candidate 2000 and Superintendent of the National Tax Administration before becoming a very popular President of the Council of Ministers, until she was sacked by the extremely unpopular President. (b. 1949-).

17.02.2004-16.01.2010 Luï¿½sa Dï¿½as Diogo, Moï¿½ambique Head of Department in the Ministry of Finance 1986-89, National Budget Director 1982-89 in Ministry of Planning and Finance, worked in World Bank 1993-94. 1994-2000 Vice-Minister and Minister of Planning and Finance 2000-05. Mother of three children. (b. 1958-). 12.05.2004-02.06.2004 (Acting) 18.11.2004-17.12.2004 (Acting) Radmila Sekerinska, Macedonia As Vice-President of the Government and Minister without Portfolio for Euro-Atlantic Integration 2002-06, she acted as Head of Government from the former Prime Minister Crvenkovski's Presidential inauguration until election of Kostov as new Prime Minister.

She already presided over government sessions and signed documents since Crvenkovski became candidate for President, as he 'renounced' his Premiership during the campaign, but he never officially stepped down. In November she was again appointed Acting Premier after her predecessor resigned, but lost the party internal election for the post of Prime Minister and Leader of the Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia (SDSM). Party Vice-President 1999-2006 and Leader 2006-08. (b. 1972-). 24.01.2005-08.09.2005 Yuliya Tymoshenko, Ukraine 18.12.2007-11.03.2010 Her name is also transcribed as Yulia Voldyrovna Timoshenkno. She is former Co-Leader of the Hromda party, Director of United Energy System 1998-2000, In 2001 she was charged with corruption but later acquitted.

Leader of the Fatherland's Party 2000/01-05 and of the Bloc Tymoshenko from 2005. In June 2006 a Coalition deal was signed designating her as Prime Minister, but one of the parties broke out. Narrowly defeated in the 2010-presidential elections and afterwards her coalition in parliament broke up and she was defeated by a motion of no confidence. The following year she was sentenced to seven years in prison in what is widely seen as a political trial, but fried after the uprising in February 2014. (b. 1961-). 07.06.2005-21.05.2006 Maria do Carmo Trovoada Pires de Carvalho Silveira, Sï¿½o Tomï¿½ e Princï¿½pe Normally known as Maria do Carmo Silveira, she was governor of the National Bank 2002-05 and member of the Political Bureau of the Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tomï¿½-Social Democratic Party, MLSTP-PSD. Also Minister of Finance from 2005.

(b. 1961-). 03.05.2005-22.06.2005 (Acting) Cynthia A. Pratt, The Bahamas Appointed Acting Prime Minister when the incumbent suffered a minor stroke and stepped aside from his duties, but she has acted on a number of occasions before, when he was abroad. She is also known as "Mother" Pratt. As Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Security 2002-07 she was in charge of the Defence Force and Police. She was Opposition Whip Circa 1992-2000 and from circa 2000 Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Deputy Leader of the Progressive Liberal Democratic Part. A former nurse, she is mother of 6 children (b. 1945-).

22.11.2005- Angela Merkel, Germany 1990 Deputy Spokesperson of the Government of the DDR, 1990-98 Deputy Chairperson of CDU, 1991-94 Federal Minister Women and Youth and 1994-98 Federal Minister of Environment, Protection of Nature and Reactor Safety, 1993-2000 Chairperson of CDU in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, 1998-2000 Federal Secretary General and since 2000 Federal Chairperson of CDU and 2002-05 also Parliamentary Leader, Chairperson of the European Council and President of the Group of Eight, G-8 in 2007. Nï¿½e Kasner and married secondly to Joachim Sauer, no children. (b. 1954-).

30.03.2006-11.09.2007 Portia Simpson-Miller, Jamaica 05.01.2012- 03.03.2016 Since 1976 MP, 1976-82 Parliamentary Secretary of the Prime Minister, Deputy President of People's National Party 1978-2006 and President from 2006. Minister of Labour, Social Welfare and Sports 1989-2000, Candidate for the party leadership and Premiership in 1992, Minister of Tourism, Entertainment, Sports and Womenï¿½s Affairs 2000-02 and Minister of Local Government, Community Development and Sport 2002-06. Acting Prime Minister on various occasions whenever the chief of government was out of the country. 2006-2007 and from 2012 also Minister of Defence and a number of other portfolios. Opposition Leader 2007-11. (b. 1946-).

19.04.2006-07.03.2007 Han Myung-sook, South Korea During the years of the military dictatorship, she started her career as a social activist in the South Korea Christian Academy and was a political prisoner 1979-81. Master in Christian Theology and Women's Studies and B.A. in French. MP from 2000. Minister of Gender Equality 2001-03 and Minister of Environment 2003-04 She resigned to run as candidate in the Uri-party internal primaries but soon after the party merged with other parties into the United New Democratic Party and Chairperson of the Supreme Council of the Democratic United Party from 2012. (1944-). 31.03.2008-14.09.2009 Zinaida Grecianï¿½i, Moldova Vice-Minister 2000-01 and First Vice-Minister of Finance 2001-02, Minister of Finance 2002-05 and 1.

Vice Prime Minister and Coordinator of the activity of executive institution in charge with economic-financial sector from 2005. Following the parliamentary elections in March she was put forward on two rounds of voting for the post of President in May and June but got 60 votes, one short of the required majority. The Communists lost the subsequent elections and she resigned to take up her position as an MP. (b. 1956-). 31.07.2008-11.11.2009 Michï¿½le Pierre-Louis, Haiti The third nominee by president Preval since March, has been Executive Director of the Foundation of Knowledge and Liberty since 1995. On 31.07 the Senate confirmed her nomination and she was appointed to the post by the President and on 05.09 the two chambers had approved her programme of government and list of ministers and she finally took over the government. (b. 1947-).

03.12.2008-05.12.2012 Antonella Mularoni, San Marino As Secretary of Foreign and Political Affairs she also functions as Leader of the Government even though the Captain Generals are both Heads of State and Government. She was Political Secretary to the Minister of Finance 1986-87, Director of the Office for relations with the associations of San Marino citizens living abroad 1987-90, Deputy Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe, 1989-90, Barrister and public notary in the Republic of San Marino 1991-2001, Member of the General Grand Council 1993-2001 and again from 2008, and Judge of the European Court of Human Rights 2001-08. (b. 1961-).

01.02.2009-23.05.2013 Jï¿½hanna Sigurï¿½ardï¿½ttir, Iceland Johanna Sigurdardsottir was Deputy Chairperson of the Social Democrats 1984-93, Chairperson 1994-99 of the National Revival Party until she rejoined the Social Democrats and became it's leader in 2009, Vice-President of the Lower Chamber 1979 and 1983-84 and Vice-Chairperson of the the Alï¿½ing 2003-07, Minister of Social Affairs And Health 1987-91 and Minister of Social Affairs 1991-94 and 2007-09. First married to ï¿½orvaldur Steinar Jï¿½hannesson with whom she has got sons, and is now married to the author Jï¿½nï¿½na Leï¿½sdï¿½ttir, who is mother of 1 son. (b.

1942-) 06.07.2009-23.12.2011 Jadranka Kosor, Croatia Vice-President of the Sabor 1995-2000 and 2011, Deputy Chairperson of HDZ 1995-97, Party Leader 2009-12 and Leader of the Opposition 2011-12. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of War Weterans from 2003, Minister for Family and Inter-Generation Solidarity 2003-08 and responsible for Foreign Policy and Human Rights. Presidential Candidate 2005. (b. 1953-).

21.10.2009-13.11.2009 (Acting) BBC News | SOUTH ASIA | Sirimavo Bandaranaike: First woman premier Tuesday, 10 October, 2000, 11:54 GMT 12:54 UK Sirimavo Bandaranaike: First woman premier Sirimavo Bandaranaike died shortly after voting Sirimavo Bandaranaike, who has died in Sri Lanka at the age of 84, became the world's first elected woman prime minister on 20 July 1960. She served for 12 years and then returned to the post in the 1990s. Was thrust into limelight after husband's death She was the widow of prime minister Solomon Bandaranaike, who was assassinated in 1959. The family dominated Sri Lankan politics for most of the second half of the century. Born Sirimavo Ratwatte, on 17 April 1916, she was the eldest daughter among six children and came from a wealthy, aristocratic land-owning family.

Although a Buddhist, she was educated at a convent in Colombo run by Roman Catholic nuns. 'Weeping widow' In 1940, when she was 24, she married Solomon Bandaranaike, who formed the nationalist Sri Lankan Freedom Party and led it to election victory in 1956. Family dynasty Widow of former prime minister Daughter Chandrika Kumaratunga became president Son Anura also a politician But in 1959, Mr Bandaranaike was shot by a Buddhist monk. Mrs Bandaranaike took over the presidency of his party and was dubbed "the weeping widow" for frequently bursting into tears as she pledged herself to continue her husband's vaguely socialist policies. But within a year of her historic 1960 election victory, she declared a state of emergency after a prolonged civil disobedience campaign by the minority Tamil population, angered by her action in replacing English with Sinhala as the official national language. President Kumaratunga: Followed her mother's example In 1964, she and her cabinet were defeated in a confidence vote, and lost the general election which followed.

But in 1970, she again became prime minister, after an electoral landslide by her left-wing coalition. Her politics moved to the left, thanks to her strong personal ties with China and the then Indian prime minister, Indira Gandhi. She declared the country a republic in 1972, changing the name from Ceylon to Sri Lanka. She also nationalised some companies in the plantation sector and restricted some imports. Crushing defeat By 1976, despite high international standing, Mrs Bandaranaike's popularity at home was declining and she was losing more support on the left, with a faltering economy and allegations of corruption. I believe it is time for me to quietly withdraw from the humdrum of busy political life, to a more tranquil and quiet environment Sirimavo Bandaranaike She suffered a crushing election defeat in 1977. Parliament expelled her in 1980, accusing her of misusing power, and banning her from office for seven years. Her civic rights were restored in 1986, and she narrowly lost the election for the new, more powerful post of president in 1988.

Her daughter, Chandrika Kumaratunga, became president of Sri Lanka in 1994 after leading the left-wing People's Alliance to an election victory, and reviving the fortunes of the Bandaranaike family. She appointed her mother prime minister, a position that has become largely ceremonial. But observers believed that Sirimavo Bandaranaike and her daughter did not always see eye to eye - largely over issues of leadership rather than policy. Her daughter was known to be keen for her to leave to make way for a younger face. Mrs Bandaranaike, having returned to the post of prime minister, reluctantly gave up the reins of power on 10 August 2000. Sirimavo Bandaranaike suffered a heart attack while driving home after casting her vote in the general elections.

Question: Who, in 1960, became the first woman Prime Minister in the world?
Answer: Sirimavo Bandaranaike