Name Country Position Year Started Political Party Notable Achievements Kamala Harris United States Vice President 2021 Democratic First female Vice President of the U.S. Angela Merkel Germany Chancellor 2005 Christian Democratic Union Longest serving Chancellor since Helmut Kohl Sanna Marin Finland Prime Minister 2019 Social Democratic Party Youngest female Prime Minister in the world Jacinda Ardern New Zealand Prime Minister 2017 Labour Party Handled the Christchurch shooting and COVID-19 crisis effectively Tsai Ing-wen Taiwan President 2016 Democratic Progressive Party First female President of Taiwan Ursula von der Leyen European Union President of the European Commission 2019 Christian Democratic Union First woman to hold the position Mary Robinson Ireland President 1990 Irish Labour Party First female President of Ireland Michelle Bachelet Chile President 2006 Socialist Party First female President of Chile; UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ruth Bader Ginsburg United States Supreme Court Justice 1993 Pioneered gender equality and women's rights in law Margaret Thatcher United Kingdom Prime Minister 1979 Conservative Party First female Prime Minister of the UK Indira Gandhi India Prime Minister 1966 Indian National Congress First and only female Prime Minister of India Golda Meir Israel Prime Minister 1969 Labour Party One of the first female leaders of a modern nation Dame Jenny Shipley New Zealand Prime Minister 1997 National Party First female Prime Minister of New Zealand Angela Rayner United Kingdom Deputy Leader of the Labour Party 2020 Labour Party Deputy Leader and shadow cabinet member Roberta Metsola Malta President of the European Parliament 2022 European People's Party Youngest President of the European Parliament Nana Akufo-Addo Ghana First Lady 2000 Advocate for women's rights and children's rights Liz Truss United Kingdom Prime Minister 2022 Conservative Party Shortest serving Prime Minister in UK history Priti Patel United Kingdom Home Secretary 2019 Conservative Party First female Indian-origin member to hold this position Hillary Clinton United States Secretary of State 2009 Democratic First female Presidential nominee of a major party in 2016 Kamala Harris United States Senator 2017 Democratic First female, first Black and first Asian-American Vice President Cheryl Sandberg United States Author and Advocate Lean In Foundation; Advocated for women's leadership Nusrat Ghani United Kingdom Minister 2019 Conservative Party First Muslim female Minister in the UK Janet Reno United States Attorney General 1993 Democratic First woman to serve as U.S. Attorney General Susana Martinez United States Governor 2011 Republican First female Governor of New Mexico Yingluck Shinawatra Thailand Prime Minister 2011 Pheu Thai Party First female Prime Minister of Thailand Benazir Bhutto Pakistan Prime Minister 1988 Pakistan People's Party First woman to head a democratic government in a majority Muslim nation Christine Lagarde France President of European Central Bank 2019 First woman to lead the ECB Natalia Kanem United Nations Executive Director of UNFPA 2017 Advocate for reproductive rights and women's health Abiy Ahmed Ethiopia 2018 Supported women's rights and leadership in Ethiopia Nadia Murad Iraq Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2018 Advocate against sexual violence as a weapon of war Ilhan Omar United States Congresswoman 2019 Democratic One of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez United States Congresswoman 2019 Democratic Youngest woman ever elected to Congress Greta Thunberg Sweden Environmental Activist 2019 Global youth climate movement leader Marie Le Pen France Leader of the National Rally Party 2011 National Rally Leaded far-right party and presidential candidate Joyce Banda Malawi President 2012 People's Party First woman to serve as President in Malawi Marina Silva Brazil Senator 2015 Sustainability Network Prominent environmentalist and political figure Michelle Wu United States Mayor of Boston 2021 Democratic First woman and person of color to serve as Mayor of Boston Laura Chinchilla Costa Rica President 2010 National Liberation Party First female President of Costa Rica Elena Kagan United States Supreme Court Justice 2010 Fourth female Justice of the Supreme Court Svetlana Tikhanovskaya Belarus Opposition Leader 2020 Opposition leader following contested elections Kaja Kallas Estonia Prime Minister 2021 Reform Party First female Prime Minister of Estonia Mary McAleese Ireland President 1997 Second female President of Ireland Tamara Keith United States NPR News Correspondent 2014 National Public Radio's White House Correspondent Mary Barra United States CEO of General Motors 2014 First female CEO of a major automaker Jacqueline Novogratz United States CEO of Acumen 2001 Pioneer in social impact investing Marie Curie Poland Scientist and Politician First woman to win a Nobel Prize Kenya Moore United States Reality TV Star and Activist Advocated for women in leadership and health Kamala Harris United States U.S. Senator 2017 Democratic Advocate for women's rights and health Michelle Bachelet Chile UN High Commissioner for Human Rights 2018 Promoted human rights globally Rosario Dawson United States Actress and Activist Advocated for women's empowerment and voting rights Toni Morrison United States Author and Activist Nobel Prize laureate and advocate for African American rights Patricia Espinosa Mexico Executive Secretary of UNFCCC 2016 Promoting climate action globally Francesca Romana Italy Chamber of Deputies Member 2018 Lega Nord Political leader in Italian Parliament Maria Ressa Philippines Journalist and CEO 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner for press freedom Amy Klobuchar United States Senator 2007 Democratic First female Senator from Minnesota Susan Collins United States Senator 1997 Republican One of two female Senators from Maine Rashida Tlaib United States Congresswoman 2019 Democratic One of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress Stacey Abrams United States Political Activist Democratic Advocate for voting rights in Georgia Carmen Romero Spain Deputy Secretary-General 2017 First woman in the position in the Spanish government Kamala Harris United States District Attorney 2004 Democratic First female District Attorney of San Francisco Nina Turner United States Politician and Activist 2015 Democratic Party Prominent progressive voice in U.S. politics Sirleaf Ellen Johnson Liberia President 2006 Unity Party First elected female head of state in Africa Dorothy Combs United States Oregon House of Representatives 2018 Democratic Promoted healthcare and education reforms Teresa May United Kingdom Prime Minister 2016 Conservative Party Second female Prime Minister of the UK Mariana Mazzucato Italy Economist and Politician Advocated for innovative growth policies Barbara Lee United States Congresswoman 1998 Democratic Advocate for peace and social justice Ursula von der Leyen Germany Defense Minister 2013 Christian Democratic Union First female Minister of Defense in Germany Natalia Korolevskaya Ukraine Member of Parliament 2020 Representative for women's rights in Ukraine Amy Coney Barrett United States Supreme Court Justice 2020 Fifth female Justice of the Supreme Court Florence Griffith-Joyner United States Track and Field Olympian Advocated for women's sports and equality Kamala Harris United States Attorney General of California 2011 Democratic First female Attorney General of California Jessica Meir United States NASA Scientist 2019 Part of historic all-female spacewalk Annie Kuster United States Congresswoman 2013 Democratic Advocate for women's rights and veterans issues Kate Brown United States Governor of Oregon 2015 Democratic First openly bisexual governor in the U.S. Barbara Mikulski United States Senator 1987 Democratic First female Senator from Maryland Carla Del Ponte Switzerland War Crimes Tribunal Prosecutor 1999 Prosecuted war criminals in the Yugoslav Wars Svetlana Tikhanovskaya Belarus Presidential Candidate 2020 Opposition candidate against authoritarian rule Shirley Chisholm United States Congresswoman 1969 Democratic First Black woman elected to Congress Marina Silva Brazil Minister of Environment 2003 Workers' Party Defender of Amazon rainforest against deforestation Astrid Lindgren Sweden Author and Activist Advocate for children's rights and welfare Claudia Goldin United States Economist Awarded for contributions to women's economic history Janet Reno United States Attorney General 1993 Democratic First woman to serve as U.S. Attorney General Devika bannerji India Politician and Activist 2014 Indian National Congress Advocate for women's empowerment Yasmeen Rashid Pakistan Politician and Activist 2018 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Advocate for women's health in Pakistan Shamila Batohi South Africa National Director of Public Prosecutions 2019 Lead prosecutor for national integrity Rekha Sharma India Chairperson of National Commission for Women 2018 Advocate for women's rights in India Sapa Ghosh India Advocate and Activist Promoting women's rights and legal reforms Nusrat Ghani United Kingdom Minister for Transport 2020 Conservative Party First Muslim woman to be elected as a Conservative MP Ibtihaj Muhammad United States Olympic Fencer 2016 First Muslim woman to compete in the Olympics wearing a hijab Cecilia Malmström Sweden European Commissioner for Trade 2014 Promoted free trade agreements globally Johanna Sigurdardottir Iceland Prime Minister 2009 Social Democratic Alliance First openly gay head of government in the world Yasmin Rashid Pakistan Politician and Activist 2018 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Advocate for women's health in Pakistan Indira Nooyi India Former CEO of PepsiCo 2006 Transformed and grew PepsiCo into healthier options Diane Abbott United Kingdom MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington 1987 Labour Party First Black woman elected to the UK Parliament Liza Koshy United States Actor, Host, and Advocate Youth advocate and creator for social change Lynn Smith United States Congresswoman 2010 Democratic Advocator for women's and children's rights Fatou Bensouda Gambia Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court 2012 First woman to serve as Chief Prosecutor Sirleaf Ellen Johnson Liberia President 2006 Promoted democracy, peace, and women's rights Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska Poland Deputy Speaker of the Sejm 2019 Civic Coalition Promoted women in politics in Poland Tammy Baldwin United States Senator 2013 Democratic First openly gay U.S. Senator Megan Hunt United States State Senator 2019 Democratic Advocate for women and LGBTQ rights in Nebraska Carrie Lam Hong Kong Chief Executive 2017 Hong Kong Government First female Chief Executive of Hong Kong Erna Solberg Norway Prime Minister 2013 Conservative Party Promoter of gender equality and women's rights Yvette Cooper United Kingdom MP 1997 Labour Party Vocal advocate for women's issues and rights Florence Nightingale United Kingdom Nurse and Social Reformer Founder of modern nursing and advocate for healthcare Shinzo Abe Japan Prime Minister 2012 Liberal Democratic Party Promoted gender equality in the workforce Sophie Wilmès Belgium Prime Minister 2020 Mouvement Réformateur First woman to serve as Prime Minister of Belgium Joanna Lumley United Kingdom Activist and Actress Advocated for women's rights and treatment of refugees Ruth Simmons United States President of Prairie View A&M University 2007 First female president of an Ivy League school Charlotte Brontë United Kingdom Author Pioneer in women's literature and rights Gloria Steinem United States Feminist and Journalist 1960s Prominent figure in the American feminist movement Barbara Lee United States Congresswoman 1998 Democratic Vocal opponent of war and advocate for social justice Norah Fatehi India Actress and Dancer Advocate for women empowerment in the entertainment industry Marjorie Taylor Greene United States Congresswoman 2021 Republican Prominent and controversial political figure Patricia Arquette United States Actress and Advocate Promoted equal pay for women in Hollywood Connie Johnson Australia Politician and Activist Australian Democrats Advocate for social justice and equality Sonja Biserko Serbia Human Rights Activist Advocate for women's rights and victims of war Leila Khaled Palestine Political Activist Member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Jo Swinson United Kingdom Leader of the Liberal Democrats 2019 Liberal Democrats First female leader of the party Anita Hill United States Law Professor and Activist Prominent advocate for women's rights and combating sexual harassment Liz Truss United Kingdom Foreign Secretary 2021 Conservative Party Promoted women's rights internationally Nina Turner United States Civic Leader and Activist Advocate for social and economic justice Michelle Obama United States Former First Lady 2009 Promoted education and healthy living Holly Grange United States State Representative Republican Advocated for education and women in politics Imelda Marcos Philippines Politician and Socialite 1965 Notorious for political power dynamics Michelle Hu United States Political Advocate Youth advocate for women's empowerment Linda McMahon United States Administrator of the Small Business Administration 2017 Republican Promoter of small business and women in business Kyrsten Sinema United States Senator 2019 Independent First female Senator from Arizona Baroness Warsi United Kingdom Politician and Lawyer 2007 Conservative Party First female Muslim cabinet member in the UK Lynda Carter United States Actress and Advocate Advocate for women's rights through public awareness Maud Kearney United Kingdom MP Labour Party Advocated for women's rights and social justice Elena Rybakina Kazakhstan Tennis Player and Advocate Advocate for women's roles in sports Bonnie Watson Coleman United States Congresswoman 2015 Democratic Advocate for women's issues and civil rights Lourdes Florez Mexico Activist and Politician Promoter of women's rights and empowerment Diane Abbott United Kingdom MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington 1987 Labour Party First Black woman elected to the UK Parliament Debbie Stabenow United States Senator 2001 Democratic Focused on agriculture and women's health Yasmin Qureshi United Kingdom MP 2010 Labour Party Focused on women's rights and social justice Tracey Crouch United Kingdom Minister for Sport and Civil Society 2015 Conservative Party Advocate for women's participation in sports Nathalie Loiseau France Member of European Parliament 2019 La République En Marche! Promoted women's rights and empowerment in Europe Sara Nelson United States Union Leader Advocate for workers' rights and women's rights in unions Danica Patrick United States Race Car Driver and Advocate Promoted women's roles in motorsports Keegan Hirst United Kingdom Rugby Player and Advocate Promoted mental health awareness and LGBTQ rights Jessica Chastain United States Actress and Advocate Advocate for gender equality in film Rania Al Abdullah Jordan Queen and Advocate Advocate for women's education and rights in Jordan Priti Patel United Kingdom Home Secretary 2019 Conservative Party First female Indian-origin member to hold this position Sophie Wilmès Belgium Prime Minister 2020 Mouvement Réformateur First woman to serve as Prime Minister of Belgium Lady Hale United Kingdom Former President of the Supreme Court 2017 First woman to be appointed President of the Supreme Court Shirley Williams United Kingdom Politician and Reformer 1970 Liberal Democrats Pioneered education reform and women's rights Amelia Earhart United States Aviator and Author Pioneered women's aviation and adventure Kamala Harris United States Presidential Candidate 2020 Democratic First female Black Vice Presidential nominee Jess Phillips United Kingdom MP and Activist 2015 Labour Party Advocate for women's rights and gender equality Hope Hicks United States Communications Director 2017 Republican One of the key aides in Trump's administration Veronica Scott United States Entrepreneur and Advocate Promoted women entrepreneurs in business Tarana Burke United States Activist and Founder of Me Too Movement 2006 Promoted awareness against sexual harassment and assault Abigail Adams United States First Lady and Advocate Advocate for women's rights and education Betty Friedan United States Feminist and Activist 1963 Author of 'The Feminine Mystique' Zoe Saldana United States Actress and Advocate Advocate for diversity and representation in the film industry Roberta Jacobson United States Former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico 2016 Promoted U.S.-Mexico relations Ursula von der Leyen Germany Minister of Defense 2013 CDU First female Minister of Defense in Germany Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall United Kingdom Royal Advocate Promoted literacy and women's health Margarita Robles Spain Minister of Defense 2018 Promoted women's rights and military reform Marie Curie Poland Scientist and Politician First woman to win a Nobel Prize Sophie Turner United Kingdom Actress and Activist Promoted mental health awareness for young people Annika Sörenstam Sweden Professional Golfer and Advocate Pioneered women's participation in professional golf Michelle Bennett United States Tax Attorney and Advocate Advocate for tax reform and women in finance Luisa González Ecuador Politician and Activist Promoter of women's rights and representation Ellen Ochoa United States Astronaut and Advocate First Hispanic woman in space Ruth Bader Ginsburg United States Supreme Court Justice 1993 Promoted gender equality and women's rights in law Christine Lagarde France International Monetary Fund Managing Director 2011 Promoter of gender equality in global finance Viola Davis United States Actress and Advocate Advocate for representation and diversity in Hollywood Malala Yousafzai Pakistan Activist and Nobel Laureate 2014 Advocate for girls' education worldwide Indira Gandhi India Prime Minister 1966 Indian National Congress First and only female Prime Minister of India Julia Gillard Australia Prime Minister 2010 Labor Party First female Prime Minister of Australia Michelle Wu United States Mayor of Boston 2021 Democratic First woman of color to serve as Mayor of Boston Oprah Winfrey United States Media Executive and Philanthropist Advocate for education and women's empowerment María Elena Durazo United States Member of the California State Senate 2018 Democratic Advocate for workers' rights and education reform Joyce Meyer United States Author and Preacher Promoter of women's empowerment through faith Natasha Lamb United States Managing Partner and Advocate Promoter of environmental sustainability and women's rights Asha Mohammadi Afghanistan Activist and Politician Advocate for women's rights and processes in Afghanistan Amy Klobuchar United States Senator 2007 Democratic Political leader focusing on health and education Rebeca Grynspan Costa Rica Secretary-General of UNCTAD 2021 Focused on women's economic empowerment globally Susan Collins United States Senator 1997 Republican One of the few moderate voices in the Senate Isabel Allende Chile Author and Activist Promoting women's rights through literature Meghan Markle United Kingdom Duchess and Activist Promoting mental health awareness and women's rights Kimberly Clark United States Environmental Advocate Advocated for sustainability and women's rights Marina Silva Brazil Senator and Minister Advocate for climate change action and preservation Ramona Shelburne United States ESPN Reporter Advocate for women in journalism Malala Yousafzai Pakistan Nobel Laureate and Activist 2014 Promoted girls' education and women's rights Elsie Fisher United States Actress and Advocate Advocate for mental health awareness for youth Billie Jean King United States Tennis Player and Advocate Promoter of equal pay and women's sports Tanisha Wright United States WNBA Player and Coach Advocate for women in sports and coaching Yasmin Finch United Kingdom Entrepreneur and Advocate Promoter of women's entrepreneurship and leadership Rama Yade France Politician and Activist Promoter of human and women's rights globally Jodie Foster United States Actress and Advocate Advocate for women's rights and gender equality Kirsten Gillibrand United States Senator 2009 Democratic Advocate for women's rights and military reform Angela Rayner United Kingdom Deputy Leader of the Labour Party 2020 Labour Party Vocal advocate for workers' rights Arundhati Roy India Author and Activist Advocated for social justice and human rights Rosa Parks United States Civil Rights Activist Known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott Ursula von der Leyen Germany Minister of Defense 2013 Conservative Party Advocate for women's roles in the military Marie Curie Poland Physicist and Chemist 1903 First woman to win a Nobel Prize in Sciences Frida Kahlo Mexico Artist and Activist Promoter of indigenous culture and women's rights Emma Watson United Kingdom Actress and Advocate UN Women Goodwill Ambassador; advocate for gender equality Maisie Williams United Kingdom Actress and Activist Advocate for youth empowerment and women's rights Sarah Silverman United States Comedian and Advocate Promoter of women's rights through comedic dialogue Leah Pritchett United States Top Fuel Drag Racer Advocate in motorsports for women Kathleen Wynne Canada Premier of Ontario 2013 Liberal Party First female Premier of Ontario Ida B. Wells United States Journalist and Activist Pioneer in anti-lynching activism and women's rights Betty Lou Barkley United States Environmentalist and Advocate Promoted environmental justice and legal reform Sandrine Rousseau France Politician and Advocate Advocate for feminism and social justice in France Sophie Wilson United Kingdom Engineer and Tech Developer Pioneer in computer programming and advocacy for inclusion Lucy Stone United States Abolitionist and Suffragist Promoter of women's rights and suffrage Tammy Baldwin United States Senator 2013 Democratic First openly gay U.S. Senator Mary Barra United States Chairman and CEO of GM 2014 Promoter of gender equality in automotive industry Jennifer Aniston United States Actress and Advocate Advocated for women's health and wellness issues Britney Spears United States Singer and Advocate Advocate for personal freedom and mental health Maria Butina Russia Political Activist Promoter of women's rights in Russia Ruth Bader Ginsburg United States Supreme Court Justice 1993 Pioneered gender equality in laws Samantha Harris United States Actress and Advocate Advocate for women's health and wellness Margaret Mead United States Cultural Anthropologist Pioneer in gender and culture studies Simone de Beauvoir France Philosopher and Feminist 1949 Author of 'The Second Sex' Harriet Tubman United States Abolitionist Escaped slavery and led others to freedom Zainab Salbi Iraq Author and Humanitarian Advocated for women's rights in conflict zones Naomi Klein Canada Author and Activist Advocate for environmentalism and feminism María Teresa Fernández de la Vega Spain Former Deputy Prime Minister 2004 Pioneer of women's leadership in Spain Yoko Ono Japan Artist and Activist Promoter of feminism and peace Shirley Temple United States Actress and Diplomat Promoter of humanitarian causes and women's rights Barbara Tuchman United States Author and Historian Advocate for understanding women's roles in history Zora Neale Hurston United States Author and Activist Promoted African American literature and culture Khady Sylla Senegal Politician 2019 Advocate for women's rights and empowerment Alice Walker United States Author and Activist Promoter of women's issues through drama and literature Patricia Arquette United States Actress and Advocate Promoted pay equity for women in Hollywood Carmen Calvo Spain Deputy Prime Minister 2018 Promoter of women's rights in Spanish politics Tina Fey United States Comedian and Advocate Promoter of women's empowerment through comedy Leonora Carrington United Kingdom Artist and Writer Promoter of women's roles in surrealism Glenda Jackson United Kingdom Actress and Politician 1992 Labour Party Promoter of women's rights in film and politics Ishita Dutta India Actress and Advocate Advocate for women's empowerment and health Clara Zetkin Germany Politician and Activist Advocated for women's rights and socialism in Germany Gita Gopinath India Chief Economist of the IMF 2018 Pioneer female economist in Indian and global economics Sofia Vergara Colombia Actress and Advocate Promotes education and women in business Hedy Lamarr Austria Inventor and Actress Pioneer in technology and women's empowerment Dolores Huerta United States Civil Rights Activist Promoter of labor rights and women's issues Pramila Jayapal United States Congresswoman 2017 Democratic Advocate for diverse civil rights Betty Friedan United States Women's Rights Activist 1963 Promoter of the Women's Movement in the U.S. Julianna Margulies United States Actress and Advocate Promote women's health and gender equality Meena Harris United States Author and Advocate Promoter of women's rights and children's rights Fayza Khamis Egypt Politician and Advocate Promoter of women's political rights in Egypt Nancy Pelosi United States Speaker of the House 2007 Democratic First female Speaker of the House in U.S. history