Famous women politicians of the world. The most famous women in politics. President of Liberia - Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

And it is important to note that they do it very well. Of course, below is not the entire list of the most famous people who have significant weight in society. Don't forget about the next generation. Among the young deputies and statesmen there are individuals with great potential and prospects for the future. So, your attention is invited to the rating of the most influential women of the XXI century.

1. Natalia Poklonskaya

Prosecutor of the Republic of Crimea. She was a prosecutor in the case of the organized crime group Bashmaki. In 2014, after a government coup in Ukraine, she filed a letter of resignation. A few months later, Poklonskaya became and. about. Prosecutor of the Republic of Crimea Married, has a daughter. He enjoys painting and playing the piano in his spare time. The popularity of Natalia Poklonskaya is so great that they compose songs about her, release computer games and draw pictures in anime style. Since May 2014, Poklonskaya has been on the second part of the EU sanctions list, and in Ukraine a case has been initiated against her under article 109 of part 1 (actions aimed at the violent overthrow of power or conspiracy).

State Counselor of Justice 3rd class Natalya Poklonskaya

2. Ella Pamfilova

Russian politician, public figure. Ella Alexandrovna's political career began in 1985 when she joined the Communist Party. She continued her activities in the Anti-Corruption Committee, but did not achieve success in this activity. A significant event in the activities of Pamfilova was the presidential election in 2000. She took only 7th place. Ella Alexandrovna considers the organization of the movement “For a Healthy Russia” to be her achievement.

In 2010, Pamfilova left the post of chairman of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation to promote the development of civil society institutions. But in 2014, Ella Aleksandrovna returned to politics again. According to experts, Pamfilova is one of the most influential women politicians in Russia.

3. Yulia Timoshchenko

Ukrainian politician. The first female prime minister of Ukraine (2005, 2007-2010). She is the leader of the Batkivshchyna party, took part in the Orange Revolution. According to Forbes magazine, in 2005 Yulia Tymoshenko became the third most powerful woman in the world. And in the presidential elections in 2010, she took second place.

During the rule of Yanukovych, several criminal cases were opened against her. In 2011, Tymoshenko was arrested in a case of abuse of power when signing gas contracts with the Russian side. In 2014, Yulia Vladimirovna was released from prison and fully amnestied. After that, she took part in the presidential elections in Ukraine, but lost.

4. Elvira Nabiullina

Russian politician. Honored Economist of the Russian Federation. She began her career as a specialist of the Board Committee of the Scientific and Production Union of the USSR. Later she held senior positions in the Ministry of Economy of Russia.

Honored Economist of Russia Elvira Nabiullina

Nabiullina's main achievement is overcoming the economic crisis of 2008, the positive result of many years of negotiations on WTO accession and protecting the interests of Russian business. Nabiullina served as the Minister of Economic Development and Trade, currently the head of the Central Bank.

5. Valentina Matvienko

Politician, statesman. She began her career in 1972 in the Komsomol. She later served as Ambassador to Malta and the Hellenic Republic. In 2003, she took the post of governor of St. Petersburg. And after 8 years, Valentina Ivanovna resigned and after some time was appointed a permanent member of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.

Among the achievements of Matvienko, one can note the “anti-orphan decree” banning the adoption (adoption) of Russian children by US citizens. In 2014, under the leadership of Matvienko, the Federation Council of the Russian Federation approved the use of Russian troops on Ukrainian territory. Valentina Ivanovna is included in the sanctions lists of the EU, Australia and Switzerland.

6. Irina Yarovaya

Russian politician. She gained fame thanks to the co-authorship of a number of high-profile bills, such as toughening liability for violations of rallies, tightening legislation in the field of the migration system, and returning criminal prosecution for libel.

She was a member of the Yabloko party, later joined United Russia. Political views Irina Yarovaya adheres to left-wing political views.

7. Tatyana Golikova

Politician, economist. Tatyana Golikova's career began at the State Committee for Labor. Later she worked at the Ministry of Finance, it was there that she climbed the career ladder. In 2007 she was appointed Minister of Health and Social Development. Participated in the development of methods to combat swine flu.

During the period of its activity, a pension reform was carried out, the UST was replaced, and co-financing of pensions was launched. In 2012 she was appointed Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, and since 2013 she has been the Chairman of the Accounts Chamber.

8. Irina Khakamada

Politician, writer, TV presenter. Founder of the Economic Freedom Party, co-chairman of the SPS (Union of Right Forces) party. Previously, Irina Khakamada was the chairman of the Our Choice party. In addition, she is a member of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy.

Irina Matsuovna is a television and radio broadcaster. He is the author of his own collection of branded clothing. In 2002, Irina participated in negotiations with the terrorists who seized the theater on Dubrovka.

9. Hillary Clinton

American politician. She was a senator from the state of New York, the first lady during the presidency of Bill Clinton. He is a member of the Democratic Party. She held political positions, headed the committee for health and protection of children's rights.

During the sensational scandal about her husband's infidelity, Hillary Clinton supported him, not wanting to file for divorce. Hilary is currently the Democratic nominee for US President. There is little time left before the elections, they will be held in 2016.

10. Elizabeth II

Queen of Great Britain. Longest-reigning monarch of the Windsor dynasty. Elizabeth II does not take part in the government of the country, her activities are of a representative nature. The duties of the Queen of England include diplomatic visits, meetings with high-ranking officials and government officials, presentation of honorary awards, knighthood, etc.

In addition, the queen is engaged in breeding dogs, horseback riding and photography. The most important achievement of Elizabeth II is considered the longest reign in the history of the British monarchy.

The stereotype that politics is the destiny of men is easy to refute, remembering the history - the fate of states was decided by women no less often than representatives of the stronger sex. On Russia Day, ELLE compiled a list of women in power who play an important role in the political and secular arena.

Valentina Matvienko, 65 years old

Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko has not left the first lines of the rating of the most influential women in Russia according to Forbes for several years. Matvienko did not work for a single day in her specialty - a pharmacist: immediately after graduating from the Cherkasy Medical School with a red diploma, she was invited to become the first secretary of the district committee of the Komsomol. This was followed by a party post in the Foreign Ministry, work in the government of the Russian Federation and the post of governor of St. Petersburg.

Popular fame came to Matvienko thanks to the catchphrase: "Icicles in St. Petersburg should not be knocked down with crowbars - lasers can be used for this." Using the word "icicles" instead of "icicles", the governor of the Northern capital has generated a wave of memes on the Web and even became a comic book character.

Valentina Matvienko is fond of tennis and dancing. In matters of style, the ex-governor of St. Petersburg prefers radical solutions - large jewelry and bright makeup.

Natalya Timakova, 39 years old

The career of the future employee of the presidential administration, Natalya Timakova, began with journalism. While still a student, the 20-year-old student of the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University got a job as a correspondent for the political department in the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper, and then successfully coped with this work in Kommersant and Interfax. The turning point for Timakova was the post of press secretary to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, offered to her in 1999, and subsequent career growth. Today, Natalya Timakova is Dmitry Medvedev's press secretary and right hand.

Timakova spends her leisure time on a royal scale. Courchevel, Grand Hotel a Villa Feltrinelli - one careless check-in, and the public is aware of where the political elite of Russia rests. And what to hide - he has the right!

Tatyana Golikova, 48 years old

The Chairman of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation, Tatyana Golikova, is another well-known figure among Russian women politicians. Recall at least the nicknames that Tatyana was awarded by colleagues in the workshop: “Trugolikova” (for working capacity), “budget queen” (she remembers all the figures of the federal budget by heart), and also “Miss Arbidol” - for suspicion of promoting the drug as Minister of Health and social development. But neither the numerous "titles" nor the criticism of the chief pediatrician Leonid Roshal against Golikova's reforms prevented the former minister from moving to work in the Kremlin along with the rest of President Putin's team.

Olga Golodets, 52 years old

Before becoming Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Olga Golodets, a graduate of Moscow State University and a candidate of economic sciences, worked for a long time in holdings owned by Mikhail Prokhorov: in Norilsk Nickel, the ONEXIM investment fund, and later in the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, which was also headed by a businessman.

In 2010, Golodets joined the Moscow government as Deputy Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, and in 2012 became Dmitry Medvedev's Deputy for Social Policy. In the political arena, Golodets made herself known in December 2012: the Deputy Prime Minister wrote a letter to President Putin criticizing the “Dima Yakovlev law”, which prohibits the adoption of Russian children by foreigners.

Elvira Nabiullina, 50 years old

The top five successful women politicians in Russia are closed by the chairman of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, Elvira Nabiullina. Graduate of Moscow State University. Lomonosova was fond of economics from the very beginning: she was engaged in the economic policy of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, then for a long time headed the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and as a result became an adviser to the president and head of the Central Bank. Insiders remember the name of Nabiullina in connection with the development of the scandalous Federal contract system, which was supposed to replace the public procurement system.

Maria Kozhevnikova, 29 years old

The star of the series "Univer" Maria Kozhevnikova manages to do everything: raise her newborn son Vanya, bear the title of the sexiest woman in Russia, participate in filming and State Duma debates from United Russia. Who exactly managed to win the heart of such an active girl is not known for certain: the actress and deputy, unlike her on-screen role as a textbook blonde, keeps the secrets of her personal life under lock and key.

Alina Kabaeva, 31 years old

One of the most titled athletes in the country, Alina Kabaeva, proved by her example that the life of champions does not end with the gold of the Olympics. In the past, a gymnast, and now a State Duma deputy from United Russia, is one of the most discussed people in the political arena. And it’s not at all about Alina’s soft oriental beauty and not about her career achievements - Kabaeva’s personal life causes such a resonance in society that it’s time to recall similar stories in the biography of Marilyn Monroe. Kabaeva does not comment on the scandalous rumors about the novel of the highest flight. Meanwhile, her star and political rating is stable - in any A-lists she is the number one heroine.

Svetlana Zhurova, 42 years old

Svetlana Zhurova has become another bright figure among sportswomen-politicians. The Olympic champion of the Games in Turin is known not only for her virtuoso ice skating, but also for her active political position. In 2007, the champion finally left the sport, becoming a member of the United Russia faction, five years later she was elected a senator of the Kirov region, and then returned to the valiant ranks of parliament deputies.

Unfortunately, Zhurova's marriage turned out to be incompatible with political activity: after 12 years of family life, Svetlana divorced her husband, tennis player Artem Chernenko. Now the champion sits in the State Duma, solves various sports issues and is generally at ease. At the same time, Zhurova's journalistic career went uphill: she liked the role of a sports columnist at the Ekho Moskvy radio station no less than the consideration of new laws.

Svetlana Khorkina, 35 years old

The two-time Olympic champion in gymnastics has achieved all sorts of ranks and titles in sports and has also channeled her limitless potential into the political sphere. For several years, Svetlana "grew up" to the prestigious position of assistant to the Control Directorate of the President of the Russian Federation. The personal life of the gymnast, however, is no less classified than work in a closed service. The name of the father of Svetlana's child also remains a mystery. According to one version, he is businessman Kirill Shubsky, husband of actress Vera Glagoleva. However, the scandalous story is in the past - today Svetlana's personal life is calm and serene.

Natalia Virtuozova, 36 years old

The political activity of Natalia Virtuozova began with work as an editor in the press service of United Russia. A lucky ticket and a party position to a graduate student of the Faculty of Journalism at MGIMO was helped by the dean. The proposal to head that same press service was not long in coming. Next - a year in the Duma and the post of deputy chairman of the government near Moscow. Could an ambitious student predict such an alignment? Of course yes. Indeed, until now, after years of work in the state apparatus, Natalya is convinced that there is nothing more interesting in the world than politics.

Politics has always been predominantly male sphere and remains so in 2014. At the same time, every year there are more and more women who not only have impressive political weight, but whose names are as well known to a wide audience as Bush, Cameron, Putin or Kim Jong-un. A characteristic feature of modern women politicians has become their spontaneity, which only works to the advantage of the political image. And understandable. Remember at least cheerful costumes and selfies of Hillary Clinton, even Michelle Obama with Jimmy Fallon. Readiness to fool around in public and emotionality do not affect their business qualities and achievements. We are talking about the brightest and most influential women in the world political arena, many of whom survived repressions, public disgrace and for a long time were content with second roles, which did not prevent them from changing the life of entire countries and continuing to follow this goal in 2014.

Text: Elina Chebbocha

Angela Merkel

chancellor of germany

There is no such corner in the world where Angela Merkel is not known and her influence is not recognized. For nearly ten years, Merkel has ruled Germany, which, in turn, is the locomotive of the European economy. The New Yorker recently tried to unravel the reason for her incredible influence, but they also gave up and came to the conclusion that she just wants power for the sake of power. The chauvinists accuse Merkel that she has no children and allegedly therefore had the time to build an outstanding career, the behaviorists blame the still whirlpool and amazing outdatedness, and the Greeks basically hate her because she no longer gives them money. The German chancellor is indeed very quiet and consistent, has been wearing jackets of the same type for years and does not give rise to gossip, so the world community is trying to predict her actions by bending her eyebrows or displeasure in her eyes. However, if anyone knows the recipe for a dizzying political career, it's her: work hard, never complain, live modestly, hope for the best, and host a weekly video podcast.

Hillary Clinton

former US Secretary of State, member of the US Democratic Party

Hillary Clinton's political career was predicted back in the days when she endured the story with iron calmness and incredible dignity. I did not have sexual relations with that woman"- that is, she forgave the betrayal, saying that no matter what, "no one understands me better and no one can make me laugh the way Bill does." Although, according to cynics, only a woman who wanted to enter politics dressed in white could forgive treason, divorce does not prevent some of the current presidents of the world from being influential. As a result, today Hillary has already completed her second memoir (this time about being a secretary of state), was a senator from the state of New York and fought for the Democratic presidential nomination with Barack Obama. Despite the conflicting opinions that have developed around her figure in the circles of the US intellectual elite, the population loves her very much and quite sees her as the next president of the country. Hillary herself denied such intentions, but said last year that she was thinking about running. And then there is support from Barack Obama, who at the end of November of this year said that "Hillary Clinton would make a great president." You go girl.

Dilma Rousseff

President of Brazil

A man of amazing destiny, ruling the country with the 7th largest nominal GDP economy in the world. Such people in Russia are usually called "political". Dilma's father is a Bulgarian emigrant and a communist, forced to leave the country due to persecution and finally settle in Brazil. Dilma herself, after the military coup of 1964 in Brazil, joined the radical faction of socialists and, in fact, was a partisan in underground armed organizations or, according to some, quite a terrorist (although she did not participate in hostilities). For her activities, she ended up in prison, where she was tortured, but two years later she got out and restored her life bit by bit: she entered the university, went into politics in the opposition, became the Minister of Energy, then the head of the presidential administration, and then just the president.

In addition, at the height of her political career, Rousseff cured cancer - in short, through copper pipes on the path to greatness. Local officials, whom she deftly pinned for corruption, tried to expel her "for loss of confidence," but a man who has been in prison cannot be intimidated. Moreover, Dilma has undergone several plastic surgeries, stopped wearing glasses and radically changed her style - all for the sake of winning the elections. She is respected and feared, although they make fun of her - in an unofficial, but very popular facebook page. The account, allegedly run on behalf of Rousseff, says: “I am the queen of the nation, the people's diva, the empress of the Americas. I am beautiful, I am a diva, I am the president. I'm Dilma! Can not argue.

Michelle Obama

first lady of the usa

Despite the lowest rating of her husband Barack Obama in the history of his presidency, Michelle Obama does not lose ground. The biggest complaint against her is still her excellent style - supposedly the first lady concentrates too much on outfits instead of doing something. At the same time, a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School, who celebrated her 50th anniversary this year, is accused of having a huge influence on her husband, compared with Nancy Reagan, and in her ideology they find similarities with Eleanor Roosevelt, as if there is something bad in it. .

Michelle Obama managed to appear in Vogue, organize a campaign to protect the rights of the LGBT community, launch a fight against childhood obesity by setting up a vegetable garden for this purpose right in the garden of the presidential residence, and be a very good mother to two daughters and a wife to her husband, which is also generally huge labor (we will not tire of repeating). Although Michelle Obama is hard to suspect of presidential ambitions, if she decides to run, it will not surprise everyone - it seems that the political career of the first ladies after the reign of their husbands may become a habit in American politics.

Elizabeth II

Queen of Great Britain

With such a queen, it becomes obvious why it is so hard for the people of Great Britain to part with nostalgia for the monarchy. Although Elizabeth II performs an exclusively representative function, not officially participating in the government of the country, her influence is still preserved. She can afford to put on a hoodie and drive her Range Rover at 86, skydive and generally be the first head of state to send an email (in 1976!). Due to her age and incredible endurance, Elizabeth II earned herself a reputation as a wise and experienced queen, who was consulted by almost all British prime ministers and who is still cautiously rinsed in the press - not in the way that is usually done in British newspapers in the morning . In her case, the phrase “she will outlive you all” no longer seems like a mockery: prime ministers come and go, children and grandchildren change their views, partners and fall into insanity - and only Elizabeth II, at 88, continues to behave as a queen should - head held high and fulfilling all obligations. Probably, if you have never lost face in your life, then this can not be called a habit and an obligation, but a character trait, which is true. worth keeping.

Park Geun Hye

President of the Republic of Korea

Park Geun-hye has known the presidential share since childhood, since the reign of her father, General Park Chung-hee, who seized power with a military coup. The general was famous for his brutal rule and the suppression of civil liberties, while his daughter is a humanitarian and a supporter of the rejection of nuclear weapons (which she constantly alludes to North Korea in one way or another). Residents consider their president to be reliable and calm, Park Geun-hye is one of those people whose strength is in their kindness.

Unlike most of her colleagues in the international arena, she entered big politics quite early - at the age of 45, instantly gaining trust and popularity among society and subsequently becoming the first female president of South Korea. The problems that Park Geun-hye gets to match the country she rules are all technological. Six months after she became president, Anonymous hacked the website of Park Geun-hye and the government department, leaking the personal information of about 100,000 people. The president, though looking askance at North Korea, did not lose her head and sent 5,000 people to be trained in cybersecurity.

Although South Korea is a small country, from the very beginning of Park Geun-hye's presidency, he became one of the main actors in the Korean Missile Crisis, which also included the United States, Japan and North Korea, and which resulted in North Korean leader Kim Jong-un terribly raging and closed the joint border crossing with South Korea. Things are not very calm in East Asia, but Park Geun-hye does not despair, calling on his colleague for relative peace and partnership, and even succeeds a little in this.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

President of Liberia

If we take it for granted that economists make the best politicians, then the 76-year-old president of Liberia is a direct confirmation of this. Under her leadership, the country, previously torn apart by internal contradictions and military conflicts, has been living in peace for almost a decade. Helen is the world's first black president and the first female president in Africa, and the recipient of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize "for her non-violent struggle for women's safety and for women's rights to fully participate in building peace."

The President of Liberia began her career in government as an Assistant Minister of Finance, then as Minister of Finance, but she was expelled from the country, threatened with a term, for criticizing the military regime conducted by the then President of the Republic. Helen returned to Liberia after twelve years as a World Bank economist and began to consistently destroy the power of political opponents, regain influence and prepare a springboard for elections. She is strict and resolute in her fight against corruption, in trying to help the poorest sections of the population and improve the situation of women in the country, and has really succeeded in establishing and maintaining peace and relative calm in a very troubled region.

True, political opponents accuse Helen of bias and abuse of power. For example, she twice postponed elections to the Senate and banned rallies, allegedly due to the spread of Ebola, although many see this as an attempt to help her son run successfully, since voters gather in support of his main political opponent.

Elvira Nabiullina

Chairman of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation

Elvira Nabiullina, a former assistant to the President of Russia and, in fact, his indispensable economic adviser, has always been in contact with politics, from consultations to the post of chairman of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. She became the first woman to chair the central bank of a G8 country and is responsible for $512 billion of Russia's foreign exchange reserves. Nabiullina has always been a supporter of the strengthening of the ruble, and after 11 years of tight monetary policy and a significant reduction in inflation, is now experiencing a period of uncertainty due to the escalation of the political conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the subsequent weakening of the national currency with a looming crisis. In this connection, she received an order from above to “stop speculation in the foreign exchange market”, which she probably, as before, met with dignity - Elvira Nabiullina is known for her non-conflict, closeness and ability to generate a huge number of ideas for economic programs. Now, of course, it is a difficult time for Nabiullina, because the eyes of all countries of the world are literally turned on her, and the most concerned parties have already managed to make her a scapegoat, accusing the Central Bank of plotting against their own country.

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner

President of Argentina

The presidency of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, actually received as a result of the well-known operation "Successor": at the end of his presidential term, her husband, Nestor Kirchner, said that his wife, if elected, could change the history of the country. Christina has always been passionate about politics (and, by her own admission, shopping) and already had experience in public speaking and political campaigning, so in 2007 she won the presidential election. Argentina, which she inherited, slowly licked her wounds after the terrible economic crisis of 2001-2002 and was relatively patched up by the competent policy of Nestor Kirchner.

Christina began to attract investments to the country, meet with neighboring countries, trying to be friends with everyone. As a result, Argentine politicians and journalists do not like her very much, but she is adored by the people, who are in full confidence that they are simply jealous of her. Kirchner, in turn, is also not very fond of the media and periodically sues them for libel and insults. During her term, she legalized same-sex marriage, promised to be the godmother of a lesbian couple's child, banned smoking in public places, and eventually attracted $500 million in investments to the country. At the same time, he manages to annoy the UK, quarreling with her over the Falkland Islands, and nationalize the Argentine media. The nature is contradictory, but influential, and, perhaps, almost the only woman politician who is not afraid to be emotional and even arrogant and, admittedly, is absolutely indispensable for Argentina.

Michelle Bachelet

the president of chile

A surgeon by training, Bachelet was Minister of Health and even Minister of Defense before her presidential term. Chile's first female president, now serving her second term, won her second election with a resounding 62% of the vote. Which is not surprising: having declared one of the main tasks to reduce the gap between the richest and poorest citizens of Chile, which is one of the highest in the world, she has succeeded in strengthening the country's economy, reducing inflation, reducing unemployment and GDP growth. In her youth, Bachelet was imprisoned on the personal orders of Pinochet, where she was tortured and eventually exiled, but she returned, completed her education and began to build a political career.

Michelle enjoys the unconditional respect and love of the entire Chilean people, with the exception of schoolchildren who could not forgive her for a 9-hour school day and social assistance to low-income families. Probably the only president in the world who literally negotiated with shkolota and during whose presidential term the country was devastated by monstrous earthquakes. With all the troubles, natural and human, Bachelet coped.

Photo: Getty Images/Fotobank (3), TASS (1), Shutterstock ( ,), Oscar Ordenes/Flickr

"Peace in the Middle East will come when the Arabs love their children more than they hate the Jews."

Golda Meir (1898 - 1978)

Israeli political and statesman. First female prime minister of Israel (1969-1974). One of the signatories of the Israeli Declaration of Independence on May 14, 1948

“I have lived and worked with men all my life. I am a woman, but this has never bothered me. I have never had a feeling of embarrassment or an inferiority complex, I have never thought that men are better than women, or that giving birth to a child is a misfortune. Never The men, for their part, have never given me benefits.It is true that for a woman who wants to live not only a domestic but also a social life, it is much more difficult than for men, for she bears a double burden.

Golda Meir was born in Kyiv, in the former Russian Empire, to a poor Jewish family. The family had 8 children, 5 of whom (4 boys and a girl) died in infancy, only Golda and 2 sisters survived - the eldest Sheina (1889-1972) and the youngest Klara (originally Tsipka) (1902-1981). Her father Moishe Yitzchok (Moses) Mabovich worked as a carpenter, and her mother Bluma Mabovich (nee Naiditsch) worked as a nurse. The beginning of the 20th century in the Kyiv province was marked by Jewish pogroms, so many Jews in Russia did not feel safe. In 1903, the Mabovichs returned to Pinsk (Belarus), to the house of their grandparents Golda. In the same year, Moses Mabovich went to work in the United States. Three years later (1906), Golda and her sisters and mother joined him in America. Here they settled in the north of the country in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In fourth grade, Golda and her friend Regina Hamburger formed the American Young Sisters Society to raise money for textbooks for needy students. Little Golda's speech amazed the people who had gathered, and the collected money was enough for textbooks. The local newspaper came out with a photo of the chairman of the Young Sisters Society - this was the first picture of Golda Meir printed in the newspaper.

Repatriated to Mandatory Palestine in 1921. She worked on a kibbutz from 1921-1924. Her desire for social work found an outlet in 1928 when she headed the women's department of the General Workers' Federation. She worked in various positions in the civil service before being elected to the first Knesset in 1949. Golda Meyerson was among the 38 people who signed Israel's Declaration of Independence. The next day, Israel was attacked by the combined armies of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. The Arab-Israeli war began (1947-1949). The young state, attacked by its Arab neighbors, needed a large number of weapons. The USSR became the first state to recognize Israel de jure, and it also became the first major supplier of weapons to the country. Golda Meir became the Prime Minister of Israel on March 17, 1969. After the militants of the Palestinian Black September organization shot down the Israeli Olympic team, Golda Meir ordered Mossad to find and destroy all those involved in the attack

After Israel's difficult victory in the Yom Kippur War, Meir's Maarach party confirms its leadership in the elections in December 1973, but a wave of dissatisfaction with military losses, and especially infighting in his own party during the creation of a new coalition government, force Meir to resign. On April 11, 1974, the cabinet of ministers headed by Golda Meir resigned. On this, Golda Meir's political career was over.

She was the daughter of a carpenter from Kyiv - and a prime minister. She was implacable, even fanatical, and - at the same time - very human, old-fashioned kind and considerate. She bought weapons and was well versed in them - and planted trees in the desert. By creating and protecting a small state for her people, she changed a lot for the better in the world.

Indira Gandhi (1917 - 1984)

Indian political and statesman. Prime Minister of India (1966-1977, 1980-1984). She led a policy of combating separatism and state regulation of the economy, achieved the nationalization of banks and India's independence from food imports. The first female prime minister in the country's history.

In 1947, India ceased to be a British colony and gained independence. Jawaharlal Nehru became the head of the country's first national government - and his daughter Indira took the post of his personal secretary, and then began to make her own political career. After the death of Nehru in 1964, the new prime minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, offered her the post of Minister of Information, and two years later, after the death of Shastri, Indira Gandhi led the country, becoming the first woman to have the right to determine the fate of India. The period of her reign was not easy: party and religious conflicts, wars, accusations of corruption. However, life in the country during this period has dramatically improved - and compatriots began to see in her the embodiment of the goddess of the mind Shakti and perceive her as the "mother of the nation"

Indira Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917 in the city of Allahabad (Ilahabad) (modern state of Uttar Pradesh), in a family that actively participated in the struggle for the independence of India. Her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, who later became the first Prime Minister of India after the country's independence in 1947, at that time took the first steps in the political arena in the Indian National Congress (INC) party. Gandhi's grandfather Motilal Nehru, one of the veterans and leaders of the INC, was very famous. Women of the Nehru family were also active participants in the political struggle: Indira Swarup's grandmother Rani Nehru and her mother Kamala were arrested by the authorities more than once. Contrary to custom, Indira was born not in her mother's house, but in her grandfather's rich house, built on a sacred site, and received the name "Land of the Moon" - Indira - in honor of her homeland.

At the age of two, Indira met Mahatma Gandhi, and at the age of eight, on his advice, she organized a children's union in her hometown to develop home weaving. From adolescence, she participated in demonstrations, more than once served as a courier to the fighters for independence. In 1934, Indira entered the People's University, which was created by the famous poet Rabindranath Tagore. After the death of her mother in 1936, she went to Europe. In 1937 she entered Somerwell College, Oxford in England, where she studied administration, history and anthropology.

In 1941 she returned to India, and in 1942 she married Feroz Gandhi, originally from the Parsis, a small group of Zoroastrian Indians of Iranian origin. Indira and Feroz got married, neglecting caste and religious barriers, since inter-caste marriages were considered by orthodox Hindus as blasphemy in relation to ancient laws and customs. Already in September 1942, the couple were arrested, Indira Gandhi stayed in prison until May 1943. August 15, 1947 In 1999, the independence of India was declared, and the first national government was soon formed. Indira Gandhi became the personal secretary of the prime minister's father In 1966, Indira Gandhi became the leader of the INC and the prime minister of India (the second woman prime minister in the world after Sirimavo Bandaranaike)

Indira Gandhi carried out the nationalization of banks. The first nuclear power plant was launched (in the state of Maharashtra); in agriculture, the so-called green revolution took place, thanks to which India became independent from food imports for the first time in many years. The efficiency of farms increased, landless peasants were endowed with plots.

The second term of her reign was marked by conflict with the Sikhs, who lived mainly in the state of Punjab. Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwal declared the Sikhs an independent self-governing community. His followers were also involved in attacks on Hindus in the Punjab. They occupied the main shrine of the Sikhs - the Golden Temple in Amritsar. In response, the Indian government launched Operation Blue Star in June 1984, during which the temple was liberated, killing about 500 people. Revenge of the Sikhs was not long in coming.

On October 31, 1984, Indira Gandhi was killed by her own bodyguards, who were Sikhs. She was scheduled for a television interview that morning with Peter Ustinov, an English writer, playwright and actor. When choosing a dress, she settled on a saffron-colored sari, while removing her bulletproof vest. The road to the reception area, where the film crew was waiting, went through an open courtyard. Two Sikh bodyguards in blue turbans, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, were on duty at the edges. Coming up with them, she smiled affably, in response, the one on the left pulled out a revolver and fired three bullets at Gandhi, and his partner point-blank slashed at her with an automatic burst. The guards ran to the shots, the Sikhs were detained (one of them was soon shot dead, and the second was seriously wounded), and the wounded Indira was urgently taken to the Indian Institute of Medicine, where the best doctors arrived. But it was no longer possible to save her - eight bullets hit her vital organs. At half past three, Indira Gandhi, without regaining consciousness, died. The farewell ceremony for Indira Gandhi, which was attended by millions of people, was held at the Tin Murti House Palace. Two days later, she was cremated according to the Hindu rite on the banks of the Jumna.

Benazir Bhutto (1953 - 2007)

Pakistani politician and statesman. Prime Minister of Pakistan (1988-1990, 1993-1996). The first woman in recent history is the head of government in a country with a predominantly Muslim population. Twice (1988-1990 and 1993-1996) she became the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Benazir Bhutto was born on June 21, 1953 in Karachi, Pakistan. Her ancestors were princes who ruled the Indian province of Sindh. Father Benazir raised his daughter not at all in the way that was customary in Islamic countries. In her early years, the girl attended Lady Jennings Kindergarten, and then was educated at several Catholic girls' schools. In June 1977, Benazir planned to enter the diplomatic service, but Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto predicted a career in parliament for his daughter. Since by that time she had not yet reached the age required to participate in the elections, she became an assistant to her father. But just a month later, the head of the Pakistani general staff, General Mohammed Zia-ul-Haq, led a military coup, seized power and introduced military rule in the country.

In September 1977, deposed Prime Minister Bhutto and his daughter were arrested and imprisoned. Benazir spent many years in prison, where she was kept in very harsh conditions. In 1979, her father was charged with ordering the assassination of a political opponent and executed. The execution of his father forced Benazir to become a politician. Between 1979 and 1984, Bhutto repeatedly found herself under house arrest, until finally she was allowed to leave for the UK.

While in exile, she led the Pakistan People's Party, which was founded by her father. And in 1988, the PPP won the first free parliamentary elections in more than a decade, and Bhutto took over as prime minister. However, high-profile corruption scandals that soon followed led to the fact that in 1990 her government was dismissed. But in 1993, in the next elections, Bhutto again wins under the slogan of fighting corruption and poverty.

Bhutto launched a series of large-scale reforms in the country. She nationalized the oil fields and deployed financial flows for the implementation of social programs. As a result of the reforms undertaken by her, illiteracy among the population of the country decreased by one third, the childhood illness of poliomyelitis was defeated, and electricity and drinking water were supplied to poor villages and villages. In addition, she introduced free health care and education and increased spending on them. During the period of her reign, the volume of foreign investments increased many times over.

These reforms of Benazir Bhutto were appreciated not only by the people of Pakistan, where she became an object of fanatical worship, but also outside the country. In 1996, she entered the Guinness Book of Records as the most popular international politician of the year, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Oxford, the French Legion of Honor and many other awards.

But all this time, corruption processes have been growing in the country. In the 1997 elections, her party suffered a crushing defeat, winning 17 out of 217 seats. In early 1998, Bhutto, her husband and mother were formally charged with corruption, their accounts in British and Swiss banks were frozen. She was forced to leave the country again. On October 18, 2007, Benazir Bhutto returned to her homeland after 8 years of forced exile. During the procession, two explosions thundered in the crowd of supporters meeting her. More than 130 people were killed, about 500 were injured, Benazir herself was not injured. But on December 27, 2007, as a result of a new terrorist attack, Benazir Bhutto died in the city of Rawalpindi, where she spoke at a rally in front of her supporters.

Margaret Thatcher (1925 - 2013)

British politician and statesman. The first in the history of European countries and at the moment the only woman in the history of Great Britain is the Prime Minister (1979-1990).

Margaret Thatcher, who earned the nickname "Iron Lady" during her political career, led the British government from 1979 to 1990. Thatcher became the first woman to serve as British Prime Minister. Moreover, she served as head of government longer than any other British politician in the twentieth century.

During her stay at the Downing Street residence, the UK again began to play an important role in the international arena. It is commonly believed that Margaret Thatcher and US President Ronald Reagan were able to lead Western countries to victory in the Cold War.

In addition, Thatcher carried out serious domestic reforms that ensured the reduction of state influence on the economy, the reduction of the size of the government, tax cuts, freedom of trade and privatization. Its economic policy, called "Thatcherism", helped to overcome stagnation and increase production.

Margaret Hilda Thatcher (née Roberts) was born October 13, 1925 in Grantham (Lincolnshire), the son of Alfred Roberts and Beatrice Ethel. She graduated from Oxford where she successfully completed a four-year program in chemistry. In 1946 she was elected chairman of the Oxford University Conservative Association. After her studies, she moved to Colchester and worked for BX Plastics, for which she did chemical research. In 1950 and 1951 she ran for the Conservative Party Parliament in Dartford but lost both times. In December 1951, she married a successful businessman, Denis Thatcher, who helped her pass her bar exams and become a barrister in 1953. Her twin children were born the same year. In 1959, Margaret Thatcher was first elected to Parliament, in 1961 she was re-elected.

In 1979, she managed to lead the Conservatives to victory in the elections. In foreign policy, Margaret Thatcher adhered to a rather tough course. In 1982, she declared war on Argentina for the occupation of the Falkland Islands, after which the British army defeated the Argentine troops. She demanded that South Africa abandon the apartheid regime, but at the same time opposed sanctions against this country. In 1986, she allowed the US Air Force to use a British military base to bomb Libya. Actively supported the entry of troops into the Middle East to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation in 1991. Thatcher visited the USSR in the mid-1980s and was one of the first to welcome the new political course of Mikhail Gorbachev. She was against the unification of Germany and supported the aspirations of Croatia and Slovenia for independence. In 1991, due to intra-party struggle and a series of demonstrations caused by her economic policies, she was forced to leave the post of prime minister and leader of the party, although she won the primaries.

However, her health deteriorated. In 2001 and 2002, Margaret Thatcher suffered several microstrokes. For health reasons, Thatcher could not come to the celebration of her own 85th birthday, organized by Prime Minister David Cameron on Downing Street, or to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Margaret Thatcher wrote three books - Downing Street Years (1993) about her tenure as head of government, Road to Power (1995) about her political career, and State Wisdom 2 (2002) about international politics.

Isabel Peron (born 1931)

The world's first female president. Led Argentina in 1974-1976 after the death of her husband Juan Peron, whose third wife she was.

At one time she was a dancer, she met her future husband in a nightclub.

She moved to Spain with Perón in 1960. Under pressure from the church, Peron was forced to marry her in 1961 (although Isabel was 35 years younger than him).

She often traveled on behalf of her husband to various countries in South America and to Spain. At this time, she met the mystic philosopher Jose Lopez Rega. Under pressure from his wife, Peron appointed Lopez as his personal secretary, who later became a minister. Subsequently, Jose Lopez Rega became the leader of the Argentine "death squads" - the right-wing radical Anti-Communist Argentine Alliance. When Perón decided in 1973 to run for president of Argentina for the third time, he nominated his wife for vice president. Shortly after winning the election, Juan Peron died, and in 1974 Isabel Peron automatically became the head of state. She served as President of Argentina from July 1, 1974 to March 24, 1976. Removed from office as a result of a coup organized by General Jorge Rafael Videla. She was under house arrest, in 1981 she was deported to Spain. In January 2007, an arrest warrant was issued in Argentina for Isabel Perón, who was believed to be involved in the killings and disappearances of hundreds of Argentines. According to human rights organizations, in 1974-1976. At the hands of members of the Anti-Communist Argentine Alliance, which allegedly acted with the personal sanction of Isabel Peron, almost 1,500 left-wing activists were killed in the country. In 2008, the Spanish National Court rejected Buenos Aires' extradition request for Isabel Perón, ruling that the statute of limitations had expired, so there was no need for extradition.

Madeleine Albright (born 1937)

American politician and statesman. First woman to serve as US Secretary of State (1997-2001).

Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was born May 15, 1937 in Prague, in the family of a diplomat, and then her name was Maria Jana Korbel. After the capture of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany, her family fled to England, after the end of the war they returned to their homeland, but in 1948 they emigrated again, this time to the United States. In 1968, Maria-Jana, who changed her name to Madeleine (she took the surname Albright after her marriage), graduated from Columbia University with a master's degree, and eight years later she received a Ph.D. Albright began her political career as an activist in the Democratic Party, in 1972 she joined the team of Senator Edmund Muskie, and later became his assistant on legislative issues. In 1978, she was appointed to the National Security Council under President John Carter and was responsible for public relations. After the defeat of the Democrats in the struggle for the White House, Madeleine Albright was a professor at Georgetown University in 1982-1993, taught a seminar on the politics of the USSR and Eastern Europe, led the Women in Foreign Policy program, and was president of the Center for National Policy. In 1992, Albright became an adviser to Bill Clinton, and after his election to the presidency, he appointed her in 1993 to the post of US permanent representative to the UN. Subsequently, in 1997, she (the first woman) took the post of Secretary of State in the Clinton administration. Albright was a supporter of the hard line of the United States in international relations, advocated strengthening the position of the United States in NATO, for the full protection of US interests, without stopping at the use of military force, which was demonstrated in the Balkans.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (born 1938)

Iberian statesman. President of Liberia (2006-present). Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (jointly with Leyma Gbovi and Tawakul Karman; “for the non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for the rights of women to fully participate in building peace” 2011). The first female president of an African country. For her strict character and determination, she is often compared to the "Iron Lady". Her inauguration on January 16, 2006 was attended by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and US First Lady Laura Bush.

Michelle Bachelet (born 1951)

Chilean political and statesman. President of the Republic of Chile (2006-2010, 2014-present). The first woman in the history of the country to hold the post of head of state.

For conservative Chilean society, Michelle Bachelet represents a new type of political leader: she is divorced, has three children from different men, considers herself an agnostic about religion.

Michelle Bachelet was born on September 29, 1951 in Santiago in the family of Brigadier General of the Chilean Air Force Alberto Bachelet and archaeologist-anthropologist Angela Geria and was the second child in the family. In 1962, she and her family left for the United States, where Alberto Bachelet became a military attache at the Chilean embassy. Living in Maryland, Bachelet attended an American high school for two years.

Returning to Chile, she graduated from the Women's Lyceum No. 1, in which she was not only one of the best students on the parallel, but also the head of the class, a member of the school choir, school volleyball team, theater group and music group. After graduating from high school with honors, Michelle was going to study sociology, but under the influence of her father, she nevertheless entered the medical faculty of the University of Chile in 1970. During her studies, Bachelet took an active part in the social life of the university. Under Socialist President Salvador Allende, Father Michel Bachelet was appointed head of the food distribution committee. After the coup on September 11, 1973, when the Allende government was overthrown by General Augusto Pinochet, Alberto Bachelet took the side of the legally elected president, as a result of which he was arrested, tortured and imprisoned on charges of treason in a prison built within the walls of a military academy, the head of which was Fernando Mattei, who worked with Alberto at the same air base. As children, Bachelet and Evelyn Mattei, his daughter, who lived next door, often played with each other. On March 12, 1974, Alberto Bachelet died in prison from a heart attack.

Michelle Bachelet joined the youth organization of the Socialist Party "Socialist Youth" in 1970. Immediately after the coup, she and her mother worked as couriers for the underground leadership of the Socialist Party, which was trying to organize a resistance movement. Six months later, Michelle Bachelet, who was then studying at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Chile, was arrested with her mother by special services and put on Pinochet's personal order in Villa Grimaldi, one of Chile's main prisons. It was a center of torture, and hundreds of Chileans disappeared without a trace within its walls. Michelle and her mother also did not escape sophisticated bullying, but miraculously survived. “Now I live in the same house with the man who interrogated and tortured me at Villa Grimaldi, we greet each other every day,” Michelle Bachelet later said in an interview with the Chilean newspaper La Tercera.

After spending about a year in prison, in 1975, thanks to the intervention of the Australian government, where her older brother Alberto lived, and her father's colleagues, Bachelet was released and after a short time left Chile, first for Australia and then for the GDR, where she studied German in Leipzig and continued her medical education at the Humboldt University of Berlin.

Bachelet returned to her homeland in 1979. In 1982, she finally received a degree in surgery from the University of Chile (University School of Medicine) (later she also became a certified pediatrician, epidemiologist and health organizer), joining the Socialist Party along the way. The first years after graduation, Bachelet worked in a children's hospital, and then in a number of non-governmental organizations that helped families affected by the dictatorship of Pinochet. From 1995 to 2000, he was a member of the Central Committee of the HRC.

After the restoration of democracy in the country in 1990, doors to various government structures open for Bachelet. On January 15, 2006, Bachelet won the presidential election, thus becoming the fifth female head of state in Latin America after Argentine President Maria Estela Martinez de Peron, Lydia Geiler Tejada (Bolivia), Nicaraguan President Violetta Chamorro and Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso.

Angela Merkel (born 1954)

German political and statesman. Chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (2000-present), Federal Chancellor of Germany (2005-present). She became the first woman in the history of the country to hold this position, and the youngest chancellor.

Angela Dorothea Merkel (née Kasner) was born in Hamburg to a Protestant priest and teacher. In 1954, the family moved to the town of Kwitzow in the GDR, where Angela spent her childhood and youth. A. Merkel graduated from the Faculty of Physics at the University of Leipzig in 1978 and until 1990 worked as a researcher at the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the GDR, where in 1986 she defended her doctoral dissertation in physics. He speaks good Russian. In 1968 she won the school Olympiad in Russian in the GDR and was awarded a trip to the USSR.

A. Merkel entered politics after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The events that took place in Germany in the late 1980s and early 1990s captured her. In 1989, she joined the Democratic Awakening organization, a year later she became its press secretary, and a few months later she took the same position in the first and last non-communist government of the GDR. For the sake of the ruling Christian Democratic Union party in Germany, she left the Democratic Awakening and, after the reunification of Germany, became a member of the Bundestag from the CDU. Helmut Kohl became the first German political leader to take A. Merkel seriously. "You will lead women," the chancellor told her, inviting her to the government for the post of minister for women and youth. He called her "girl" and made her deputy head of the CDU. Soon she was already the secretary of the CDU. Journalists called A. Merkel - "Kolya's girl".

In 1994, she was appointed Minister for the Environment. But in 1998, Kohl lost the election, giving way to Gerhard Schroeder. Here came a corruption scandal connected with the activities of ex-Chancellor G. Kohl (he was accused of accepting money for party needs from the oligarchs). Almost the entire top of the German conservatives went into the shadows, and Dr. Merkel led the movement to overthrow Kohl from the party post. In 2000, the ex-chancellor resigned from the post of leader of the CDU and left the Bundestag. In 1998, Merkel became Secretary General of the CDU, and in 2000 she was elected party chairman. On November 22, 2005, Merkel was elected to the post of Federal Chancellor of Germany

Angela Merkel became the first female Federal Chancellor and at the same time, at 51, the youngest Chancellor in the history of Germany. She is also the first representative of the new federal states in this position and the first federal chancellor with a science education. In December 2013, she was elected Federal Chancellor of Germany for the third time in a row.

A. Merkel in the CDU takes a centrist position, stands for the transformation of the CDU into a "people's party" based on the broad strata of voters. Included in the party's action program "humanity, fair treatment of all generations, love for the nation and homeland, the fight against bureaucracy." The new Europe, she said, must face everyone, including minor social and ethnic groups. In foreign policy, Merkel is known for supporting the American course, advocating rapprochement with the United States. In addition, he advocates "special relations" and a new alliance with France. She has also repeatedly made it clear that she opposes Turkey's accession to the EU.

When one of her biographers was asked what he liked most about Angela Merkel's biography, he replied: “When she, being a schoolgirl, had to jump from a three-meter tower in the pool. When she stepped onto the board, she was overcome by fear. She was afraid to jump for three solid quarters of an hour. The bell rang, announcing the end of class. And at that moment, having made a final decision, she jumped into the water. For me, - he says, - this is evidence that Angela Merkel is hard to lift, she needs time to make decisions. But if she made a decision, then she will not deviate from its implementation. In my opinion, this is the secret of her political success. She does nothing without much preparation. But when the decision is made, the Rubicon is crossed, and she fights to the last.

Her patron at one of the stages of her political career, Günther Krause, who served as parliamentary secretary of state and to whom Merkel owes her election to the Bundestag, is credited with the phrase: “She is a sweet, pleasant woman, from whom you just turn away, you will immediately get a kick in the ass.”

Hillary Clinton (born 1947)

American politician and statesman. Senator from the State of New York (2001-2009), US Secretary of State (2009-2013). Wife of the 42nd US President Bill Clinton. 2016 Democratic nominee for the presidency of the United States. She may become the first woman in history to hold the post of head of this state.

Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton was born October 26, 1947 in Chicago. Her parents are from England and Wales. Dorothy's mother had already received her education when she married a salesman in Chicago, Hugo Rodham, who later founded a small textile business. Dorothy Rodham raised three children and never worked again.

As she grew older, Hillary considered herself a Republican and a supporter of the prominent conservative, Senator Berry Goldwater. As a schoolgirl, she helped the pastor work with Hispanic and Negro children. Her dream was astronautics, she even went to NASA, but women were not accepted there. Her parents admonished her with the words: “You will win, and then lose again - but don’t take anything to heart. Get up the next morning and keep fighting."

In 1965, Hillary entered the women's institution of higher education Wellesley College. The atmosphere of the 60s contributed to the fact that her republican views became more radical. As chairman of the student government, Hillary organized the first demonstration against the Vietnam War. The diploma work on the fight against poverty was already written from a liberal standpoint. In 1969, as the best student, Hillary was assigned to prepare a report on the end of the school year. In her speech, she criticized Nixon's policies. This made an impression on the journalists present and the report was published in Life magazine.

Enrolling in law at Yale University, Hillary became a supporter of the Democratic Party. She was the editor of Yal Low magazine. Professors remember her as an intelligent, smart and diligent student. Hillary received her JD in 1973. As Hillary was getting ready in the library, she noticed a student staring at her intently. Unable to stand it, she said: “If you don’t stop looking at me, I will turn my back on you. Or maybe we should get to know each other? My name is Hillary Rodum." The student was so stunned that he forgot to give his name. It was Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton, when asked what attracted her to him, said: "He was not afraid of me." Bill and Hillary married in 1975 and immediately moved to Arkansas, where Bill began his political career.

Hillary Clinton's Political Activities Hillary Clinton began teaching at the University of Arkansas School of Law and worked for the Rose Law Firm. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter appointed Hillary to the board of the Legal Services Corporation. That same year, Bill Clinton was elected governor of Arkansas. All this time (12 years from 1979 to 1981 and from 1983 to 1993), Hillary Clinton did not stand aside and actively participated in the public life of the state.

Having become the first lady of the United States after Clinton's victory in the 1992 presidential election, Hillary, at the request of her husband, headed the task force on health care reform, but left her position a year later. In 1998, during a major scandal surrounding Bill Clinton's relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, Hillary supported her unfaithful husband and did not want to part with him.

After Obama's victory in the 2008 presidential election, Hillary Clinton was offered the post of US Secretary of State. On January 21, 2009, Hillary Clinton was sworn in as the 67th Secretary of State of the United States. Clinton carries out the president's foreign policy through the State Department and the Foreign Office, directs the US Foreign Service, and advises the president on the appointment of ambassadors, ministers, consuls, and other diplomatic representatives.

In April 2015, Hillary Clinton announced her intention to participate in the upcoming presidential election from the Democratic Party. According to the results of the primaries held at the beginning of 2016, the woman became one of the leaders of the election race along with Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders.

The new Prime Minister of Great Britain will again be a woman

After 51.9% of the British voted in a referendum for breaking off relations with Brussels, the current British Prime Minister David Cameron, who called for staying in the EU, announced his upcoming resignation. Almost 26 years later, the next head of the Conservative Party and the country's prime minister again became woman, head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 59-year-old Theresa May.

15 chose

Almost 80 years ago in America the first time a woman became a senator. It was Hattie Caraway, Democrat from Arkansas. Around the same time, a woman in the United States became the Secretary of Labor for the first time.

There are more and more women in modern politics, including in the highest government positions. But before playing equal roles with men, we are still very far away. So the world ruled by women can only be seen in science fiction films. By the way, they often suggest that such a society would be more peaceful and calm, since women are less aggressive than men.

To imagine what a women-led society could be like, let's look at the most successful female politicians of the last 50 years.

Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, 1966-1977 and 1980-1984

"India has no permanent friends or permanent enemies: India has only permanent interests", - said Indira Gandhi and consistently defended the interests of their country. She was the daughter and assistant of the first Prime Minister India Jawaharlal Nehru She later became Prime Minister herself. FROM Mahatma Gandhi She has no family ties, and she got her last name from her husband.

Her reign was remembered for its complex internal conflicts. She made decisions that were not feminine, bold and tough.

She won the Bangladesh war, with her India became a nuclear power, she decided to attack the holy city of Amristar captured by Sikh separatists. For this, Indira Gandhi was killed by her own Sikh guards.

Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister 1979-1990

"The Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher considered the most popular British politician after Winston Churchill– and this already says a lot. She was not only the first female prime minister in Europe, but also the first English prime minister to be elected for 3 consecutive terms.

Thatcher's reign can hardly be called a soft and calm period. It took a number of unpopular measures: it cut subsidies to state-owned enterprises and social benefits, banned "solidarity strikes".

The time of her reign was marked by a high increase in unemployment and social discontent, but she managed to stabilize the economy, so the elections in 1987 her party won again.

By the way, "iron lady" she was first nicknamed in the Soviet Union in 1976 for harsh speech USSR. This nickname stuck with her all over the world.

Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, 2005 - present

And here is the board Angela Merkel in Germany can be called calm and non-conflict. She knows how to compromise.

On the one hand, in foreign policy, she maintains ties with Washington and criticizes her predecessor Gerhard Schroeder for too close ties with Russia. On the other hand, in fact, Germany's relations with Russia have not changed since she came to power.

Angela Merkel for its citizens almost immediately became the most popular chancellor in the history of Germany. Three months after taking office, she was supported by 80% of the population.

Golda Meir, Prime Minister of Israel, 1969-1974

Golda Meir jokingly called "the only man in the Israeli Cabinet".

She has held high government positions in Israel since its founding.

In 1948 she was the first ambassador Israel in Moscow.

Since 1949 became the first Minister of Labor and Social Security, then served as Minister of Foreign and Interior Affairs, and eventually became Prime Minister.

Contemporaries note her harshness and stubbornness.

Corazon Aquino, President of the Philippines, 1986-1992

Corazon Aquino- it's not only Asia's first female president, but also a real revolutionary who overthrew the dictatorial regime Ferdinand Marcos.

And it all started surprisingly quietly. Corazon Aquino She was an ordinary housewife and mother of five children. Her husband, a senator, was a politician Benigno Aquino. But Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in the country and ordered the arrest of all prominent opposition politicians, including Aquino. He spent seven years in prison, after which he managed to leave the country. A few years later, Aquino was shot dead at the airport. Philippines deciding to return to their homeland.

His wife after the murder of her husband became the leader of the opposition and a presidential candidate Philippines. The winner was announced Marcos, but Aquino and her supporters did not recognize this outcome of the elections and, with the help of the Minister of Defense, forced him to resign.

After becoming president, Corazon Aquino launched democratic reforms, and Time magazine named her woman of the year.

Tarja Halonen, President of Finland, 2000 - present

AT Finland they call her Moominmama. And they do seem to have some similarities.

Tarja Halonen became the first female president in Finland and is considered to be in 2000 voted for it because of protest considerations.

People wanted change, so they chose a woman as president who supported the most vulnerable segments of the population. But in 2006 year she was chosen again, which means - already for merit.

It is symbolic that in the year of re-election Tarja Halonen Finland celebrated the centenary of women's suffrage.

As you can see, women politicians in high positions are not particularly soft. Often they act even more boldly and decisively than many men.

Do you think women can be good politicians? How would the world be different if it were run by women?