While Kamala Harris will not be the first woman to serve as President of the United States, female leaders are not uncommon in nations around the world. Out of the 193 nations that are members of the UN, 60 have had women in charge.
Elected Prime Minister of Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, Sirimavo Bandaranaike was the first woman to be elected head of a government. Bandaranaike was elected in 1960 and her daughter Chandrika Kumaratunga would go on to serve as both prime minister and president of Sri Lanka.
Iceland became the first country to elect a female president when Vigdís Finnbogadóttir won in 1980. She was enormously popular and was reelected three times, serving for 16 years. Iceland is the most gender equal country in the world, thanks in part to Finnbogadóttir.
Angela Merkel was elected as the Chancellor of Germany in 2005 and served until 2021. Merkel was extremely successful and had numerous accomplishments, such as managing Germany through the economical crisis in 2008 by ensuring balanced budgeting. She also allowed more than one million refugees to move to Germany, where they have thrived. Merkel was an important figure in the European Union as well.
In October, Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in as the first female president of Mexico. As a scientist, she is advocating for a departure from fossil fuel reliance and an increase in sustainable energy sources. With Mexico under economic threat from US president-elect Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs, Sheinbaum has warned him of the downsides and hinted at counterattacking.
The US is yet to have a female president, but there are high-ranking women in American politics. Kamala Harris made history as the first female vice president, while three women have served as Secretary of State: Madeleine Albright, Condoleezza Rice, and Hillary Clinton. Nancy Pelosi, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, helped pass important legislation such as the Affordable Care Act in 2010. Pelosi strongly opposed Donald Trump during his first term, had powerful stances on foreign policy, and pressured President Biden to end his 2024 reelection bid.
Although Harris lost the election, her campaign will be a stepping stone for the next woman who chooses to run for president. In the meantime, as other nations elect and honor their female leaders, a new generation of girls will be inspired to make their voices heard in politics.