Population, Gender, and Disparity - Dragons and Tigers: A Geography of South, East and Southeast Asia - page 83

Table 3-4

Female Heads of State in Asia

T erm(s) as
President or

Political or Family

Name of Leader Country Prime Minister Connections Married Children

Bangladesh Begum Khaleda 1991-1996 Widow of Ziaur Rahman, Yes Yes

Rahman Zia President from 1977 to 2001-2009

1981 who was assassinated
in 1981

Sheik Hassina Wajed Current Daughter of Sheik Mujibur Yes

Rahman, founding father
of Bangladesh and first
President, who was
assassinated in 1975

Yes

India Indira Gandhi 1966-1977 Daughter of Jahawarlal Yes Yes

1980-1984 Nehru, India' s first Prime

Assassinated Minister who died

in 1984 in 1964

Indonesia Megawati 2001-2004 Daughter of Sukarno, Yes Yes

Sukarnoputri who was the first President

of the world' s most
populous Muslim nation
from 1949 to 1965

Pakistan Benazir Bhutto 1988-1990 Daughter of Zulfikar Yes Yes

(First woman 1993-1996 Ali Bhutto, Prime

President of an Assassinated Minister from 1973

Islamic country in 2007 to 1977 who was

and at age 35, executed in 1979

the youngest chief
executive in the
world.)

Philippines Gloria Macapagal 2001-2009 Daughter of Diosdado Yes Yes

Arroyo Macapagal, President

from 1961 to 1965

Corazon Aquino 1986-1992 Wife of Senator Yes Yes

Died 2009 Benigno Aquino, who

was assassinated
in 1983

Sri Lanka Madame Sirinovo 1960-1965 Wife of former Prime Yes Yes

Bandaranaike 1970-1977 Minister Solomon

(W orld' s first 1994-2000 Bandarogo

female Prime
Minister)
Chandrika 1994-2000 Daughter of Madame Yes Yes

Bandaranaike Bandaranaike

Kumaratunga