All images credit: AFP
According to the Women's Power Index by the Council on Foreign Relations, here are the top 10 countries that are led by women leaders in 2024:
The current president of Iceland, Halla Tómasdóttir, became the second female president of the country in 2024. Earlier, she was a public speaker and a businesswoman.
Myriam Spiteri Debono is the 11th President of Malta and the first Gozitan woman to become president of the nation. She was also the first woman Speaker of the House of Representatives of Malta during 1996 and 1998.
The founder and former leader of the Party of Action and Solidarity, Maia Sandu is the current President of Moldova. She held the position of prime minister in 2019 when the government crumbled.
A politician, economist, and public servant, Ingrida Šimonytė has remained the Prime Minister of Lithuania since 2020.
Droupadi Murmu is the first President of India to belong to the tribal community and the second woman to hold the office. She is the 15th president and has been serving since 2022.
The leader of the Social Democrats since 2015, Mette Frederiksen is a Danish politician who has been serving the position of Prime Minister of Denmark since 2019.
A Thai politician and businesswoman, Paetongtarn Shinawatra became the Prime Minister of Thailand in 2024. She is the leader of the Pheu Thai Party and the youngest daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Giorgia Meloni has been the Prime Minister of Italy since 2022, She is one of the founders of the party Brothers of Italy and is the first woman to hold the position.
A politician and former diplomat, Salome Zurabishvili is the fifth President of Georgia and the first woman to hold the office. She has been serving the office since 2018.
The fifth President of Ethiopia, Sahle-Work Zewde is the first woman to hold the position. She is a politician and diplomat and has held the office since 2018.