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Read about the leaders featured in MADAME PRESIDENT:
 Chile's
first female President the 54yr old Michelle Bachelet
also referred to as the "Iron Lady" was inaugurated
March'11, 2006. A single Mom, Bachelet is a
surgeon,
pediatrician and
epidemiologist with studies in
military strategy. She was, along with her
mother, a political prisoner, arrested and tortured
during Pinochet's rule. A moderate
Socialist, born into a middle-class military
family, she campaigned on a platform of continuing
Chile's
free market policies, while increasing
social benefits to help reduce the country's
gap between rich and poor. Her campaign slogans were
about creating a participatory democracy and government
for the people.
 Liberia's
66yr old Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf inaugurated Jan'
16, 2006 is Africa's first female president. Fondly
called the, "Iron Lady" she was born amongst the
descendents of original colonists of Liberia (ex-African
slaves from America). A longtime politician,
Johnson-Sirleaf now has to contend with putting her
country back together after a 14-year civil war in which
200,000 people are believed to have died and a capital
left in near ruins. She was sentenced to ten years
imprisonment for a brave speech of which she served two
short periods of detention before fleeing the country
and twice went into exile. President Johnson-Sirleaf, a
divorcee whose ex-husband died a few years ago, is the
mother of four sons and has six grandchildren.
Johnson-Sirleaf said she wants to become president in
order "to bring motherly sensitivity and emotion to the
presidency" as a way of healing the wounds of war. Her
non-involvement in the war and her financial expertise
were a mainstay of her campaign message and she
endeavored to put across the image of an untainted,
maternal figure.
 Germany's
Chancellor the 52yr old Angela Merkel was
Inaugurated Nov' 22, 2005. She is the first former
citizen of the
German Democratic Republic to lead the
reunited Germany and the first woman to lead
Germany since it became a modern
nation-state in 1871. Her rise to the top comes
as the result of personal perseverance and political
fortuity. She's been laughed at, she's been antagonized
and she's been underestimated. She is also,
as of 2006, the
youngest person to be chancellor since the
Second World War. Merkel, considered by Forbes
Magazine to be the
most powerful woman in the world, is only the
third woman to serve on the
G8 and, on
1 January
2007, became the second woman to chair the
G8 after
Margaret Thatcher. Merkel, the daughter of a
Lutheran
pastor and a conservative, described as the "
Iron Lady", defied strong public opposition and came out
in favor of the
U.S. invasion of Iraq.
Finland's first
female President, the 63yr old Tarja Kaarina Halonen
was first inaugurated in 2000 and re-elected on
January 29,
2006. Early in her political career Ms. Halonen
represented the radical left wing of her former party
(social-democrat). Regarded as a hero, President
Halonen, with a masters of law has been mentioned
several times as a possible future
United Nations Secretary-General. Her lifestyle
has caused some consternation, but her independent
attitude has also brought her admiration. Halonen
married her longtime partner in a civil ceremony at her
official residence after a relationship of more than
fifteen years. In the 1960s, she quit the
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, to which
the majority of Finns belong, to protest against its
policy of taxing church members, and its stance against
female priests. President Halonen is widely celebrated
by Finns as a woman who has risen from modest
circumstances with only her own competence to guide her
to become the leader of their nation.
 New
Zealand’s Prime Minister, 56yr old Helen Clark
known as "Mother of the House" was inaugurated 27
November 1999. She's the 2nd female Prime Minister and
was reelected prime minister in both 2002 and 2005, the
first New Zealand prime minister to secure three
consecutive terms in office. Helen is a remarkable
story, which began, in New Zealand's provincial,
conservative heartland; born into humble beginnings
Helen spent her first twelve years on the family sheep
and cattle farm. It was during her time at university
that Helen Clark's active involvement in politics began,
sparked by issues such as the civil war in Vietnam,
apartheid in South Africa, and nuclear testing in the
South Pacific. With a bachelor's and master's degrees in
political science, her rise to the top of New Zealand
politics is the culmination of almost thirty years of
involvement with the Labour Party. As prime minister,
Clark addressed many controversial issues, including
Maori rights, same-sex civil unions, and prostitution,
which was legalized in 2003. Her government also opposed
the U.S. and British invasion of Iraq in the Second
Persian Gulf War.
 Ireland’s
55 yr old Mary Patricia McAleese, born in Belfast
Northern Ireland, was inaugurated on 11 November 1997 as
the eighth President of Ireland; the first time in
history that a woman had succeeded another woman as an
elected head of state anywhere in the world. She was
re-elected, without contest, to another seven-year term
in 2004. McAleese's very high job approval ratings were
widely seen as the reason for her re-election. The first
individual born in Northern Ireland to become President
of Ireland, she is the author of the book “Love In
Chaos….Spiritual Growth and the Search for Peace in
Northern Ireland”. McAleese has said that the theme of
her presidency is "building bridges".
Prior to becoming president
she was a barrister, journalist and academic. Forbes
ranked her the 55th most powerful woman in the world on
a list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women. Since
November 19, 2005 she is the longest-serving current
female elected Head of State following the retirement of
Chandrika Kumaratunga of Sri Lanka.
 The
daughter of a former President, 60 yr old
Gloria Macaraeg
Macapagal-Arroyo,
while sitting as the country's first female vice
president was launched into the presidency in 2001 by
the EDSA II that ousted Joseph Ejercito-Estrada from
power amid accusations of widespread corruption. Arroyo
was later elected to a six-year term in 2004. Considered
an intellectual heavyweight, Arroyo earned her degree in
economics, graduating magna cum laude in 1968 from
Assumption College. Prior to becoming president, Arroyo
was elected to the Philippine Senate in 1992. As a
senator, Arroyo filed over 400 bills and authored or
sponsored 55 laws of economic importance, including the
Anti-Sexual Harassment Law, the Indigenous People's
Rights Law, and the Export Development Act. Throughout
her tenure as President, Arroyo outlined her vision for
the country as "building a strong republic". Her agenda
consists of building up a strong bureaucracy, lowering
crime rates, increasing tax collection, improving
economic growth, and intensifying counter-terrorism
efforts.
 The
48 yr old Luísa Dias
Diogo will go
down in African history books as the first female Head
of Government in the country of Mozambique when she was
appointed Prime Minister in February 2004. Before
becoming prime minister she was minister of planning and
finance, and she continued to hold that post until
February 2005. Luisa Diogo represents the party FRELIMO,
which has ruled the country since independence in 1975.
Diogo studied economics at Maputo's Eduardo Mondlane
University. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in
1983. She went on to obtain a master's degree in
financial economics at the University of London in
1992. Since working in government, Ms. Diogo has been
the chief responsible for heading Mozambique’s
negotiations with the World Bank and the International
Monetary Fund. During her time as Finance Minister,
Mozambique has noted substantial economic growth.
On 24 March 2006, 63 yr old Han Myeong-Sook was
nominated to become the first female Prime Minister of
South Korea. She is from the ruling Uri Party and is a
graduate of the prestigious Ewha Woman’s University of
Seoul with a degree in French literature. She was
imprisoned from 1979 to 1981 after she confessed to
teaching pro-Communist ideas to workers, farmers and
low-income women, but it is now accepted she was
imprisoned for pro-Democratic activities. A government
committee exonerated her of any wrongdoing in 2001,
ruling her confession was elicited through torture. Han
was the first Minister of Gender Equality, serving from
2001 to 2003. She also served as the Minister of
Environment from 2003 to 2004. Since becoming Prime
Minister, Han has emphasized the signing of trade
agreements with United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, and
Uzbekistan.
 Burma’s
democratically elected Prime Minister, Aung San Suu
Kyi, has been under house arrest since 1989, months
after working for democratization of the country through
founding the political party the National League For
Democracy. Her election in 1990 was nullified and the
military refused to hand over power to her. A student
of Gandhi’s non-violent resistance, Suu Kyi is the 1991
recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. She has been
offered her freedom if she leaves the country. She has
refused and has sacrificed her freedom in an effort to
free her country from military rule. She is currently
still under house arrest.
 India’s
first female President, the 73 year old Pratibha
Patil was inaugurated on July 25,2007. Supported by
Sonia Gandhi, she is a member of the
Indian National Congress
(INC), and was nominated by the ruling
United Progressive Alliance
and
Indian Left.
A trained lawyer, she was the first woman
Governor of Rajasthan
(2004-2007). She began her political career in 1962 at
the age of 27 when she became minister of education. She
set up an educational institute, which runs a chain of
schools and colleges. She also set up a Trust that runs
hostels for working women in New Delhi, Mumbai and Pune.
She has founded a sugar factory and a cooperative bank
named after herself as Pratibha Mahila Sahakari Bank.
Her election was embroiled in charges of corruption.
_______________________________________________
 In
Argentina the front-runner for their presidential
election is the current first lady, Cristina
Elizabeth Fernández. The election will be held,
October 28, 2007.
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