Madame President: A List of Female Heads of State

While the United States has yet to elect a female president, a number of countries have and continue to elect female heads of state. Here is a sampling of women who have been elected to their nation's highest office over the years.

• Isabel Martinez de Peron (Argentina): President, 1974 - 1976
• Elmira Minita Gordon (Belize): Governor-General 1981 - 1993
• Maria Lea Pedini-Angelini (San Marino): Captain Regent, 1981
• Vigdis Finnbogadottir (Iceland): President,  1980 - 1996
• Agatha Barbara (Malta): President, 1982 - 1987
• Gloria Ranocchini (San Marino): Captain Regent, 1984
• Jeanne Sauve (Canada): Governor-General, 1984 - 1990
• Corazon Aquino (Philippines): President, 1986 -1992
• Gloria Ranocchini (San Marino): Captain Regent, 1989 - 1990
• Catherine Tizard (New Zealand): Governor-General, 1990 - 1996
• Violeta Chamorro (Nicaragua): President, 1990 - 1997
• Mary Robinson (Ireland): President, 1990 - 1997
• Edda Ceccoli (San Marino): Captain Regent 1991 - 1992
• Patricia Busignani (San Marino): Captain Regent, 1993
• Chandrika Kumaratunga (Sri Lanka): President, 1994 - 2005
• Mary McAleese (Ireland): President, 1997 - present
• Pearlette Louisy (Saint Lucia): Governor-General, 1997 - present
• Adrienne Clarkson (Canada): Governor-General, 1999
• Rosa Zafferani (San Marino): Captain Regent, 1999
• Vaira Vike-Freiberga (Latvia): President, 1999 - 2007
• Mireya Moscoso (Panama): President, 1999 - 2004
• Tarja Halonen (Finland): President, 2000 - present
• Maria Domenica Michelotti (San Marino): Captain Regent, 2000
• Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (Philippines): President, 2001 - 2010
• Ivy Dumont (Bahamas): Governor-General, 2001 - 2005
• Maria Ciavatta (San Marino): Captain Regent, 2003 - 2004
• Fausta Morganti (San Marino): Captain Regent, 2005
• Michaelle Jean (Canada): Governor-General, 2005 -2010
• Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Liberia): President, 2006 - present
• Michelle Bachelet (Chile): President, 2006 - 2010
• Doris Leuthard (Switzerland): President, 2006 - present
• Pratibha Patil (India): President, 2007 - present
• Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (Argentina): President, 2007 - present
• Rosa Zafferani (San Marino): Captain Regent, 2008
• Quentin Bryce (Australia): Governor-General, 2008 - present
• Dalia Grybauskaite (Lithuania): President, 2009 - president
• Rosa Otunbayeva (Kyrgyzstan): 2010 - present
• Laura Chinchilla (Costa Rica): 2010 - present
• Dilma Rousseff (Brazil): President, 2011 - present
• Maria Luisa Berti (San Marino): Captain Regent, 2011
• Atifete Jahjaga (Kosovo): 2011 - present