On Sep. 7, Julia Gillard became the first woman elected Prime Minister of Australia. In honor of female politicians kicking through glass ceilings, TIME takes a look at 10 women who have made it to the top
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, President of Argentina
By William Lee Adams Tuesday, Sep. 07, 2010

President Cristina Fernández, at the government house in Buenos Aires
Natacha Pisarenko / AP
Elected President in November 2007 (thereby succeeding her husband Néstor), Fernández has proven she is her own woman. Dismissively referred to as "Cristina" by some members of Argentina's macho political elite, Fernández has survived a standoff with the country's powerful farming lobby, a fallout with the U.S. over a suitcase allegedly containing illegal campaign contributions and a series of high-profile economic-policy spats that culminated in the ousting of the governor of Argentina's Central Bank earlier this year. With her striking appearance and polarizing rhetoric, she inevitably draws comparisons with former First Lady Eva Perón.
Full List
Top 10 Women
- Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia
- Johanna Sigurdardottir, Prime Minister of Iceland
- Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, President of Argentina
- Dalia Grybauskaite, President of Lithuania
- Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany
- Sheik Hasina Wajed, Prime Minister of Bangladesh
- Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia
- Tarja Halonen, President of Finland
- Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
- Laura Chinchilla, President of Costa Rica