Prominent women political leaders in the Indian subcontinent

The social position of women in the Indian subcontinent has not been ideal. From the numerous sexual assault cases to lack of education, dowry and infetuscide cases; the world has always seen these countries as antonym of women empowerment. Where there is no argument against how women in most of our countries are not given equal respect and exposure as men, what can’t be ignored is the fact that most of these South Asian countries have had powerful women leaders emerging in different spheres.

For this year’s international women’s day, SheThePeople.TV looks into how some of the most repressive societies in Asia produced some remarkable women political leaders.

PAKISTAN- BENAZIR BHUTTO

Benazir Bhutto
Picture By: Pakistan Today

The 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan, Bhutto served two non-consecutive terms in 1988–90 and then 1993–96. She was the eldest daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the founder of the centre-left Pakistan People’s Party.  She wasn’t just the first woman to be elected as the head of an Islamic state's government; she also became the first woman head of government to give birth while in office.

INDIA- INDIRA GANDHI

Indira Gandhi
Picture By: Hi Class Society

Indira Gandhi was the first woman President of India, and was the daughter of the country’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. She is believed to be the driving force behind India becoming the regional hegemon of South Asia. Gandhi wasn’t just a symbol of empowerment in India, she was also recognized as a influential leader worldwide. In 2001, Gandhi was voted the greatest Indian Prime Minister in a poll organised by India Today. She was also named "Woman of the Millennium" in a poll organised by the BBC in 1999.

SRI LANKA- CHANDRIKA BANDARANAIKE KUMARATUNGA

Chandrika Bandaranaike
Picture By: Studio Bin

Kumaratunga was the fifth and the only woman President of Sri Lanka. The daughter of two former prime ministers, she was also the leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) until 2005. Her mother, Sirimavo Bandaranaike was the world's first female prime minister and following her footsteps, Chandrika Bandaranaike bought some major reforms in the country.  She is a member of the Global Leadership Foundation and the Club of Madrid.

BANGLADESH- SHEIKH HASINA

Sheikh Hasina
Picture By: Wikipedia

The current Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Hasina is the daughter of the Founding father of the country. Ranking 47th on Forbes' list of the 100 most powerful women in the world, she too is a global figure and not just a national hero. Her personal and political life have been full of hardships like Bhutto and suffered an assassination attempt, but she has continued to emerge victorious each time.

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