Out of those 13 women currently heading governments, four are the first females to do so in their countries.
The only other woman leading a country in the Asia Pacific is Hilda Heine, president of the Marshall Islands.
The Guardian compiled a list of females head of government, as follows:
- Sheikh Hasina, prime minister of Bangladesh
- Michelle Bachelet, president of Chile
- Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany
- Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president of Liberia
- Hilda Heine, president of the Marshall Islands
- Erna Solberg, prime minister of Norway
- Beata Szydlo, prime minister of Poland
- Doris Leuthard, president of the Swiss Confederation, Switzerland
- Theresa May, prime minister of the United Kingdom
- Jacinda Ardern, prime minister of New Zealand
- Ana Brnabic, prime minister of Serbia
- Saara Kuugongelwa, prime minister of Namibia
- Mercedes Araoz, prime minister of Peru