Women’s Power Index: CFR Gender Parity Score Stalls, in Warning Sign for Women’s Political Participation
Source: CFR
Countries with women as head of state or government: Twenty-six UN member states have a female head of state or government (excluding monarchs, interim leaders and members of collective leadership bodies). That is two more than last year, but lower than the all-time high of thirty countries in 2023. Women today lead 13.5 percent of UN member states. In terms of the number of leaders, Iceland and Trinidad and Tobago have women as both head of state and head of government. Counting President Vjosa Osmani of Kosovo, which is not recognized by the UN, a total of twenty-nine women serve as president or prime minister.
In 2025, several women leaders left office: Sandra Mason (Barbados), Željka Cvijanović (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Katerina Sakellaropoulou (Greece), Xiomara Castro (Honduras), Dina Boluarte (Peru), Fiame Naomi Mata’afaa (Samoa), Paetongtarn Shinawatra (Thailand), and Victoire Tomegah Dogbe (Togo). Looking ahead, Laura Fernández Delgado, elected president of Costa Rica, will be inaugurated in May and several women are candidates in upcoming elections.
Countries with women as head of state or government: Twenty-six UN member states have a female head of state or government (excluding monarchs, interim leaders and members of collective leadership bodies). That is two more than last year, but lower than the all-time high of thirty countries in 2023. Women today lead 13.5 percent of UN member states. In terms of the number of leaders, Iceland and Trinidad and Tobago have women as both head of state and head of government. Counting President Vjosa Osmani of Kosovo, which is not recognized by the UN, a total of twenty-nine women serve as president or prime minister.
In 2025, several women leaders left office: Sandra Mason (Barbados), Željka Cvijanović (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Katerina Sakellaropoulou (Greece), Xiomara Castro (Honduras), Dina Boluarte (Peru), Fiame Naomi Mata’afaa (Samoa), Paetongtarn Shinawatra (Thailand), and Victoire Tomegah Dogbe (Togo). Looking ahead, Laura Fernández Delgado, elected president of Costa Rica, will be inaugurated in May and several women are candidates in upcoming elections.