Girls On Top: Independent Women I Quiz

Answer: Sri Lanka

Sirimavo Bandaranaike became PM of Sri Lanka in 1960. Her husband, Solomon, had been prime minister 1956-59 but was assassinated in 1959.

Mrs Bandaranaike was PM 1960-65, 1970-77 & 1994-2000. Her daughter Chandrika Kumaratunga also served as prime minister in 1994 before being elected president.

Answer: Gro Harlem Brundtland, Norway

As of 2003 Dr Brundtland is Director-General of the World Health Organisation. Margaret Thatcher was prime minister of the UK 1979-90, Claudette Werleigh was PM of Haiti 1995-96 and Maria Liberia-Peters was twice PM of the Netherlands Antilles: 1984-86 & 1988-93.

Answer: Vigdis Finnbogadottir, Iceland

Vigdis Finnbogadottir was president of Iceland 1980-96 (she was unopposed in the 1984 & 1992 elections). Isabela Peron was the first woman to be president but she was not directly elected to the post: she had been vice-president of Argentina under her husband, Juan Peron, and became president when he died in 1974.

She was removed from office by a military coup in 1976. Cory Aquino was president of the Philippines 1986-92. Violeta Chamorro was president of Nicaragua 1990-96.

Answer: Elisabeth Domitien, Central African Republic

Elisabeth Domitien was PM of the CAR 1975-76, she was appointed by the notorious dictactor, President Bokassa. She was dismissed for publicly disagreeing with his plans to crown himself Emperor. After Bokassa's overthrow she was put on trial for covering up Bokassa's atrocities, imprisoned and banned from future involvement in politics.

Ms Kingi was PM of Burundi 1993-94, Ms Uwilingiyamana PM of Rwanda 1993-94 and Madame Boye was PM of Senegal 2001-02.

Answer: Dominica

Ms Charles is the grand-daughter of former slaves and helped found the Dominica Freedom Party which helped lead Dominica's drive for independece from the UK.

Answer: Chandrika Kumaratunga, Sri Lanka

Both of Mrs Kumaratunga's parents, Solomon & Sirimavo Bandaranaike, were prime minister of Sri Lanka. She herself was elected PM in 1994 but following her victory in the presidential election of that year resigned as PM and appointed her mother to the post.

Indira Gandhi's father, Jawarharlal Nehru was India's first prime minister from 1947-1964. Mrs Gandhi was PM herself 1966-77 & 1980-84. Benazir Bhutto's father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was PM of Pakistan 1973-77, she was PM 1988-90 & 1993-97. Sheikh Hasina was PM of Bangladesh 1996-2001; her father, Mujibur Rahman was the first prime minister of Bangladesh 1972-75 and briefly president in 1975 until his assassination.

Answer: Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan

Ms Bhutto was PM of Pakistan 1988-90 & 1993-97. Tansu Ciller was PM of Turkey 1993-95, Khaleda Zia was PM of Bangladesh 1991-96 & 2001-. Megawati Sukarnoputri, the daughter of former Indonesian President Sukarno, was president herself 2001-05.

Answer: Latvia

Vaira Vike-Frieberga was elected president of Latvia in 1999. Kaziemira Prunskiene was appointed prime minister of Lithuania in 1990 but resigned in 1991 before the country's independence was recognised by the Soviet Union.

Answer: New Zealand

Jenny Shipley became New Zealand's first female prime minister in 1997. In 1999 she lost a general election and Helen Clark became the country's second female prime minister. Pamela Gordon and Jennifer Smith have both been PM of Bermuda, Kim Campbell was briefly prime minister of Canada while as of 2005 Ireland has had two female presidents: Mary Robinson 1990-97 & Mary McAleese 1997- .

Answer: Margaret Thatcher, United Kingdom

Margaret Thatcher was the longest-serving British Prime Minister since the 1820s, winning three general elections in 1979, 1983 and 1987 and serving from 1979 till 1990.

I hope you enjoyed this quiz, if so please feel free to take my follow up quiz, "Girls On Top: Independent Women II".