Man, I Feel Like a Woman Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sirimavo Bandaranaike

Mrs Bandaranaike (1916-2000) became prime minister of Ceylon (Sri Lanka since 1972) when the party of which she was leader gained a majority in that country's parliament in July 1960. She consolidated this position a few months later by becoming a member of the senate upon the resignation of another member. Her first term as head of government was quite turbulent, and ended in March 1965. She returned to power in 1970 at the head of a coalition known as the United Front, which lasted until being soundly defeated in 1977 amidst turmoil involving many issues, but including the Tamil call for a separate state. She remained in politics, serving for a third (largely ceremonial) term from 1994 until shortly before her death in 2000.

The rubber bands in the photo were meant to steer you in the direction of her surname.

Regarding the incorrect choices: Hastings (not Harriet) Banda was prime minister and president of Malawi; David (not Davina) Letterman had a long-running late night TV show; Luke (not Lucy) Maile was a major league baseball catcher.

Answer: Golda Meir

Golda Meir (1898-1978) was born in Kiev and raised and educated in the United States, immigrating with her husband to what was then known as Palestine in 1921. Before her election as prime minister in 1969 she had served as both Minister of Labour and Foreign Minister, the latter during the Suez Crisis of 1956. Her prime ministerial term ran from 1969-1974, and included having to deal with the murders of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972 and the Yom Kippur War of 1973. She resigned from office in 1974 and was succeeded by Yitzhak Rabin.

The photo of a gold nugget should have helped you pick her name.

Re the incorrect choices: Men named Begin, Peres and Netanyahu have all been prime minister of Israel, but with the first names Menachem, Shimon and Benjamin, not Miriam, Sharon and Betty.

Answer: Margaret Thatcher

Elected to the highest office of the United Kingdom in May, 1979, Maggie Thatcher (1925-2013) was called on to deal with the Argentinian invasion of the Falkland Islands in April 1982. Living up to her Iron Lady nickname her government was quick to dispatch a task force to the South Atlantic to oppose the incursion. She remained in office for another eight years, until her leadership of the Conservative Party was challenged in 1990, and she was replaced by John Major in both positions.

The picture of a flat iron is an allusion to her "Iron Lady" nickname.

John (not Jane) Major, who succeeded her was PM during the First Gulf War in 1991. Tony (not Toni) Blair was Labour prime minister during the post 9/11 fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. Golda Meir, also sometimes called the "Iron Lady", led her country (Israel) in a war, but not against Argentina.

Answer: Vigdís Finnbogadóttir (Iceland)

President Vigdís (Finnbogadóttir is a patronymic) was born in Reykjavik in 1930 and studied in France and Denmark. Spurred on by the Icelandic women's movement she ran for president in the 1980 election, and defeated three male opponents. She was reelected three times (twice unopposed) before deciding not to run in the 1996 election. During her time in office she was a champion of the Icelandic language and culture.

The photo clue is of icicles, which should have led you to choose the Icelandic woman.

Of the others, Brundtland and Gandhi were prime ministers of their countries, not presidents, and did not take office for the first time in 1980. Agatha Barbara became the first woman president of Malta in 1982, and served for five years.

Answer: Elisabeth Kopp

Elisabeth Kopp was born in Zurich in 1936. The Swiss Federal Council, to which she was elected in October 1984, is made up of seven members, who are collectively the head of state and government of Switzerland. After a scandal that pointed to her husband's involvement with international crime, Kopp was forced to resign her post in 1989.

The photo of a police car was meant to make players connect the term 'cop' to the surname Kopp.

Of the incorrect choices, Emily Carr and John (not Jane) Constable were artists (painters). Shelley Winters was an Oscar-winning actress.

Answer: Corazon Aquino

Corazon "Cory" Aquino (1933-2009), who described herself as a "plain housewife" became involved in politics after the assassination of her husband Benigno, a senator opposed to long-ruling President Ferdinand Marcos. Cory became leader of the opposition and was swept into office as her country's first female president by the People Power movement. During her presidential term (1986-92) reforms relating to presidential powers and civil rights, and a new constitution were passed.

Corazon is Spanish for "heart" and the photo was meant to lead you to Mrs Aquino.

Gary (not Geri) Hart is an American politician. Mariette Hartley is an actress, and Mary Hartman is a character in a television programme.

Answer: Benazir Bhutto

Benazir Bhutto (1953-2007) was born in Karachi, and studied at both Harvard in the USA and Oxford in the UK. When she was elected Pakistan's 11th prime minister in 1988 she also became the first woman to be democratically elected to lead a nation with a Muslim majority. That term lasted until the dismissal of her government for alleged corruption (amongst other charges) in 1990, forcing an election which her party lost. Similar circumstances for her successor led to her resumption of power in 1993 until this government also was ousted amidst new scandals. In 2007 it seemed she might be about to enter the campaign for the upcoming elections, but she was assassinated in December of that year.

The photo of a boot should have led you to choose one of the people named Bhutto.

Zulfikar Bhutto and Asif Zardari were both Pakistani political figures, but male ones. Zulfikar was Benazir's father, and Asif Zardari her husband. Indira Gandhi was twice prime minister of her country, which was India.

Answer: Mary Robinson

Born in County Mayo in 1944, Mary Robinson had experience as a senator in Ireland's senate, and as a member of Dublin's city council before being elected Ireland's seventh president. Her presidency saw the passage of laws regarding the availability of contraceptives and decriminalisation of homosexuality, which were a reflection of her liberal values. She went on to serve as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997-2002.

The photograph of a robin might have been of help to you.

Mary McAleese succeeded Mary Robinson as Ireland's president, becoming the second woman to hold that office. There was an American skier named Mary Bird, and also an English missionary. Mary Robbins was an actress, and the mother of actor Tim Robbins.

Answer: Jenny Shipley

Jennifer Mary Shipley (later Dame Jenny) was born in Gore on the South Island of New Zealand, in 1952, and before entering politics taught school. She was elected to parliament in 1987 and served in Prime Minister Jim Bolger's cabinet. When Bolger resigned in 1997, Shipley was elected to replace him, but at the head of a rather shaky coalition that was not able to win the 1999 election. Shipley became Leader of the Opposition, a post which she held until 2001.

The photo of a number of ships in the harbour of Halifax, Nova Scotia, might have helped make your choice.

Helen Clark was the person who succeeded Shipley as head of government, remaining in office until 2008. Michael (not Michelle) Boatman is an actor. Bryan (not Brianna) Ferry is a singer and song writer.

Answer: Angela Merkel

Born Angela Kasner in Hamburg in 1954, Merkel kept her husband Ulrich's surname even after their divorce in 1982. Having obtained a doctorate in chemistry, she turned to politics shortly before the reunification of Germany in 1990, eventually becoming the leader of the Christian Democratic Union. As Chancellor of Germany, she has been described by some to be the de facto leader of the European Union, and considered by many to be the most powerful woman in the world. In 2018 she announced that she would not seek re-election in 2021.

The photo of an angel on a Christmas tree was to help you choose the woman with an angel in her name.

The three incorrect choices were all members of the state council of East Germany during the 1960s, but never chancellor.