Park is the first woman elected to lead South Korea. After the election in early 2013, she has branded herself as the “president for the people.” Since then, she has had to manage the increasingly hostile situation between her country and North Korea. Needless to say, North Korea doesn’t like her.

Thorning-Schmidt is a member of the Social-Democrat party and was elected into office in 2011. She has scaled back anti-immigration laws and ushered in new tax and welfare reforms.

Rouseff, the first woman to become president in Brazil, manages the world’s seventh-largest economy of nearly $2.4 trillion. Before assuming office, she was the chief of staff to former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Recently she criticized the U.S. after reports revealed that the NSA had been intercepting her emails.

Sirleaf is the first woman to be elected head of state in Africa. A global icon, she won theNobel Peace Prize in 2011 for her dedication to women’s rights and strategic peace-building initiatives.

Nicknamed the “Iron Lady” for her cutting way with words and her athletic background, Grybauskaite stands as Lithuania’s president. She has focused a significant amount of her time on reducing the country’s unemployment. She won elections in 2009 with the highest victory margin ever recorded for the country.

Bachelet again took office in March 2014 as president after being in power from 2006 to 2010. She was and is the first woman to run Chile. Back in 2000, she was appointed minister of health. Her successful health policies made her somewhat of a national celebrity.

While the official president of Germany is Joachim Gauck, that position is often considered largely ceremonial. The chancellor wields most of the day-to-day power. Merkel has been the chancellor of Germany since 2005. She has led new health care reform and energy development initiatives, and has been called the “de facto” leader of the EU. Forbesrecently named her the most powerful woman in the world.

Previously the mayor of Bangui, the capital city in the CAR, Samba-Panza was appointed president in January 2014. She is tasked with eliminating the massive ethnic and religiousviolence that has swept the country. She is labeled as “non-partisan.”

Bratušek is the first female head of state for Slovenia. Elected in 2013, she was tasked with forming a new government. Despite widespread criticism and doubt, she has succeeded. She is known for her hard-line policies in combating the country’s economic recession.

A teacher and women’s rights activist, Banda became president of Malawi in 2012 after the sudden death of Bingu wa Mutharika, under whom Banda was vice president. A leader in business and gender equality, Banda is considered one of the world’s most important women.

Yingluck is a Thai businesswoman and sister to now-exiled former PM Thaksin Shinawatra. She is facing mass protests from civilians and accusations of corruption.

Solberg is the second female Prime Minister of Norway, after Gro Harlem Brundtland. She assumed office in 2013 as is a member of the Conservative Party. In 2004 Solberg, as Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, rejected a request for asylum in Norway by Israeli nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu.

Coleiro Preca, at 55, is the youngest person elected to lead this country. She is a member of the Labour Party and was sworn in just earlier this month, on April 4. Recently she has gained media attention for efforts to help impoverished migrant workers and reduce unemployment.

Sheikh Hasina assumed office as prime minister for the third time this year, after leading the country from 1996 to 2001 and again in 2012. Her 2014 election was marred by violent protests, in which 18 people died. She is tasked with reinventing Bangladesh’s struggling garment industry after a series of horrific tragedies.

Previously enjoying a relatively strong public image, Fernández de Kirchner has recently come under fire over the handling of Argentina’s economy.

Chinchilla is the first woman to be elected president of Costa Rica. She is a member of the Socialist International party, but is a social conservative. While she is against gay marriage, she has supported calls for the adaptation of a legal framework for same-sex couples. She opposes abortion.

Before assuming office in 2011 after elections, Jahjaga was the deputy director of the Kosovo Police. She has spearheaded Kosovo’s integration with the EU. One of her main goals has improving Kosovo’s democratic institutions.