For better or worse, many tend to view strength as a masculine trait, and thus often consider strong leadership as something that men exclusively possess. The historical record, however, belies such a claim.
Wu Zetian
Indira Gandhi
Golda Meir
Bidhya Bhandari
Sheikh Hasina
Elizabeth I
Hatshepsut
Queen Seondeok
Indeed, though history’s most-widely remembered leaders are typically men, many female leaders have demonstrated that genetics alone do not determine strength or political acumen – and that you don’t need a king to be a queen.
Above, take a look at the individuals who have governed while single and female – and went on to change the course of history.
If you loved reading about bad-ass female leaders, you’ll love the women of the Petticoat Revolution who took over an Oregon town, as well as history’s most fearsome female gangsters.
