Women Presidents in Africa

 

Samia Suluhu Hassan

Tanzanian Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in Friday as the country's first female president, two days after the death of President John Magufuli. 

Hassan took the oath at the statehouse in the city of Dar es Salaam in a televised ceremony on state TV. 

                                                                 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf 

 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf made history when she became the first woman to be elected as president of an African country. Her inauguration took place on 16 January 2006.

The economist, a former international civil servant and finance minister, won a second term in 2011 and the Nobel Peace Prize the same year.

                                                                  Joyce Banda 

Joyce Banda became Malawi's first female president in 2012, stepping up from vice president to the position after the death of Bingu wa Mutharika.

She left the country in 2014 under a cloud, having lost the presidential election and facing questioning over a corruption scandal known as "Cashgate". 
She later returned to Malawi after four years in exile.

                                                                 Ameenah Gurib-Fakim

 Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, President of Mauritius (June 2015 – March 2018)Ameenah Gurib-Fakim was the first female President of Mauritius from 2015 to 2018. 

She was selected to be a Presidential candidate in 2014 following the resignation of then President Kailash Purryag. She was unanimously elected President by the National Assembly.

                                             Sahle-Work Zewde

Sahle-Work Zewde, President of Ethiopia ( October 2018 – Present)
Sahle-Work Zewde is the first elected female President of Ethiopia and currently the only female out of  the 54 Presidents in Africa. 

She took office on October 25, 2018 after being unanimously elected by members of the National Parliamentary Assembly. Prior to her election as President, she worked as Special Representative of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to the African Union and Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union.