Liz Truss Left After 44 Days: A Look at 5 Powerful Female World Leaders Who Persevered, Jacinda Ardern Is 1

• Liz Truss has resigned as the prime minister of the United Kingdom, becoming the shortest-serving leader to take up the position
• The 47-year-old’s replacement may take up office as early as Monday, some reports have alluded
• Considering the prime minister’s short time in office, Briefly News has compiled a list of five strong female leaders around the world who have stayed the course, despite various challenges

Liz Truss only spent 44 days as the prime minister of the United Kingdom before announcing her resignation on Thursday, October 20.

The 47-year-old holds the record for the shortest term in office, with Daily Maverick writing that there could be a new prime minister as early as Monday, 24 October.

Being a woman in power is never easy, and ladies who take up leadership roles in any arena are often criticised and put to the test in various ways.

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Legit.ng peeks at some female leaders worldwide who have persevered through various storms and continue to lead their people with strength.

Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand

Jacinda Ardern is the 40th prime minister of New Zealand, elected in 2017. The 42-year-old has cemented herself as a strong, kind and fearless leader, responding quickly to incidents that affect her country.

In 2019, after the mass shootings at a Christchurch mosque, she showed solidarity with affected Muslim families, donning the hijab and rightfully referring to the incident as a terrorist attack, The Guardian wrote.

In June 2020, when many countries were still at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, under Jacinda’s leadership, New Zealand only had two cases, BBC wrote.

Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados

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The 57-year-old was elected in 2018 and is the eighth prime minister of Barbados. Forbes wrote that Mia Amor Mottley had been described as a strong leader who has never seen her gender as a handicap.

In 2022, TIME Magazine named the prime minister as one of the year's most influential people.

Sanna Marin, Prime Minister of Finland

Sanna Marin is undoubtedly one of the coolest female leaders in the world. The 36-year-old isn’t afraid to be herself, which has often rubbed her criticisers the wrong way.

BBC reported that the Finnish leader had been the country’s prime minister since 2019, with her love of partying and clubbing often causing tongues to wag in disapproval.

Daily Mail wrote that Sanna was also raked over the coals after doing a photoshoot wearing a huge blazer with no shirt underneath. One thing is for sure, this prime minister dances to the beat of her own drum!

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Sheikh Hasina Wajed, Prime Minister of Bangladesh

Sheikh Hasina has been serving as Bangladesh’s prime minister since 2009. According to Forbes, the 75-year-old is the country’s longest-serving prime minister. In her last term, it intends to focus on issues such as food security and access to healthcare and education.

Hasina first became prime minister in 1996 but was ousted in 2001 after Transparency International named Bangladesh the most corrupt country in the world, TIME Magazine wrote. She later resumed the post again eight years later.

Halimah Yacob, President of Singapore

Halimah may not be a prime minister, but she deserves an honourable mention on this list because of her leadership as the first female president of Singapore.

The 68-year-old has been serving as the president of the country since 2017. Before starting her term, Halimah was the parliamentary house speaker, The Jakarta Post wrote.

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UK Prime Minister Liz Truss resigns after 6 Weeks in office

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that Liz Truss resigned from her position as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom just a month and a half after taking office.

It was reported that Truss announced her resignation in a statement outside Downing Street on Thursday, October 20.

Announcing her resignation as the UK prime minister and leader of the Conservative Party, Truss said she could not deliver the mandate on which she was elected.

Source: Briefly.co.za