The first woman to become prime minister of any country in the world was Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka (then Ceylon), who took office on 21 July 1960.

Quick Scoop: Key facts

  • Name: Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike.
  • Country: Sri Lanka (called Ceylon at the time).
  • Historic first: Widely recognized as the world’s first female prime minister.
  • Date in office: First became prime minister on 21 July 1960.
  • Background: Entered politics after the assassination of her husband, former prime minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike.

If you were instead thinking of a specific country (for example, “Who was the first woman prime minister of the UK or India?”), here are two famous firsts for context:

  • First woman prime minister of India: Indira Gandhi, who became prime minister in 1966.
  • First woman prime minister of the United Kingdom: Margaret Thatcher, who took office in 1979.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.