Special Sub-Topic: Notable women politicians from around the globe Click Here To Play: Notable women politicians from around the globe

Who was the fourth wife of Mao Zedong, one of the key figures during the Cultural Revolution and a member of an infamous 'Gang of Four'?

Jiang Qing. Jiang Qing (1914-1991) was sentenced to death following the downfall of 'Gang of Four' in 1976. However, the sentence was commuted and she was freed in 1991. She committed suicide shortly thereafter.

Which German socialist put forward an idea of International Women's Day in 1910?

Clara Zetkin. Ms. Zetkin (1857-1933) turned into a staunch Communist after WWI. She died in the Soviet Union, in exile from the Nazis.

Who became first ever elected female president in the Western Hemisphere in 1990?

Violeta Chamorro. A widow of a prominent Nicaraguan journalist, Chamorro defeated Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega.

Which women were the first to occupy both the highest posts of the state - that of the president and the prime minister - at the same time?

Chandrika Kumaratunga and Sirimavo Bandaranaike. Chandrika Kumaratunga, Sri Lankan president 1994-2005, is a daughter of late Ms. Bandaranaike (1916-2000), who became first ever female prime minister in 1960 (Sri Lanka was then known as Ceylon). 1994-2000 was her third term as prime minister.

Who was not only first ever female prime minister of her country, but also the first female head of a major UN agency?

Gro Harlem Brundtland. Gro Harlem Brundtland was the Norwegian prime minister in 1981, 1986-1989 and 1990-1996. She was a Director-General of World Health Organization 1998-2003.

Who was the first female prime minister of an African country?

Elisabeth Domitien. Ms.Domitien (1925-2005) was the prime minister of Central African Republic in 1975-1976. An aide of the infamous dictator Jean-Bedel Bokassa, she was briefly imprisoned following his downfall in 1979.

Who was the first U.S.-born woman to be elected president of any country in the world?

Janet Jagan. Chicago-born Ms. Jagan (nee Rosenberg)served as Guyanese president 1997-1999 following the death of her husband Cheddi Jagan, who was president 1992-1997.

Which two women made history as the first female politicians from rival political parties to succeed each other as prime ministers?

Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina. Ms. Zia and Ms. Hasina are good examples of women who achieve political success in the East. Ms. Zia (in office 1991-1996 and 2001-2006) is a widow of Bangladeshi president Ziaur Rahman, while Ms. Hasina (in office 1996-2001) is a daughter of the country's first president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Which woman was a People's Commissar (Minister) for Social Welfare in Soviet Government in 1917-1918, led an opposition fraction within the Communist Party in 1921, and was sent to Norway in 1922 as the first female ambassador ever?

Alexandra Kollontai. Alexandra Kollontai (1872-1952) was also a prominent feminist, although her ideas were met without enthusiasm at her time.

Which woman led her country to a victory in a major war, oversaw its first nuclear tests and was voted 'the greatest woman of the millennium' by the BBC poll in 1999?

Indira Gandhi. Indira Gandhi (1917-1984), who led India to a victory in a war against Pakistan in 1971 (which led to the creation of Bangladesh),was a popular yet controversial figure. Especially controversial was the Indian Emergency (1975-1977), when elections and civil liberties were suspended.