In the last 100 years, only 24 women have been heads or state governments! In 2007 in the world, women hold only 17.5 % of seats in the Parliaments. There are some countries, however, where more women hold important positions: in Rwanda, 48.8% of the Lower House of the Parliament is composed of women. In Finland the Government consists of 12 women and 8 men. Currently, women are Presidents of: Chile - Michelle Bachelet, of India - Pratibha Patil, of Liberia - Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, of the Swiss Federation - Micheline Calmy-Rey

  Angela Merkel, Wu Yi, Ho Ching,  Condoleezza Rice

Photos source: Forbes.com

Where is Bulgaria?

The women MPs in Bulgaria are 53 out of 240, which makes 22.08%. All highest positions of the Republic of Bulgaria are occupied by men - President and Vice President, Prime Minister and Chairman of the National Assembly.

We have never had a woman President. From 1992 to 1993 Blaga Dimitrova, poetess and writer, was elected Vice President with the President Zhelyu Zhelev (1990-1997).

Of the 17 Ministers we have 4 women, one of them a Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Disaster Management Policy. The other 3 head the Ministries of Justice, Labour and Social Policy and European Integration. In only 22 out of 264 municipalities in Bulgaria we have women mayors. Data as of July 2007.

After the local elections in 2007 in 23 municipalities were elected women mayors. 

 Sources: http://www.government.bg/; http://www.parliament.bg/; http://www.president.bg/; http://www.cwsp.bg/