Khertek Anchimaa was the first woman to be elected as head of state of any country in the history of the world. She was the Chairwoman of the Tuvan People’s Republic from 1940 to 1944, when her country was annexed by the Soviet Union.
She rose to power using her education; she was one of the first people to learn the Tuvan alphabet when it was created and was given the task of teaching it to young members of the communist party. She was later sent to Moscow to further her education and returned to increased political opportunity as a result.
She was appointed Chairwoman just before the German invasion of the USSR. During the war, she oversaw the management of a wartime economy and the mobilization of an expeditionary force. She also worked behind the scenes to assure the Soviet annexation of Tuva. In 1944 this was achieved, and she continued to play a leading role in what were then local affairs
Sükhbaataryn Yanjmaa
Another central Asian communist, Yanjmaa was a Mongolian woman who joined the party in honor of her late husband in 1923. She studied at the same university as Khertek Anchimaa at about the same time. She held many positions in communist Mongolia, including a seat on the politburo, the policymaking committee of the communist party.
After the death of the Chairman of The People's Great Khural in 1953, she was appointed Acting Chairwoman for a transitory period lasting nearly a year. Regrettably, not much happened during her administration.
Sirima Bandaranaike
Sirima Bandaranaike was the first woman to be head of government in the modern age and was thrice the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.
After the assassination of her husband in 1959 she was elected the leader of the political party she encouraged him to create and was elected to the Senate and then the Premiership shortly after. During her three terms, she defeated a coup attempt, nationalized large portions of the economy, renamed the country (it was Ceylon before 1972), and chaired the Non-Aligned Movement. Her daughter has served as Prime Minister and President of Sri Lanka as well.
She died in 2000 while returning home from voting.
Indira Gandhi
The third Prime Minister of India and the daughter of the first, Indira Gandhi was a mighty, if controversial, head of state. During her administration India defeated Pakistan decisively in Bangladesh’s war for independence, leading to Indian hegemony over South Asia. She oversaw the Green Revolution in Indian farming, allowing India to feed itself. She also finished her father’s plan to build an Indian atomic bomb.
In response to calls for revolution, she declared a state of emergency during which she ruled by decree and stifled civil liberties. This sparked a great deal of outrage, both domestic and international, and she was voted out of office as a result. She was reelected a few years later to her final term.
She was assassinated by her bodyguards in 1984 in response to operation Blue Star, the storming of a Sikh temple and destruction of a great deal of holy property.