Photo source: China Daily
Cristina Kirchner, Argentina
Kirchner is Argentina’s second female president, after Isabel Peron, who was Latin America’s first in 1974. She took over the presidency from her late husband Nestor Kirchner, who collectively were known as the “Clintons” of Latin America. During the first few years of her presidency, Argentina had the fastest growing economy in the world and is still among the highest today. Kirchner’s success with the country’s economy is often overlooked and clouded with misinformation, most likely due to her unconventional economic policies (unpopular with Europe and the US). She has also focused heavily on social reform, making Argentina the first country in Latin America and only the second in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage. Other such reforms include extending suffrage to 16-year-old constituents.