Theresa May: Women in power

Theresa May, 59, is set to become Britain's second woman prime minister on Wednesday when she takes over from David Cameron as head of the ruling Conservative party, joining a small but growing band of women world leaders.

Before May, Margaret Thatcher was the British PM from 1979 to 1990.

A look at countries which recently have had women as heads of government or elected heads of state. UN data show about half of them are the first women to hold their country's highest office. The date shows the year they took office. The list excludes figurehead monarchs.