Historic female appointments in 2024 that broke the glass ceiling

Across the globe, there were female appointments that broke the glass ceiling for many women. 

Here are a few noticeable ones that happened this year:

Claudia Sheinbaum - Mexico's first female president

Claudia Sheinbaum succeeded her mentor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, to become Mexico’s first female president in June. Sheinbaum previously served as Head of Government of Mexico City from 2018 to 2023.

Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang - Ghana's first female vice president

History was made when former Ghanaian president John Mahama won the December 7 election. It meant that 73-year-old Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang would become the first-ever female vice president of the West African nation.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra - Thailand's youngest-ever prime minister 

Although Paetongtarn Shinawatra did not become Thailand’s first-ever female prime minister when she replaced the ousted Srettha Thavisin, she still managed to etch her name in the history books by becoming the Southeast Asian nation’s youngest-ever prime minister at 37 in August.

Judith Suminwa - DRC's first-ever female prime minister 

President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Félix Tshisekedi had the opportunity to change the course of history in the DRC, and he did not disappoint. The man hailed as the ‘Champion of Positive Masculinity’ appointed Judith Suminwa as the nation’s first-ever female prime minister in April following the resignation of Sama Lukonde.

Kemi Badenoch - First Black person to lead UK’s Conservative Party

At 44, Kemi Badenoch stepped into a big role when she became the new leader of the Conservatives, making history as the first Black person to lead a major British political party. She won the leadership contest in November and took over from Rishi Sunak, the former Prime Minister.

Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey - First African woman to become Commonwealth secretary-general 

Ghana’s outgoing foreign minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, became the first African woman to be appointed secretary-general of the Commonwealth in October—on the final day of the group’s summit in Samoa. She will take over from Patricia Scotland, who has held the position since 2016.

Mandisa Maya - South Africa's first female chief justice

In the history of South Africa, there had never been a female chief justice—then came Mandisa Maya. The 60-year-old former deputy chief justice got the ultimate promotion when President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed her as the country’s first female chief justice in July. Maya, who began her legal career in 1987, assumed the role on September 1.

Emma Theofelus - Africa's youngest minister

After the death of President Hage Geingob on February 4, not many would have expected joyful news from Namibia in such a short time given that they were in a state of mourning. However, Geingob’s vice and successor, current president Nangolo Mbumba, appointed a 27-year-old Emma Theofelus as the new Information and Communication Technology (ICT) minister just five days later—making her the youngest serving cabinet minister in Namibia and on the African continent.