# How many women have controled "the bomb"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 29, 2003, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-women-have-controled-the-bomb/178223 "2003-05-29T08:14:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-women-have-controled-the-bomb/178223/1 "2003-05-29T08:14:23Z")
I was just wondering…how many women, so far, have had the authority to order the use of nuclear weapons? I’m thinking mainly heads of state here, but I guess heads of Defense Ministries could count, as well. The only two women I could think of, right off the bat, were **Golda Meir** and **Margaret Thatcher.** Is there anyone else? Ranchoth ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-women-have-controled-the-bomb/178223/2 "2003-05-29T08:17:30Z")
**Indira Gandhi** , prime minister of India (1966-77; 1980-84). India detonated its first nuclear weapon in 1974. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-women-have-controled-the-bomb/178223/3 "2003-05-29T09:22:06Z")
Although Pakistan’s first test wasn’t until 1998, it’s posible that they had the capability well before that time, making **Benazir Bhutto** (1988-1990 and 1993-1996) a contender. ---
**Author:** ![refusal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@refusal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/refusal)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-women-have-controled-the-bomb/178223/4 "2003-05-29T10:22:31Z")
[Here](http://womenshistory.about.com/library/weekly/aa010128a.htm) is a list of female presidents and prime ministers in the 20th century. Meir, Thatcher and Indira Gandhi are definite; Bhutto is pretty definite - according to [the Federation of American Scientists](http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/pakistan/nuke/chron.htm), Pakistan almost certainly had the bomb by the late 1980s. The only one I might add is Edith Cresson, Prime Minister of France 1991-92; however, since the President is the French head of state, I am unsure if she as Prime Minister had the ability to launch a nuclear strike. That still leaves defence secretaries (and possibly generals, heads of armed forces, etc.), but these seem to be even more overwhelmingly male than presidents and prime ministers. [Here](http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/Defence_ministers.htm) is a list of female defence ministers. The only figures in nuclear powers are again Gandhi and Bhutto, plus current French Defence Secretary **Michele Alliot-Marie**. Also, Shiela E. Widnell was US Secretary of the Air Force from 1996-97. ---
**Author:** ![I\_don\_t\_know\_neither\_do\_you](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9f8e36/32.png) [@I\_don\_t\_know\_neither\_do\_you](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_don_t_know_neither_do_you)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-women-have-controled-the-bomb/178223/5 "2003-05-29T13:21:00Z")
How about Corazon Aquino (sp?) of the Phillippines? Do they/Did they have the bomb when she was running the place? ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-women-have-controled-the-bomb/178223/6 "2003-05-29T13:34:38Z")
No the Phillippines is not a member of the “bomb” club