Megawati Sukarnoputri

President of Indonesia (2001-2004)

Megawati Sukarnoputri served as President of Indonesia from 2001 to 2004. Sukarnoputri served as the first female President of Indonesia, and the 5th President of the country. She also served as Vice President from 1999 until 2001.

Megawati Sukarnoputri was born in 1947 and studied psychology and agriculture in college but did not take a degree. In 1987 she entered politics and was elected to the People’s Consultative Assembly (national parliament), becoming head of the Indonesian Democratic Party (Partai Demokrasi Indonesia; PDI) in 1993. She remains head of the party today.

​In 1999, she became Vice President after having been narrowly defeated in the presidential election. She assumed the presidency after President Wahid was removed from office in 2001. ​In 2018, she was appointed as Head of the Steering Committee of Pancasila Ideology Development Agency. In 2019 she was re-elected chairperson of the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) and currently serves in this role. She has also served as the appointed Head of National Research and Innovation Agency Steering Committee since 2021.

​In 2004, she was ranked number 8 on Forbes Magazine's list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women.

PHOTO: National Information Agency Republic of Indonesia