Benazir Bhutto
Awards & Honours
4
Awards Won
7
Honours
4
Rankings
6
Covers
3
Records
Benazir Bhutto's most significant accolade is her place in history as the first woman elected to lead a Muslim-majority country, a milestone that remains unmatched in many parts of the world. She was also the first Asian woman elected president of the Oxford Union, a prestigious debating society. In 1990, she became the first elected head of government to give birth while in office. The United Nations posthumously awarded her its Human Rights Prize in 2008, and she received the Chatham House Prize the same year. She was named one of TIME Magazine's 100 Women of the Year in 2020, representing 1988, and was included in BBC's 100 Women Who Changed the World in 2018. These honours reflect her global impact as a symbol of democratic resilience and women's political empowerment.
Awards
Honours & Distinctions
First woman elected to lead a Muslim-majority country
Historic global milestone
First Asian woman president of the Oxford Union
First Asian woman elected president of the Oxford Union debating society
First elected leader to give birth while in office
Gave birth to daughter Bakhtawar while serving as Prime Minister
TIME Magazine 100 Women of the Year
Representative for 1988 in TIME's retrospective feature
BBC 100 Women Who Changed the World
Listed among influential women
Benazir Bhutto International Airport
Islamabad airport renamed in her honor
Benazir Income Support Programme
Pakistan's largest social safety net program named after her
Rankings & Lists
100 Women of the Year
100 Women Who Changed the World
100 Most Powerful Women in the World
Top 100 Women in Politics
Magazine Covers
TIME
December 1988
Pakistan's Bhutto: A Woman's Place is in the White House
TIME
December 2007
The Tragedy of Benazir Bhutto
Ms. Magazine
1989
Benazir Bhutto: Leading a Muslim Nation
Vanity Fair
2007
Feature profile
Newsweek
1988
Cover story
Der Spiegel
2007
Cover feature
Records & Feats
First woman elected to lead a Muslim-majority country
In 1988, Benazir Bhutto became the first woman in modern history to be elected as head of government of a Muslim-majority nation.
First Asian woman president of the Oxford Union
Elected president of the Oxford Union debating society in 1976, the first Asian woman to hold the position.
First elected leader to give birth while in office
Gave birth to her daughter Bakhtawar in 1990 while serving as Prime Minister of Pakistan, a first for any elected head of government.