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9[[quoteright:345:[[Film/TheIronLady https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_the-iron-lady-007_6127.jpg]]]]
10[[caption-width-right:345:[[UsefulNotes/JosipBrozTito Mr. Tito]], I don't "meddle" in politics. ''[[IAmTheNoun I am politics]].'']]
11
12->''"Throughout history, Elizabeth I, Catherine the Great, Golda Meir, Indira Gandhi; these are women you may not wanna fuck, but you definitely don't wanna fuck ''with'' them."''
13-->-- '''Creator/RobinWilliams''', ''Weapons of Self-Destruction''
14
15Non-royal women in positions of power are almost always portrayed as very [[TheStoic stoic]] and no-nonsense, at least publicly. Rarely will you find a female president, prime minister, governor, legislator, judge, business executive, or military leader who is presented as indecisive, incompetent, or otherwise "weak." She's also usually not portrayed as corrupt, either, although if she's [[TheManBehindTheMan directing things from behind the scenes]], that tends to change.
16
17The reason usually given for this is that women seeking positions of power (as opposed to those who inherit them), both in reality and in fiction, are faced with two unfortunate truths:
18#That they need to give the ''[[ToughLeaderFacade appearance]]'' of toughness, ruthlessness, and coldness in order to get past other people's masculine-tinted expectations of leadership,
19#That in the circles such women travel in, they actually need to ''be'' tough, ruthless, and cold. The ones who aren't are left by the wayside.
20
21Thus, female leaders are generally portrayed as trying to demonstrate their iron will at all times. Indeed, they ''have to'' lest they lose all credibility.
22
23Mind you, it's not that she's all iron. In private, she can be quite warm, even loving. Seeing as the camera can take us anywhere, we often get to see it. However, her public does not.
24
25The model for this in the contemporary world is UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher, who was beyond iron to somewhere around titanium towards her (entirely male) cabinet, and defines the "presidential Premiership" in [[UsefulNotes/BritishPoliticalSystem British politics]] even more than UsefulNotes/TonyBlair. The nickname was applied to her in an insulting manner by the [[UsefulNotes/RedsWithRockets Soviet military]] newspaper ''Red Star'' in 1976, when she was still Leader of the Opposition, [[AppropriatedAppellation but soon became affectionate.]] (No mental fatigue, only metal fatigue.)
26
27In most media, she is likely to have PowerHair. In anime, it is more often long hair, in whatever color. See Margaret Thatcher again, of course.
28
29Such characters are prone to discover a well-hidden maternal instinct towards their subordinates, making this a DistaffCounterpart to AFatherToHisMen (although usually not military). Compare with ProperLady, which provides the Iron Lady some foundation. Compare SilkHidingSteel, where her iron disposition is hidden beneath smiles and PassiveAggressiveKombat.
30
31Compare/contrast EvilMatriarch and GrandeDame. Also contrast her possible opposites, StepfordSmiler, MisplacedKindergartenTeacher, and CuteAndPsycho, all of whom are more prone to ''using'' emotion to get what they want rather than setting it aside as the Iron Lady does.
32
33If she ''is'' royal, see TheHighQueen and/or GodSaveUsFromTheQueen. If she works in a corporate field, very likely to be a HighPoweredCareerWoman. For her typical EvilCounterpart, see TheQueenpin. For the evil ''and'' sexy version, see TheBaroness. May well have been a GoGetterGirl when younger. The LadyOfWar is a comparable action-ready variant (and they can overlap each other if she's active both in the field of battle and politics simultaneously) as well.
34
35Not to be confused with IronMaiden. Nor with a lady that's MadeOfIron. Nor with one that's ''literally'' [[ChromeChampion comprised]] of [[SculptedPhysique iron]].
36
37For the 2011 movie about Margaret Thatcher starring Meryl Streep, see ''Film/TheIronLady''.
38
39----
40!!Examples:
41
42[[foldercontrol]]
43
44[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
45* Najenda, the coolly effective leader of the assassin group Night Raid in ''Manga/AkameGaKill''.
46* In ''Manga/{{Appleseed}}'', Athena is the supreme executive leader of the city/nation of Olympus. There's a council of elders and a super-computer who make all the big long term decisions but how she runs Olympus is entirely her own choice. It helps that she is an artificially created human genetically manipulated to do exactly that, and she does it extremely well. For large parts of the manga and some of the animes, it's not clear if she's a particularly tough [[TheHighQueen High Queen]] or actually the BigBad. [[spoiler:It turns out to be the former.]]
47** Then there's her [[TheDragon dragon]] Nike, who is even more [[TheStoic uptight and straight to the point]] and usually gets send to deal directly with problems that could be a threat to Olympus.
48* Frances Middleford from ''Manga/BlackButler'' is an example of this trope. She makes [[BattleButler Sebastian]] break out in a cold sweat.
49* Balalaika from ''Manga/BlackLagoon'', TheLeader of a gang of [[HuskyRusskie Russian]] [[SemperFi commandos]]-turned-[[ProfessionalKiller hitmen]] and ''the scariest member of their outfit'' by far.
50* Cornelia from ''Anime/CodeGeass'' is a ruthless military version complete with hidden soft side. A rare royal example. Also willing to sacrifice innocent Japanese civilians as part of tactics (and out of racism).
51* In ''Anime/GaikingLegendOfDaikuMaryu'', the West General of Darius, Vestaanu, is the cold, calculating, ineffable military commander of the [[{{Robeast}} Iron Beast Corps]].
52* General Olivier Armstrong from ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' is held to be '''scary''' by her soldiers, her family, and the protagonist. She is a SocialDarwinist and ruthless in her operations.
53* ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'': [[DarkAndTroubledPast When she was just a child]], Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing was almost killed by her EvilUncle for the right to control the family business. After that she has been the head of the Hellsing family and [[KidWithTheLeash master]] [[SociopathicHero of]] [[{{Dracula}} Alucard]]. Integra is definitely more [[TheStoic stoic]] and [[BifauxnenAndLadette "masculine"]] than the other [[ActionGirl female lead]], [[MsFanservice Seras]], and even in the Convention of Twelve--a gathering of all sorts of important people from military, Parliament and the like--she is by far the most calm and collected.
54* In ''Anime/KillLaKill'', we have Satsuki Kiryuin who ruled over the Honouji Academy with an iron fist.
55* ''Manga/KissOfTheRosePrincess'': Yamamoto Anis will not take any of these dimension warping shenanigans sitting down, thank you very much! She may have just been informed that her [[ArchnemesisDad father]] intends to sacrifice her to a seal of unknown demonic origin and otherwise make her life hell, but she is not going to just sit around and mope. No. She is going to kick her Knights' collective asses into gear. You ''will'' obey or you will get the rose thorns of doom.
56* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing''[='s=] Lady Une, who's [[InSeriesNickname actually called]] "Iron Une". Manga ''Frozen Teardrop'' has Dorothy T. Catalonia referred to as the "Neo-Titanium Lady".
57** Kati Mannequin of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam00'', retains much of Une's hardened attitude and serious demeanor. However she [[AntiVillain lacks much of Une's ruthlessness]].
58* From ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ'', we have Haman Karn, advisor to Princess Mineva and ''de facto'' ruler of Neo-Zeon, because said princess is only seven years old. We also see businesswoman Stephanie Luio of Hong Kong in Zeta, in a more benevolent version.
59** In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn'', Mineva herself has picked up some of these traits, likely following Haman's example. It's enough that she's able to put on a commanding presence in front of very powerful people despite being only 16 years old at this point.
60%%%* Lady Eboshi, leader of Irontown in ''Anime/PrincessMononoke''.
61* Asuka Langley Soryu from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' desperately wants to be one of these, and indeed she starts out fitting the mold. Unfortunately, she tragically underestimates the cost of keeping her emotions inside and focusing only on success.
62* Svetlana Belikova, President of the Eastern Slav Republic in ''Anime/ResidentEvilDamnation''. How hard is she? Not only is she willing to unleash a Plaga outbreak on her own people to see her ambitions through, but she's enough of a badass to [[CurbStompBattle effortlessly]] beat both [[OneManArmy Leon S. Kennedy]] and Ada Wong in hand-to-hand combat. SHE. CURBSTOMPS. ''[[LadyOfWar ADA. FREAKING. WONG]].''
63* In ''Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross'' (aka ''Anime/{{Robotech}}''[='s=] season one), Misa Hayase (Lisa Hayes) is this initially, but over time her cold and professional appearance begins to fade away and she grows more emotional.
64* Kiyoko Aura from ''Manga/TokyoGhoul''. A LivingLegend that was the very first (and thus far, only) woman to earn the rank of Special Class, she is a stern and no-nonsense woman in contrast to her [[BunnyEarsLawyer male]] counterparts. In the male-dominated CCG, she is the commander of the organization's combat Division and a fierce LadyOfWar when called to the front lines. She is also noted to be a CelibateHero, having given up personal relationships in favor of her career.
65* ''Literature/TrinityBlood'' has a couple. Despite being called Iron Lady, Caterina Sforza seems more like this in the anime version, while tough and willful, she's not stoic in the manga and the novels, she grows increasingly emotional. Mary Spencer and [[spoiler:Queen Esther Blanchett (who becomes a war leader)]] are better examples.
66[[/folder]]
67
68[[folder:Comic Books]]
69* Amanda Waller from Franchise/TheDCU, though her actions here (and in other incarnations) often drift into WellIntentionedExtremist territory. ''Batman'' avoids pissing her off if he can help it.
70* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'':
71** Chief Judge [=McGruder=]; since she was based on Margaret Thatcher, this is appropriate.
72** Hershey also showed elements of this during her tenure as chief judge.
73[[/folder]]
74
75[[folder:Fan Works]]
76* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': [[spoiler:Maia Simmons]] who appears in this ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' Franchise/MonsterVerse fanfiction's final chapter receives AdaptationalIntelligence; reimagined as an affable, charismatic, intelligent and to-the-point CorruptCorporateExecutive.
77* ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality'': [[Characters/HarryPotterAndTheMethodsOfRationality Amelia Bones]] is the leader of the Aurors and is as ruthless as such a role demands she be.
78* Lady Wu in ''Fanfic/FarceOfTheThreeKingdoms''. While her son is the actual ruler, he quakes in his boots when she's angry.
79* In ''Fanfic/MegaManDefenderOfTheHumanRace'', Police Captain Talia Tallarico is stern, tough, and unwilling to compromise.
80* General Leong [[spoiler:Supreme Commander of the Tau'ri]] in''Fanfic/ContactAtKobol''.
81[[/folder]]
82
83[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
84* The Grand Councilwoman of the United Galactic Federation in ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch''.
85* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', Wu is somewhere between this, EvilMatriarch, and a GrandeDame. She's old, very dignified, sets impossibly high standards, and insists absolutely that things be done according to custom. On the other hand, she isn't evil, just rigid and old-fashioned in her view of life. However, she's also surprisingly open-minded: [[spoiler:when all the Lee women gather on the astral plane, Wu is the first to acknowledge that Mei has a right to make her own choice about her panda spirit.]]
86[[/folder]]
87
88[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
89* Dr. Grace Augustine from ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' is a more benign version (being a scientist in a group of soldiers and corp executives) of this but you gotta admit that she's as tough as they come.
90* Secretary of Defense Jessica Delacourt from ''Film/{{Elysium}}''.
91* ''Film/FantasticBeastsAndWhereToFindThem'' gives us Seraphina Picquiry, the president of MACUSA, who is very no-nonsense and unyielding. [[FridgeBrilliance Of course, given she was an African-American women holding the equivalent of POTUS for the magical world in a time when neither women nor African-Americans came to power easily, maybe she had to be.]]
92* Col. Jessup had this to say in ''Film/AFewGoodMen:'' 'There is nothing on this earth sexier, believe me, gentlemen, than a woman you have to salute in the morning. Promote 'em all, I say.' Of course, he then went on to sing the praises of blowjobs performed by female officers, suggesting a few holes in the Colonel's progressivism.
93* Barbara Stanwyck as Jessica Drummond in ''Film/FortyGuns''. In RealLife too; when her stunt double refused to be dragged along by a horse because it was too dangerous, she did the stunt herself. She was nearly 50 years old at the time.
94* Creator/MerylStreep won an Oscar playing the original Iron Lady, UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher, in a biopic called... ''Film/TheIronLady''.
95** She's already played one Iron Lady, [[Literature/TheDevilWearsPrada Miranda Priestly]].
96* Creator/JudiDench as M in all of her ''Franchise/JamesBond'' appearances, having been inspired by real-life [=MI5=] director-general [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stella_Rimington Stella Rimington]]. Several films display M's softer side that must be suppressed in the day-to-day work of leading [=MI6=], as shown in ''Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough'', ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'', and ''Film/{{Skyfall}}''.
97* ''Film/SawV'': Brit Stevenson. She's a real estate senior vice president who will do sketchy things done her way. She also proves to be one of the tougher Fatal Five test subjects, though she avoids veering from pragmatism into outright ruthlessness compared to the others, and [[spoiler:she's one of the two survivors at the end]].
98[[/folder]]
99
100[[folder:Literature]]
101* Scheherazade in ''Literature/ArabianNights'' seems a toned-down version of this. She was restricted by her culture to the context of harem intrigue, of course, but she plays this trope as far as it can go within the context. She was intelligent, brave, and knew her own mind.
102* Literature/TheBible has a a few interesting examples:
103** Esther was rather like this. She was like Scheherazade, but ruthless as well. She is one of only two women to have [[Literature/BookOfEsther a book]] of the Tanakh (Jewish Bible) named after her.
104** Deborah, the only female [[Literature/BookOfJudges Judge of Israel]][[note]]For those living under a rock, that meant "leader of the Israelites" at the time.[[/note]]. With her general Barak, she led the Israelites against the Canaanites (Barak didn't trust his own judgment). In her own words:
105--->'''Deborah''': Truly, the [[AC:Lord]] will sell the Canaanites this day into the hand of a woman!
106** You might also include Judith from the deuterocanonical book of the same name.
107* Miranda Priestly from ''Literature/TheDevilWearsPrada''. Although she's the editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine, she fits this trope perfectly.
108* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' series, it's easier to name women in a position of authority who ''aren't'' this, but first and foremost we have the head witch Granny Weatherwax, whose cast-iron demeanor is proven time and again against the FairFolk and other horrors; Adora Belle Dearheart, the owner of the Clacks and one of the leaders of the burgeoning industrial revolution, is another.
109* In ''Literature/TheDivineComedy'', the heavenly Beatrice is compared to a stern admiral when she reunites with her lover, Dante, since she scolds him to tears to get him to fully confess his many, many infidelities. This first appearance is not harsh without reason, since Beatrice has been charged with leading Dante's quest into Heaven, where no evil man can go.
110* [[BadassNormal Karrin Murphy]], in her days as the chief of SI police department, from ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles''.
111* Lucia Nesbitt from ''Literature/FirstContactIsBadForYou'' is rather stern and business oriented, and almost always referred to by her last name by anyone but her family. She holds no official title; instead she works through [[PuppetKing her husband]] Tiberius, who is a governor.
112* Ma Joad from ''Literature/TheGrapesOfWrath'' is an example of this trope. She exemplifies all the traits but, most importantly, manages to hold the family together through sheer force of will alone.
113* Professor Minerva [=McGonagall=] of the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series is demonstrably an Iron Lady (even if she does [[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone get a bit worked up over Gryffindor Quidditch]]), and is especially fierce when fighting Death Eaters.
114* President Eloise Pritchart from the ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' series is a no-nonsense President Iron with a spine of steel who survived two revolutions and a bloody regime and came out on top, who takes crap from no one, and who makes brutal but necessary decisions as she tries to govern a star nation fighting a war. Then she [[spoiler:decides she's had enough of being manipulated and heads off to Manticore with no warning to kickstart the Grand Alliance]], which [[spoiler:puts an end to the Manticore-Haven war in a hurry]].
115%%* ''Literature/TheHungerGames'': President Alma Coin.
116* The ''Film/IndependenceDay'' {{novelization}} portrays the President's wife [[Characters/IndependenceDay Marilyn]] as a popular figure who does a lot to help Tom Whitmore accomplish much.
117* Nasuada of ''Literature/InheritanceCycle''. She's strong-willed from day one, but learns to manipulate people and stand up to mages with incredible magical powers.
118* In the ''Literature/McAuslan'' story ''The Gordon Women'', this trope is dominated by [=MacNeill's=] aunt Allison, who quickly and neatly manages to defuse a conflict between a retired Admiral and the locals who poach his grouse without raising her voice or getting out of her chair, leaving poor [=MacNeill=] to wonder when exactly the woman who tucked him into bed and read him stories as a child became the bastard daughter of [[{{Series/Dallas}} Ellie Ewing]] and [[Film/TheGodfather Vito Corleone]].
119* ''Literature/NinaTanleven'': In ''The Ghost Wore Gray'', Gloria Cleveland is always shown as stern and controlling - nobody, not even her husband or the short-tempered Dieter Schwartz, dares disobey her when she gives an order. The only time she’s shown being softer is when Baltimore is hurt and she rushes to his side.
120* From ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', the Human chieftainess Haleth who led her people out of Morgoth's country into Beleriand.
121* ''Literature/SongAtDawn'': For Emerganda and Alienor a 'take charge' mindset is required for them to have any influence at all. Both of them daily battle against men who try to undercut their authority.
122** Emerganda is the duchess of a region of France and keeps a sharp eye on its finances and potential civil unrest.
123** Alienor, a duchess and a queen, laments that being pregnant makes her more emotional.
124* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', Lady Maege Mormont and her daughters, who are war leaders as well.
125** Olenna Redwyne, known as "The Queen of Thorns", is another example. Her son Mace Tyrell rules house Tyrell and she has no real power aside from being the old lord's widow, but no-one doubts that the Lady Olenna is the one who is ultimately in control.
126** Genna Frey, née Lannister, is another woman whose displeasure should not be regarded lightly. "Tywin Lannister" is a byword for PragmaticVillainy, but she can cow her big brother into submission with a few well-chosen words.
127* The ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' version of Leia becomes this as she helps found the New Republic government and later becomes Chief of State for a time.
128** Leia had an EvilCounterpart in Natasi Daala, a former Imperial admiral who oversaw the construction of the Death Star and was later elected Chief of State, becoming a PresidentEvil. She was discriminated against for her sex in the beginning of her career, leading her to become TheStoic.
129* The Duchessa Silvia in ''Literature/{{Stravaganza}}: City of Masks'' - and throughout the series, her successor, [[spoiler:Ariana]], is learning the way of the Iron Lady too.
130* Alosha, the smith-witch in ''Literature/{{Uprooted}}''. She has a few centuries under her belt and no longer bothers with deep personal attachments to lovers or great-grandchildren, rather safeguarding the welfare of Polnya as a country. She's the most level-headed mage in the capital and is savvy to the political games without being foolish enough to get invested in them, and she's also brutally pragmatic and has no qualms about telling Agnieszka that she should have just killed Kasia (who Agnieszka rescued from the Wood and its corruption) both because she's a potential physical liability and a decided political one.
131* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'' has several examples (Robert Jordan really liked having powerful women in his supporting cast), but none as notable as Sorilea and Cadsuane, two elder women of extreme authority and confidence. Sorilea is brash and aggressive in a ScrewPolitenessImASenior manner, knowing her social status will have everyone jumping at her commands, while Cadsuane has spent several hundred years making herself a LivingLegend, and plays a mixture of her reputation and her utter refusal to let anyone sway her course to get her way.
132[[/folder]]
133
134[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
135* On ''Series/{{The 100}}'', Lexa fits this trope, believing that LoveIsAWeakness, and being renowned even by [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy other Grounders]] for her ruthlessness. However, Abby is an [[AvertedTrope aversion]], being very emotional and soft-hearted even after becoming Chancellor, while Clarke alternates between the two extremes, taking influence from both Abby and Lexa. Their leadership styles are portrayed as being the result of their upbringing, individual personalities, and the situations they find themselves in; gender is treated as a non-factor.
136* Allison Taylor of ''Series/TwentyFour'' exhibits this, to everybody's surprise (in-universe).
137** The hilarious thing about Allison Taylor is that she can almost literally will anybody to do just about anything they don't want to do, and then she can make you feel glad you did it afterwards.
138* Moira Queen in CW's ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' is this, as she runs Queen Industries and holds a lot of influence in Star City.
139* This is also a casting trope on ''Series/AustralianSurvivor'' as well. Women of this trope include Kate Tembly, a successful businesswoman and global banking executive; Sharn Coombes, an extremely successful barrister; and Janine Allis, the founder of the company Boost Juice and one of the shark investors on Australian Shark Tank (''Series/SharkTank'').
140* ''Series/BabylonFive'':
141** Susan Ivanova, the station's second-in-command.
142-->'''Ivanova''': "On you way back, I'd like you to practice the Babylon 5 Mantra: Ivanova is always right. I will listen to Ivanova. I will not ignore Ivanova's recommendations. Ivanova is God. And if this ever happens again, Ivanova will personally rip your lungs out! Babylon Control out. [to herself] Civilians. [glances upward] Just kidding about the God thing. No offense?"
143** Delenn can also be described as such, if you cross her or (especially) her sense of what's right. Her breaking the Grey Council when they wouldn't act against the Shadows epitomized that, and it's a safe bet that Sheridan was grateful most of his days that she had his back when it counted.
144** Though she doesn't get as much screentime as the others, President Susanna Luchenko, President Clark's successor, comes across this way as well. She comes into office in the aftermath of a civil war and is faced with the tough decision of what to do with Sheridan, the hero of the hour who committed borderline treason to depose [[PresidentEvil Clark]]. She gives him a MortonsFork choice then warns him not to mistake this for a conversation.
145* Laura Roslin of ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'' is this to a T.
146* Veronica Palmer, Ted's boss in ''Series/BetterOffTed''.
147* This trope has been used as a casting trope on the CBS's reality TV competition show, ''Series/BigBrother'' a few times. These women include Danielle Reyes (S3, 7), Kail Harbick (S8), Shelly Moore (S13) and Helen Kim (S15).
148* Captain Gates on ''Series/{{Castle|2009}}''. She even is nicknamed Iron Gates.
149* ''Series/{{Chuck}}'' brings us Brigadier General Diane Beckman. Later seasons show she does have some warmth beneath her cold-as-steel facade, with these moments usually being the rare times in which Beckman is used for outright comedy. However throughout the series run it's been made very clear that this is a woman that can intimidate ''Casey''! Not to say that her steely persona isn't the source of occasional gags as well.
150%%* Section Chief Erin Strauss in ''Series/CriminalMinds''.
151* Patty Hughes, the [[AmoralAttorney ruthless -- if highly effective --]] lawyer from ''{{Series/Damages}}''.
152* ''Series/DeathInParadise'' has Judge Ann Stone, a stern and imperious older lady who once jailed her own police commissioner for traffic violations. {{Discussed|Trope}} when she is interviewed regarding the death of a [[HighClassCallGirl high-class male escort]]: in a rare candid moment, she describes TheChainsOfCommanding and the strain of maintaining her impeccable public image, and admits that the escort's company made her feel happier and livelier than she had in years.
153* Harriet Jones as a Prime Minister in ''Series/DoctorWho'', sometimes ''too'' much (it helps she's something of an {{Expy}} of Thatcher).
154%%* Adele Dewitt in ''Series/{{Dollhouse}}''.
155* ''Series/DrDeath'': CEO of Baylor-Plano Medical Center Amy Piel styles herself as such, when she tries to stand up to Christopher Dunstch when his surgeries cause more harm then good. Unfortunately, she turns out to be a wimp when Duntsch starts bullying her with threats to sue.
156* Inspector Thatcher on ''Series/DueSouth'', whose nickname from one of the Rays was the Dragon Lady. (not to be confused with the DragonLady trope.) Yes, she was named after the real Thatcher.
157* Madeline on ''Series/LaFemmeNikita'' may be the [[ColdBloodedTorture coldest Iron Lady]] in TV history.
158** And Amanda in the newest incarnation (''Series/{{Nikita}}'') isn't far behind her.
159* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Lyanna Mormont is a stoic, determined, brave, and no-nonsense leader despite her very young age.
160* ''Series/GetShorty'': Amara is a cartel boss in Las Vegas who killed the boss she was sold to as a teenager before he could exercise his MaritalRapeLicense and became a boss herself. She hasn't slowed down dropping bodies, either.
161* Spoofed in a ''Series/TheGoodies'' episode where Bill and Tim both run for Prime Minister...as women.
162* The American ''[[Series/HouseOfCardsUS House of Cards]]'':
163** Margaret Tilden, owner of ''The Washington Herald'' (a [[{{Expy}} thinly-veiled version]] of ''[[UsefulNotes/AmericanNewspapers The Washington Post]]'') is a solid woman firmly devoted to her paper willing to do whatever it takes to keep it in the black. On the flipside, she is perfectly comfortable firing her Editor-in-Chief for business reasons one minute and going out for friendly drinks with him the next.
164** Also fitting the trope--but vastly differently--is Claire Underwood. She runs her nonprofit with an iron fist, and is one of the few people capable of manipulating her husband--who starts the series House Majority Whip and by the end of Season 2 is [[spoiler:President of the United States]]--for her own ends. In her capacity as head of the nonprofit, she merely exhibits the hardheaded and ruthless side of the trope; but as the Woman Behind the Man for Frank, she exhibits some distinctly sinister characteristics.
165* Joan Holloway of ''Series/MadMen'' is a subtle example. While much more traditionally feminine than most examples (being very conventionally attractive, and dressing to emphasize that) and intially focused on traditionally feminine goals (finding a man and marrying), she is from the beginning a peerlessly firm boss when introduced as head of the secretarial pool in Season 1 (1960). By the time she becomes office manager and a partner in Season 5 (1965-66), she is confident both in her authority over the agency's workflow and in her commitment to career, and by Season 7 (1969-70) is regularly making highly active use of her partnership stake to protect and advance her interests. By the end of the series, she's a millionaire and set up for a long and successful career in business.
166* Creator/MaryMcDonnell seems to have a liking for these, as she played one as Captain Sharon Raydor (first as [[InternalAffairs Force Investigation Division]] head in ''Series/TheCloser'', then as Major Crimes division head in ''Series/MajorCrimes'').
167** Her predecessor at Major Crimes, Brenda Leigh Johnson in ''The Closer'', is like this, but closer to SilkHidingSteel.
168* Jenny Shepherd in ''Series/{{NCIS}}''. She had a bit of a Captain Ahab complex but she was tough, good at her job, and [[spoiler: had a DyingMomentOfAwesome.]]
169* Detective Carter from ''Series/PersonOfInterest'' surely qualifies.
170* Elaine Barrish Hammond from ''Series/PoliticalAnimals''. Given that she was an expy of Hillary Rodham Clinton (and was played by ''Sigourney Weaver''), this probably shouldn't be too surprising.
171* Chief Vicks from ''Series/{{Psych}}'' is tough enough that even Shawn Spencer knows better than to cross her... usually.
172* Miranda in ''Series/SexAndTheCity'' is a ball-busting Manhattan lawyer who is constantly trying to find a man who doesn't feel castrated by her presence.
173* ''Series/StargateAtlantis'': Dr. Elizabeth Weir in her time as leader of the Atlantis expedition certainly qualifies. She makes the tough decisions with a firm hand and very, VERY rarely shows weakness (and then, only to Sheppard, her second-in-command and best friend.)
174* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'': Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship ''Voyager'' (DependingOnTheWriter, but then ''Voyager'' had problems like that).
175* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': [[Characters/SupernaturalMenOfLetters Doctor Hess]], leader of the British Men of Letters, is a ''very'' nasty villainous example. She leads a genocidal secret organization who are ANaziByAnyOtherName in nearly every way, and she does not tolerate any signs of weakness or morality in her agents and pupils, forcing her schoolboys [[spoiler:to ''kill each-other'']] as nothing more than a rite of passage into the order.
176* This is a common casting trope on the CBS's reality TV competition show, ''Series/{{Survivor}}''. They are older women (ages 35+) who were cast because of their accomplishments in their successful careers. Notable women of this casting trope are Debb Eaton (S2), Vecepia Towery (S4), Jeanne Hebert (S6), Jolanda Jones (S10), Stephannie Favor (S13), Cassandra Franklin (S14), Tracy Hughes-Wolf (S16), Jill Behm (S21), Edna Ma (S23), Denise Stapley (S25), Sherri Biethman (S26), Kass [=McQuillen=] (S28, 31), Val Collins (S29), Carolyn Rivera (S30), Jessica Lewis (S33), Chrissy Hofbeck (S35) and Natalie Cole (S37). Evidence of them being cast for their career accomplishments is clear from their pre-game/pre-season interviews and the host's cast assessments.
177** Samantha in the 2008 version of Series/{{Survivors}}
178* Mrs. Frederic (C.C.H. Pounder) on ''Series/Warehouse13''.
179* British Prime Minister Maureen Graty on ''Series/TheWestWing'', a [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed thinly-veiled]] reference to UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher, who threatens to [[DisproportionateRetribution start a full-scale war]] over the terrorist shooting of a British plane and has to be talked down.
180* Lynne Thigpen as DaChief on ''Series/WhereInTheWorldIsCarmenSandiego''. Although, around Greg she was the OnlySaneEmployee.
181* ''Series/ZeroZeroZero'': Emma Lynwood assumes her father's mantle as head of the family drug shipping company. She navigates many extremely difficult and dangerous situations with stoicism and professionalism. In the final scene, she calmly walks through the carnage of a recent bloodbath and is made to sit between two corpses to complete a business deal with the newest leader of TheCartel. Through great effort, she refuses to dignify the theatrics with the slightest acknowledgement and even forces herself to smile at a few sicarios on the way out.
182[[/folder]]
183
184[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
185* ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'': Many Clans have female Khans as their leader, and nobody bats an eye on them, as the critical qualification for being a Khan is being a real badass, while being a man doesn't figure high on the list to say the least. The most recent example is Malvina Hazen of Clan Jade Falcon who won her position in a Trial of Possession from the previous Khan Jana Pryde.
186* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': Morovenn Vahl, the abbess of the [[ChurchMilitant Adepta]] [[AmazonBrigade Sororitas]], was appointed to the High Lords of Terra. While the Ecclesiarch sought to use her for his own purposes, she proved to be harder to control. She showed up to government meetings in full battle armour and continued to lead major military campaigns, even appointing herself head of a crusade.
187[[/folder]]
188
189[[folder:Video Games]]
190* ''Franchise/DragonAge'' has several.
191** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'':
192*** Queen Anora is not actually royalty by birth, but the daughter of a minor noble who rose through the ranks using his exceptional guts and brains. She inherited both of those from him and then some. Her father's best friend was King Maric, and from a very young age Anora was betrothed to Maric's son Cailan; it's mentioned several times that she was the real force behind the throne during their marriage.
193*** A female Cousland or Aeducan [[PlayerCharacter Warden]] may be this trope, depending on player choices.
194** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'':
195*** Knight-Commander Meredith takes over running the city after the murder of the Viscount, despite protests, and holds it together through fear and personal charisma. Similarly to her predecessor, she struggles to make any inroads defusing the tensions in the city, and truthfully just makes it ''worse''. [[spoiler:The [[FantasticDrug red lyrium]] driving her insane doesn't help.]]
196*** Aveline Vallen, just one year after arriving in the city as a penniless refugee, manages to get a job in the city guard and is promoted to captain of the guard because all the guardsmen consider her to be by far the most capable person for the position after exposing the corruption of her predecessor. Varric, in the third game, remarks that Kirkwall would probably fall into the sea without her to keep things running smoothly.
197*** In a non-mage Hawke run, if Bethany [[spoiler:joins the Grey Wardens]] at the end of Act 1, she effectively becomes this, after spending the first act as TheIngenue. Bringing her back for either of the DLC campaigns proves that she is ''not happy'' about taking on this role.
198** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'':
199*** Vivienne is a high-ranking Circle Mage from Orlais whose court nickname is "Madame de Fer"[[note]]Literally, "Lady of Iron"[[/note]]. Interestingly, she's an ActionFashionista who might ''look'' delicate next to the heavily-armoured Cassandra - but elaborate outfits are all part of the "[[DecadentCourt Grand Game]]" where she comes from.
200*** Similarly to the Warden, a female Trevelyan Inquisitor may fit the trope if the player deems it.
201* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'':
202** ''VideoGame/Fallout2'' has the [[CoolOldLady kind]] [[ScrewPolitenessImASenior yet crabby]] [[TheFederation New California Republic]] President Tandi, who was such a UniversallyBelovedLeader that it led to her becoming PresidentForLife (by default -- she didn't end elections, but she kept being voted back in every time). By the time of ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', [[LegendaryInTheSequel she's become the face of the NCR $100 bill]].
203** ''2'' also has Chief Elise, the no-nonsense commander of the NCR Rangers. She almost singlehandedly spearheads the NCR's [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil war on slavery]], and is mentioned in ''New Vegas'' to have taken part in the Ranger Unification Treaty which expanded their influence even further.
204** ''New Vegas'' has NCR Colonel Cassandra Moore, an abrasive GeneralRipper and TokenEvilTeammate for the faction. She's the third-highest ranking officer in the NCR military occupation of the Mojave and who the PlayerCharacter answers directly to in the latter half of the [[StoryBranching NCR storyline]].
205* ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'':
206** Aria rules WretchedHive Omega through [[TheDon force of personality]] and also force of...[[RankScalesWithAsskicking force]]. The previous ruler was a krogan; she beat him in a straight-up one-on-one biotic battle during which she crushed one of his hearts and made him a broken shell. Then she kept him around as a living trophy. Knowing all that, it hardly needs to be said that the only rule on Omega is "Don't [[PrecisionFStrike fuck]] with Aria." (But she says it anyway.)
207** [[TheHero Commander Shepard]] can be played this way if female, especially if she is of the "paragade" or "renegon" moralities, which usually involves a relative fairness with a dash of [[AFatherToHisMen tough love.]]
208* The Boss from ''Videogame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater''. She is known as the Mother of Special Forces and is a living legend in both the US and USSR. Interpretations of [[spoiler: her final will]] are what set the events of the entire series in motion.
209* Tatiana Qwartz of ''VideoGame/NoStraightRoads'' is a played with example in that she's the CEO of a record company, but since [[OneNationUnderCopyright said company basically controls the entirety of Vinyl City]], she still fits this trope, complete with stern, no-nonsense demeanor when it comes to managing her company and the city.
210* Lady Webb in ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'' is a powerful [[PsychicPowers Cipher]] and the chief of Dunryd Row--an intelligence agency-slash-SecretPolice of the Defiance Bay staffed exclusively by her fellow Ciphers. She has artificially prolonged her life multiple times and, over many decades, built a massive network of connections, secrets, and agents that let her keep the inherently unruly residents of Dyrwood from destroying their own social structures--and for this, she is feared and respected even in the highest echelons of power.
211* ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'':
212** Governor Leotyne Saresh of Taris is a no-nonsense leader dedicated to making the Republic's re-colonization of the devastated world a success. [[spoiler: Even when the Empire invades and completely undoes everything she's accomplished, she still has enough political capital to be elected Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, after which she takes it in a more hard-line direction in regards to the Empire.]]
213** General Garza, the commanding officer of the Republic Trooper character class, is an aging special forces war hero who keeps her forces running with an even hand--much better than most branches of Republic military, in fact. She is also impeccably polite and even [[AMotherToHerMen motherly]], at times, especially when the Trooper has to make [[SadisticChoice tough choices]].
214** Empress Acina of the The Empire ascends during the events of the ''Fallen Empire '' story arc. She's a bit of a subdued example in that she is a bit more relaxed and chatty than is usual for this trope, but otherwise is a shrewd leader who shows up a with a fleet at exactly the right time to make a favourable case for an alliance. It's through her efforts that The Empire is slowly dragging itself into a less self-destructive regime and recovering from the pounding its taken in the last few years.
215* ''VideoGame/Yakuza2'': Yayoi Dojima, who takes over as interim Chairman of the Tojo Clan after the death of Yukio Terada. In spite of having no formal standing in the organization and only being linked to it through being married to the deceased patriarch Sohei Dojima, not to mention being a woman in the strongly misogynistic world of organized crime, she still provides decisive and effective leadership through one of the darkest periods in the Tojo Clan's history. It's telling that even old street monsters like Kiryu, Majima and Kashiwagi show her nothing but respect and deference.
216* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'': The short history of the [[DividedStatesOfAmerica New United States of America]] has seen two: Elizabeth Kress, president for no less than ''48 years'' between 2021 and 2069, and Rosalind Myers, her successor. Both are former United States military officers, corporate executives, and ruthless politicians pursuing a policy of national reunification, with Myers starting the Unification War in her first term. Myers also proves to be a tenable ActionPolitician when she finally shows up in the ''Phantom Liberty'' expansion.
217[[/folder]]
218
219[[folder:Visual Novels]]
220* Heidi from ''VisualNovel/DaughterForDessert'' runs a tight ship as a bar owner, and doesn’t take crap from anyone.
221* ''VisualNovel/DoubleHomework'':
222** Dr. Mosely/[[spoiler:Zeta]] is a version of this: blunt, focused, and ruthless when the need arises, even though she helps others when she can afford to.
223** Amy’s mom knows her way around power and authority [[spoiler:as the queen]].
224** Defied with Ms. Walsh. Dr. Mosely specifically put an incompetent teacher in charge of the summer school class so [[spoiler:the girls would seek out the protagonist as their leader instead]].
225** Deconstructed with Morgan. As part of her backstory, Morgan narrates that she attempted a convenience store robbery to prove that she was running a “real” gang. Instead, she got arrested and spent a year behind bars.
226* [[LadyOfWar Iron Clie]] from ''Chou VisualNovel/DengekiStryker'' earned her name both for her stern demeanor and the [[ArtificialLimbs prosthetic arm]] that she wears openly. About the only time she softens is when teasing her ShrinkingViolet sister Rin. [[spoiler:After their HeelFaceTurn and the revelation that Clie's arm is [[SuperPrototype a prototype Stryker System]], Rin volunteers to have her mind uploaded into Clie's cybernetics to unlock its [[PersonOfMassDestruction full potential]]. Fittingly, the sisters' combined form is known as Stryker Hagane, meaning "steel".]]
227* Arisse, the Duchess of Lillah from ''VisualNovel/LongLiveTheQueen'', is said to be regarded by many as the second queen of Nova for her strong, no-nonsense approach to government. If the actions Elodie takes paint her as being a weak ruler, Arisse will garner support from the other nobles to instigate a civil war against her. It's possible to learn of her involvement with some dark secrets within her family (provided that you have Elodie take enough Internal Affairs classes and direct her spies and agents appropriately), but there's no denying her influence.
228[[/folder]]
229
230[[folder:Webcomics]]
231* In ''Webcomic/GiftsOfWanderingIce'' both Lara (chief of the hunters' tribe) and her heir Rita are strong, brave women, and are born leaders.
232* ''Webcomic/LastRes0rt'' has several tough ladies, but none that embodies this trope like Celigo's military leader, First Wing (and Messiah of the Endless) Veled.
233** Another possible candidate: the Star Org's Security Chief, Spirit of the Murphy's Law.
234* ''Webcomic/{{Project0}}'': Veronica fits most of the [[http://www.centralcitytower.com/2011/05/character-introduction-veronica.html description.]] She's also the only woman among the 6 commanders of the Harvester.
235%%* ''Webcomic/{{Selkie}}'': Lillian Haversham-Zhang. And she lets you know it.
236* Medea Solon from ''Webcomic/YourThrone''. She is ruthless, cold, and tough in order to maintain her political power and outwit her enemies.
237* In ''Webcomic/TheManorsPrize'' The Chariot is depicted as being cold, calculating, and rude. She is stated to be a businesswoman, and after shouting down another contestant, she states "You don't get far in business by putting up with shit."
238[[/folder]]
239
240[[folder:Web Original]]
241* ''Literature/AGiantSuckingSound'': [[spoiler: President ''Ann Richards'', in her dealings with Congress]] and her attacks on the website ''Stormfront''.
242* In ''Franchise/{{Noob}}'', the second-in-command of both the elite guilds depicted is a woman with such a behavior. In Justice, Saphir is also taking care of admissions, has strict criteria for applicants and has very strong words for those that apply despite not matching her criteria in hope that she'll make an exception for them. In Roxxor, Roxana is shown to be very strict with her subordinates.
243* WebSite/SFDebris presents an AlternativeCharacterInterpretation of Captain Janeway from ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' that still fits this trope. However, his characterization of her starts off as a power-hungry dictator who likes killing, and eventually move to intentionally causing massive war in the Alpha Quadrant so that she can take over after everything goes to hell. This plan is spelled out while she talks to Captain Picard, whose replicators she had programmed to put amnesia drugs into his tea, so that she could gloat about her plan without actually allowing Picard to thwart it. By the way, this characterization is completely contained in his reviews. Unity, his massive crossover fanfic with ''Star Wars'', makes things worse.
244-->"Oh, I love Janeway! She's my favorite villain!"
245%% Addison Harris in ''Literature/StrangeLittleBand'' acts like one of these in front of her subordinates and colleagues. She's not always so stoic in private though.
246%%* Elizabeth Carson, headmistress of [[Literature/WhateleyUniverse Whateley Academy]]. Full stop.
247[[/folder]]
248
249[[folder:Western Animation]]
250* [[Characters/AvatarTheLastAirbenderPrincessAzula Princess Azula]] from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' appears to be an adolescent Iron Lady crossed with ArrogantKungFuGuy, and later adds elements of AxCrazy.
251* Amanda Waller, chief of the [[GovernmentConspiracy Project Cadmus]] in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', is so iron, she stands up to Superman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman at the same time upon her first introduction, chews out the Goddamn Batman, and personally confronts [[spoiler:Lex Luthor]] in his lair upon discovering his treachery.
252** Waller shows up again in ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'', running a penitentiary for super-powered criminals. Even after the crooks take over the prison [[spoiler:thanks to a mole on her staff]] and start threatening her life, she doesn't give them an inch. [[spoiler:Sadly, said mole ends up replacing her after she takes the fall for the near-breakout.]]
253* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' gives us Lin Beifong, who is a more [[VisualPun literal case with actual metal armor]]. She is the chief of the Metalbending Police Force in Republic City for the power part. And yes, she ''does'' bear a striking resemblance to Thatcher.
254** Book 4 gives us [[Characters/TheLegendOfKorraKuvira Kuvira]]; a [[AscendedExtra minor]], [[FromNobodyToNightmare unassuming]], soldier who rose in power during the three year gap and becomes a military leader known as The [[RedBaron Great]] [[VillainWIthGoodPublicity Uniter]].
255** [[SheIsTheKing Firelord Izumi]] (Zuko's daughter) only speaks in one scene in the entire show but comes off as very no-nonsense (including shooting Prince Wu a motherly-esque DisapprovingLook), conscientious, and patient. She stands her ground about not taking military action when President Raiko tries to talk her into it.
256[[/folder]]
257
258[[folder:Real Life]]
259* Frances Perkins, Secretary of Labor under UsefulNotes/FranklinDRoosevelt and the first woman to hold a position in the American Cabinet, was noted for two things: being very cold and aloof in her dealings with her associates--even other Cabinet members--and her steely determination to improve the lot of the working American. Without her advocacy, several landmark items of American labor legislation--most notably the Social Security Act (which established [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Social Security]]) and the National Labor Relations Act (which severely limited employers' ability to break unions)--would either not have existed or would be substantially different.
260* Clare Boothe Luce: Congresswoman, IntrepidReporter, Author, LadyOfAdventure, and fabled DeadpanSnarker (and inveterate rival of Creator/DorothyParker).
261* UsefulNotes/RedOctober era Bolshevik commissar Rosalia Zemlyachka. A member of the Bolshevik Party since 1905, one of the leaders of the Moscow Soviet in 1917, oversaw a bloody purge of former Whites, [[BoomerangBigot bourgeoisie]] and generally unlucky guys in Crimea in 1920, was a minor orchestrator of the more known Great Purge of 1937-39 (and not an [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness eventual victim of it]], like pretty much everyone else responsible, by virtue of being [[WhoWillBellTheCat too dangerous to provoke]]), [[KarmaHoudini died peacefully of old age after World War 2]].
262* Indira Gandhi of India, who remains till date the only female Prime Minister of that country. At one point, she was even ''de facto'' dictator of India for almost two years (the Indian Emergency, 1975-77). Much like UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher in the United Kingdom, she remains a highly polarizing individual in India to this very day. Suffice to say, she was seen as both a progressive choice (pro-birth control and women empowerment) and a regressive one (authoritarian rule, nepotism, corruption and - funnily enough - [[BrokenBase the aforementioned birth control scheme]]). She was assassinated in 1984 [[BodyguardBetrayal by her own bodyguards,]] in retaliation for the Golden Temple Incident (also known as Operation Blue Star). Website/TheOtherWiki has more details, as well as an overview of why she remains so divisive.
263* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeannette_Rankin Jeannette Rankin]] -- the only person to vote against the United States going to war in both UsefulNotes/WorldWarI and UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. World War II in particular -- she was the ''only'' Member of Congress to vote against the US declaration of war against Japan. Whatever one might think of those votes, standing on your principles like that takes big brass ones (whatever those ones might be).
264* TropeNamer UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher, Prime Minister of the UK from 1979-1990, is of course the most famous example, and the TropeCodifier as a Russian newspaper attempted to insult her for an anti-communism speech, and as history has shown, failed spectacularly.
265* Katharine "Kay" Graham, owner/publisher of ''[[UsefulNotes/AmericanNewspapers The Washington Post]]'' and Pulitzer Prize winner. She was almost the sole woman in publishing for many a year, even though she ended up there accidentally — her father had owned the paper and left it to her husband, Phil Graham, something which Graham said she never had any issue with. She only inherited the paper after Phil committed suicide, and spoke and wrote frequently about how she only evolved into this trope very slowly, being shy, anxious, accomodating, and uncomfortable being in a position of power (especially as a woman), at first. However, after having to make decisions such as those seen in ''Film/ThePost'' and during Watergate, she got there. It's fairly likely that Margaret Tilden of the US ''House of Cards'' (in Live Action TV above) is based in large part on her.
266* [[UsefulNotes/{{Philippines}} Philippine]] Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago definitely counts. To note, she has worked on all primary branches of the country's government, has attained a few masteral and doctorate degrees from a few globally-reputed universities, was considered for a position in the International Criminal Court[[labelnote:note]]An international tribunal tasked with handling ultra-high profile cases involving crimes against humanity in general[[/labelnote]], and previously ran for the position of President thrice. A quick look at her speeches and inquiries through various televised hearings in the Senate (the part of Congress where she has stayed the longest) present her as one of, if not the most oft-spoken personality. She even jested previously that she eats death threats for breakfast. There are a few reasons why a lot of her followers (and a few critics) have branded her as "the Iron Lady of Asia"; having kept a similar hairstyle as the TropeNamer is probably one of them. There is no Lawyer or Judge who can contest her on the conduct of court, because ''She wrote the book that the courts follow in the first place''. And counting her track record, she more or less has a point.
267* Helen Clark, New Zealand Prime Minister from 1999-2008 and leader of the New Zealand Labour Party from 1993 to 2008. Since then she has been appointed to 3rd-in-command at the UsefulNotes/UnitedNations. While she did pull back on some issues as PM, she did remain very staunch on others. Generally [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff respected internationally, domestic support has usually been more polarised]], though very few would describe her as anything other than extremely competent.
268* Dorit Beinisch, President of the Israeli Supreme Court 2006-2012 (Israeli judges have to retire at 70), has been noted for being extremely tough on the government for human rights violations (following the tradition of her mentor, Aharon Barak). She also took being hit in the face with a flying shoe[[note]]by a disgruntled Israeli copycat of the journalist who attempted doing the same thing to Dubya. Unlike the guy who tried to hit Dubya, this guy hit her square on the bridge of her glasses, knocking her off her chair.[[/note]] fairly calmly.
269* Nancy Pelosi, the first female Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (2007-2011, 2019-2023). She was the highest-ranking woman ever in the US government (second-highest with the election of Kamala Harris to the Vice-Presidency until Republican Congressman Kevin [=McCarthy=] became Speaker in January 2023) and second-in-line to the Presidency. She is not at ''all'' well-liked by the Republicans, but that's largely because objectively how good she was at wielding her power to whip votes and keep her people in line. She learned this from a young age from her father, Thomas D'Alesandro, who was a Franklin D. Roosevelt administration-era Congressman and later Mayor of Baltimore. Her job when people came to see him at home was to write everything down in a "favor book" so he could call whoever it was when the time came. She and her brothers would then go call on those favors while canvassing or what have you. Her hard bargaining tenacity is arguably why she even got the job back after many doubted her leadership in the runup to the Democrats taking the majority in the House in January 2019. Specifically in an Oval Office meeting in which she and Chuck Schumer (her Senate counterpart) got Trump to take responsibility for shutting down the government without giving him anything in return. She definitely gives off a "strong mother figure" persona (in her home life, she's the emphatically-Catholic mother of five and grandmother of eight, so far), but she has serious political cred.
270** Even [[MemeticBadass Rahm Emanuel]] won't cross Mrs Pelosi in public.
271--->'''Emanuel:''' "Nancy gave me two very important tasks as soon as she became Speaker: Sit down and shut up. I got pretty mad. I said there is only one woman in my life who can order me around like that... UsefulNotes/HillaryClinton."
272** Her own daughter had this to say about her:
273--->'''Alexandra Pelosi:''' "She’ll cut your head off, and you won't even know you're bleeding. That's all you need to know about her."
274* UsefulNotes/AngelaMerkel, [[UsefulNotes/TheChancellorsOfGermany Chancellor of Germany]] from 2005 to 2021, has gained some reputation for this as she is a pretty tough customer in international negotiations. One can make jokes about Merkel's charisma or her lack thereof but she is undoubtedly a winner and a ruthless one at that. One of her nicknames is the "Black Widow", because it is said that she would suck life out of any party that governs in a "[[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness coalition]]" with her. The average time span between her expressing her "utmost trust" in someone and the person stepping down is 33.3 days. (That's a real statistic.) Longest survivor is Pope Benedict (!!) with nearly 3 years, only one to survive is Wolfgang Schäuble who even got "utmost trusted" twice. French President François Hollande and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras were both elected on the promises of resisting Austerity. Both went stomping to Brussels to give her a piece of their mind. Angela put the fist down on the table, and Hollande/Tsipras wandered out the office looking bleary-eyed and talking of haircuts. Former chancellor Helmut Kohl used to refer to her as "mein Mädchen" ("my girly"). Later, she disposed of him. Within Germany though, she is much more known for leaving the spotlight to her ministers and rarely makes any announcements or statements of significance. This makes her almost untouchable, however, since [[SlaveToPR she never says something stupid or controversial]] or appears responsible for unpopular government programs or changes to existing law. While this is often criticised as being indecisive and not doing her job, she always has very high approval ratings with the public at a time when demagoguery [[TrueNeutral is unfashionable in Germany.]]
275* Yulia Timoshenko, former Prime Minister of Ukraine, was famous for being stubborn and getting things done. In a country where [[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8645847.stm smoke bombs, eggs, and fisticuffs]] are a not-unexpected way to [[BloodOnTheDebateFloor settle things on the floor of Parliament]], you ''have'' to be stubborn to be effective. Somewhat unusually for an Iron Lady, though, Timoshenko is young and attractive, [[SilkHidingSteel though that hardly means "weak".]]
276* Meg Whitman, former President and CEO of eBay and Carly Fiorina, former CEO at Hewlett-Packard, both of whom ran for statewide office in California (Whitman for Governor, Fiorina for US Senate; both lost), [[InvokedTrope invokes]] this at every possible opportunity. The degree to which they are this trope varies, although consensus seems that Whitman fits the bill more closely. Accounts of Fiorina's downfall at H-P range from "she was too tough" to "she was not tough enough" to "her actual toughness aside, she spent too much time acting one thing or another and not enough actually running the company." Somewhat amusingly, a year after they both lost their political races, Whitman was hired to take Fiorina's old job at H-P. In the meantime, Fiorina has mostly been taking bit roles on corporate and nonprofit boards.
277* Dame Eugenia Charles, the first female prime minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica in the West Indies. She was even known as the "Iron Lady of The Caribbean" due to her uncompromising stance on her views.
278* Averted by Isabel Perón, the first female president of Argentina. She was the third wife and vice-president of the aged Juan Perón, and had no political formation at all. Peronism was divided between left-wing and right-wing peronists, Perón sought someone who was "neutral", and thought his wife could be a good idea. Things grew beyond mere heated political discussions: the left-wing peronists, called Montoneros, began a series of terrorist attacks to depose the government and establish a communist dictatorship. Perón appointed a counter-terrorism force, the Triple A, to destroy the Montoneros. And then he died of old age, leaving Isabel as president. She was so useless against the crisis that the people welcomed the subsequent military coup that deposed her.
279** The more notable UsefulNotes/EvaPeron, on the other hand, was a hands-on, tough-as-nails Iron Lady if ever there was one. As Juan Perón's second wife, "Evita" (who inspired [[Music/{{Evita}} the musical and later film of the same name]]) took a front and center role in politics, and the success of the movement her husband led was due in large part to her. She led the female wing of the Peronist Party, founded several nationally-endorsed charities for everyone from the impoverished "descamisados" to kids with terminal illnesses, and, above all, gave inspiring, bombastic speeches to ''massive'' throngs of cheering people. Though her life was cut short by cancer, she remains an important national icon and hero in Argentina. She was, however, known to hide her fierce attitude when necessary or appropriate, and could be very gentle. As mentioned, she built many orphanages, and used to visit them without warning to make sure all the children were living as happily as possible. She would remember each kid, and if she noticed that one kid wasn't feeling well or was having issues, she would go to their room and give them a cuddle, or let them talk to her about their issues. Many think this came from her inability to get pregnant, and a miscarriage she suffered in her early relationship with Peron.
280* Subverted by Chile's first female president, Michelle Bachelet, who tried (with a moderate amount of success) to play the TeamMom card. In a country which has had 16 years of the same political bloc running it the unashamed corruption and money-grubbing were very strong, and this attitude didn't work in her first term (2006-10). Since Chile forbids presidents from serving consecutive terms, she then went to head up the UsefulNotes/UnitedNations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (known as UN Women because UNEGEEW sounds like Ban Ki-moon just threw up), but returned to Chile to run for president again, and won.
281** Played straight by the deceased high-ranked lawyer Monica Madariaga, the Minister of Justice to her cousin Augusto Pinochet. According to Madariaga's testimony, she had to become an Iron Lady to cope with the misogyny among his aides.
282* Former Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff. In her youth, was arrested and tortured for being part of a Communist guerrilla. As politician, was Minister of Mines and Energy, then Chief of Staff, then elected President, where she fired at least seven ministers in just one year!
283* Former President of Argentina Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who has at times been accused of "dictatorial" tendencies - largely unfounded, although she is quite charismatic, and her government ''has'' been caught more or less red-handed fudging the inflation figures. If anything, she is a very close analogue to the aforementioned Hillary Clinton; the parallels are striking, as like HRC, her husband--the late Néstor Kirchner--was himself President, and part of his campaign in 2003 was that it would be a two-for-one deal. The main difference was that Cristina by that point was already a Senator and arguably a ''more'' prominent politician than him).
284* Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, former President of Liberia, and the first elected female leader in Africa. She ''had'' to be tough as nails; there was the threat of a coup.
285* Sheikh Hasina, the current Prime Minister of UsefulNotes/{{Bangladesh}} and the longest-reigning, who led the parliamentary opposition that tore down Bangladesh's ''de facto'' military dictatorship during TheEighties alongside another female politician and ex-PM Khaleda Zia. Outside of caretaker governments, the two women have dominated the politics of Bangladesh for the past 30 years, in an era known as the "Battling Begums".[[note]]''Begum'' is a honorific term for aristocratic women in South Asia.[[/note]] Both have also been accused at various times of corruption and ruthlessness, though considering that they had witnessed violence first-hand in the dysfunctional political world of Bangladesh, it's no wonder (assassinations claimed the lives of Zia's husband and most of Hasina's family. Hasina also narrowly escaped assassination in 2004 and successfully fought to revoke the political immunity of those who had ordered her family's deaths).
286* Joyce Banda, President of Malawi 2012-14, was one of these. Appointed VP in 2009, under Bingu wa Mutharika, she got into serious policy disputes with the President--mostly involving much-needed reforms and his alienation of donor countries--and founded a breakaway political party to support her. When he died in 2012, she called on the military to support her right to succeed to the presidency, which was being contested by Mutharika's loyalists in the Cabinet. Since then, she has proved to be a tough political player and has made several important and often controversial decisions, both at home and abroad. At home, she has announced plans to decriminalize homosexuality, which is a big move in socially-conservative Malawi. In foreign policy, one of her earliest decisions was to refuse to host an African Union summit after the AU declared that Malawi would have to give former [[UsefulNotes/{{Sudan}} Sudanese]] President Omar al-Bashir, wanted by the ICC,[[note]]for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes[[/note]] assurances that he would not be arrested if he landed in the country; Mutharika had done so on a previous occasion, and the AU has been quite vocal in its rejection of the charges against Bashir.
287* Golda Meir, Prime Minister of Israel during the [[UsefulNotes/ArabIsraeliConflict Yom Kippur War]] and before that Israel's Foreign Minister for ten years; still before then, she had been one of Israel's top diplomats.[[note]]She was the point person for communications with Jordan, with which Israel has had a wink-and-a-nod non-aggression pact ever since Meir hammered it out in 1947-48.[[/note]] She was often called "The Iron Lady of Israel," and combined it with JewishMother in a rather odd fashion: for instance, she would bake a cake for the ministers composing her "kitchen cabinet" (circle of closest advisors, meeting for Shabbat dinner),[[note]]The "kitchen cabinet" is not a function of Meir's being a woman; most Prime Ministers have had one, consisting of their circle of close advisors who are also the PM's friends. Meir is, however, almost certainly unique in actually baking a cake for the ministers herself.[[/note]] but also be totally willing to grill them, chew them out, or embarrass them over state business even as they munched on the cake. Bear in mind that the "Kitchen Cabinet" included some of Israel's great badass heroes, including [[EyepatchOfPower Moshe Dayan]] and Yigal Allon.
288* Tzipi Livni was famous for her no-nonsense attitude as Israeli Foreign Minister under Ehud Olmert, and continues to have that iron will as Leader of the Opposition. Given the revolving door that is the Israeli premiership, there's a good chance she'll be PM in a few years yet. Subverted by her very feeble opposition to Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition between 2009-2013, ending up losing the leadership of her party, Kadima (‘forward’), followed by leaving it shortly before the 2013 elections in favour of founding a new one, [=HaTnu‘a=] (‘the movement’). She put on a good showing in the 2015 elections, with her party engineering an alliance with the Labour Party to become the primary representative of the Israeli centre-left; unfortunately, the Israeli right ''somehow'' managed to get a handful more seats than expected,[[note]]All polls indicated that the Labour-[=HaTnu‘a=] "Zionist Camp" alliance coming in first, but in the end Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud took the top spot. More than a few blamed the result on Netanyahu's apparent Arab-baiting in the closing days of the campaign, but other observers simply pointed to the historical unreliability of Israeli polls.[[/note]] bumping her from being the likely Number Two in the government to the likely Number Two in the opposition...yeah. In something of a running theme, one-time Labour leader Shelly Yachimovich as a former hard-hitting journalist, was cut from similar cloth, although her focus on social issues rather than hard security matters softened her image. Nevertheless, she lost the leadership to Isaac Herzog for 2015.
289* The most powerful woman of the Balkans, Vesna Pusić, jumped to the highest political orbit after she became the object of a sexist remark/pun. She's competing for UN Secretary-General position, and the guy who tried to be funny is now political roadkill. There's a saying there: ''nije svako zlo za zlo'' (not every evil has been ''for'' evil).
290* Benazir Bhutto, the late Prime Minister of Pakistan. Although democratically-elected, she inherited a nearly-dictatorial manner of politics from her father, former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (an extremely shrewd political operator who earned badass points after a coup forced him through years of {{Kangaroo Court}}s before he was executed in 1979). On top of that, she became pregnant in office, a first for a serving head of state. However, this wasn't enough to prevent her assassination in December 2007.
291* UsefulNotes/HillaryRodhamClinton has exhibited these tendencies, unsurprisingly given the sheer amount of vitriol levelled at her over the course of her quarter-century at the highest levels of American politics. Though she can be quite warm and motherly, particularly when interacting with children, she will break out the steely DeathGlare and icy voice whenever required, and she does have a ruthless streak.
292* It's been noted that during the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic countries with [[https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/15/world/coronavirus-women-leaders.html women]] [[https://www.nbcnews.com/know-your-value/feature/covid-19-era-female-leaders-are-shining-here-s-why-ncna1227931 leaders]] [[https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-countries-female-leaders-covid-deaths.html have fared]] much better than ones run by men. In Germany, Angela Merkel put on her scientist hat, made tough decisions early on, told it to people straight, and got to work containing the virus. Despite being the most populous country in the EU, there have been far fewer deaths per capita and it never spiraled like it did in other places like Italy and Spain. Jacinda Ardern in New Zealand was the first in the world to put in a very stringent two month lockdown in mid March despite only having 102 cases but during that time, cases got down to almost zero domestic cases per day. All restrictions were lifted in mid June. Out of the five Nordic countries, the four (Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland) that have women prime ministers were also ahead of the curve by taking decisive action early on while Sweden, whose PM is a man, never locked down and has the highest per capita death rate in Europe. Despite being very close to the initial outbreak in Central China, Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-Wen managed to pretty much stop all transmission before it could get there. She quickly repurposed existing national ID infrastructure to implement contact tracing for people who caught the virus. By the beginning of July, there were less than 500 total cases. This can mostly be chalked up to women heads of state having to be team players by nature of being women heads of state so they're better listeners, more humble about what they don't know, and come off as more empathetic.
293* Averted by Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand, though, who deals with serious business as PM but openly projects a lot of empathy and warmth and makes them appear to be strengths instead, as well as being widely known as a fairly young mother.
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