Bhutto, Benazir

(b. 1953), Prime minister of Pakistan. Benazir Bhutto made history as the first woman to lead a government of an Islamic state on 2 December 1988, when she became prime minister of Pakistan. She served until 1990 and again from 1993 until 1996. She was dismissed from office by two presidents: Ghulam Ishaq Khan (in 1990) and Farooq Leghari (in 1996). Both times she was accused of corruption.

She is the daughter of former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who served from 1971 to 1977. Born in 1953 in Karachi, she completed her early studies in Pakistan. Her higher education was received at Radcliffe College in the United States, where she received a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics. She also attended Oxford University's International Law and Diplomacy program.

Bhutto became politically active by opposing Pakistan's leadership at the time. She became involved with the opposition party, the Pakistan People's Party. This resulted in her being arrested several times, totaling six years of confinement. Her platform focused on the plight of the poor, drawing attention to health, welfare, and education programs.

As prime minister, Bhutto worked hard to heal old wounds and rid society of that which divides, including discrimination between the sexes. She instituted health and education reform throughout Pakistan. Her efforts earned her the Bruno Kreisky Award for Human Rights in 1988. In addition, her alma mater bestowed an honorary Phi Beta Kappa award on her in 1989.

Cole, Juan R. I., ed. (1992) Comparing Muslim Societies: Knowledge and the State in a World Civilization. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.

Haynes, Jeff, ed. (1999) Religion, Globalization, and Political Culture in the Third World. New York: St. Martin's Press.