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Presidency
McAleese is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders an international network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development. Background and family life
Born Mary Patricia Leneghan (Irish: Máire Pádraigín Ní Lionnacháin) in Ardoyne north Belfast McAleese was the eldest of nine children. Despite being a practicing Roman Catholic Mary McAleese holds liberal views regarding homosexuality and women priests.

This bridge-building materialised in her attempts to reach out to the unionist community in Northern Ireland. She is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders and was ranked the 64th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes. She was the second female president and was first elected in 1997 succeeding Mary Robinson making McAleese the world's first woman to succeed another as president.