The first female Prime Minister in a European country was Sirimavo Bandaranaike, who became the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon) in 1960. She was the world's first female Prime Minister, serving three non-consecutive terms (1960–1965, 1970–1977, and 1994–2000). Bandaranaike was not from a European country, but she was indeed the first female Prime Minister in the world.