CNN  —  This year, 45 countries in the United Nations held national elections to decide their top leadership. Of those, only four selected a woman to become head of state or government, according to CNN’s analysis of International Foundation for Electoral Systems data. While the US had the opportunity to elect its first female president, voters who hoped to see the glass ceiling broken saw a defeat for the second time in eight years. Three of the countries that picked a female leader in 2024 –