Female leaders face up to crisis 1 During the recession (经济衰退), German Chancellor Angela Merkel, 55, announced a 50-billion-euro stimulus package (经济刺激计划) for her country earlier this year, saying it would boost growth and protect jobs in Europe’s biggest economy. The package includes 17-18 billion euros in investment in roads and schools and 9 billion euros in tax cuts for companies and individuals. Critics slarmmed (猛烈抨击) the measure as too little, too late to haul Germany out of a recession. 2 At the end of last year, US President-elect Obama picked Mary Schapiro, 53, a regulator he said was "both smart and tough," to head the Securities and Exchange Commission (证券交易委员会). Soon after taking the post, she merged the regulatory operations of the National Association of Securities Dealers and the New York Stock Exchange to reduce costly duplications. 3 On the first day of last month, Johanna Sigurdardottir, 66, was sworn in as the first female premier of Iceland. Her first act was to rework the cabinet, shrinking it from 12 to 10 seats. "All the ministers in my cabinet must work fast, take firm action and accept responsibility for their actions," Sigurdardottir said, according to the New York Times. 4 Argentine President Cristina Fernandez, 56, is considered a tough female politician. To boost the economy during the international financial crisis, she announced an investment plan at the end of last year worth 71 billion Argentine pesos (135 billion yuan). The investment is mainly intended for the construction industry, schools and houses.