Along one wall in the visitor’s lobby of the United Nations hang the portraits of eight men, including Ban Ki-moon, the current secretary-general, who have presided over the institution since it was founded in 1945.

A new portrait is due to appear on that wall soon and there is a pretty good chance it will bear the visage of a woman.

Three out of the seven officially declared candidates for the next secretary-general are women (more candidates may be nominated over the coming weeks). And while it is not the first time a woman has been in the running for the job, it is the first time that one, let alone three, has a viable chance of getting it.

Here’s a closer look at the three female candidates:

Irina Bokova (Bulgaria), UNESCO director-general and former foreign minister of Bulgaria, is a favorite of many for her experience leading one of the largest U.N. agencies. She has long championed human rights, cultural dialogue and gender equality.

Vesna Pusić (Croatia), deputy speaker of the Croatian Parliament and former first deputy prime minister and Croatian minister of foreign and European affairs, has been very successful in national politics and is an accomplished sociologist.

Natalia Gherman (Moldova), former minister of foreign affairs and European integration of Moldova, is a career diplomat admired for her negotiation and conflict resolution skills. In 2014 The Guardian U.S. named her one of the “seven women to watch in global politics who are leading positive change all over the world.”