List of the first female holders of political offices in Europe

Please observe, that this list is meant to contain only the first female holder of a political office, not all the female holders of that office.

Albania

People's Socialist Republic

• Minister of Culture – Nexhmije Hoxha – 1946^[1]
• Member of the Praesidium of the People's Republic of Albania – Liri Belishova – 1950
• President of the Praesidium of the People's Republic of Albania – Mine Guri – 1978

Republic

• Foreign Minister – Arta Dade – 2001
• Deputy Prime Minister – Ermelinda Meksi – 2003
• Chairman of the Parliament – Jozefina Topalli – 2005
• Defence Minister – Mimi Kodheli – 2013
• European Integration Minister – Klajda Gjosha – 2013
• Education and Sport Minister – Lindita Nikolla – 2013

Andorra

• Foreign Minister – Meritxell Mateu i Pi – 2007^[2]

Armenia

Arshakuni Dynasty

• First Christian Queen of Armenia – Ashkhen – Second half of the 3rd century and first half of the 4th century.

First Republic of Armenia

• Ambassador to Japan — Diana Abgar – 1918.

Republic of Armenia

• Minister of Culture —Hasmik Poghosyan – 8 June 2007^[3]
• Minister of Diaspora —Hranush Hakobyan – 1 October 2008
• Ambassador to Netherlands – Dziunik Aghajanian – March 2011^[4]
• Deputy President of National Assembly —Hermine Naghdalyan – 31 May 2012^[5]
• Ambassador to Vietnam – Raisa Vardanyan — 16 July 2013^[6]
• Ambassador to Indonesia – Anna Aghajanyan — 11 December 2013^[7]
• Ambassador to Philippines – Raisa Vardanyan – 22 April 2014^[6]
• Leader of Prosperous Armenia Political Party – Naira Zohrabyan – 5 March 2015^[8]
• Minister of Justice — Arpine Hovhannisyan – 4 September 2015^[9]

Austria

Imperial

• Monarch – Maria Theresia of Austria – 1740

Republic

• Member of Parliament – Anna Boschek – 1919
• President of the Bundesrat – Olga Ruder-Zeynek – 1927
• Government Minister – Grete Rehor – 1966
• Minister of Social Affairs – Grete Rehor – 1966
• Minister for Foreign Affairs – Benita Ferrero-Waldner – 2000
• Mayor of Innsbruck – Hilde Zach – 2002–2011
• Minister for Justice – Karin Gastinger – 2004
• European Commissioner for Trade and European Neighbourhood Policy – Benita Ferrero-Waldner – 2009

Azerbaijan

Soviet Socialist Republic

• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Tahira Tahirova – 1959
• Chairwoman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet – Elmira Gafarova – 1989

Republic

• Chairwoman of the National Assembly – Elmira Gafarova – 1991
• Secretary of State – Lala Shevket – 1993

Belarus

Soviet Socialist Republic

• Chairman of the Supreme Soviet – Nadezhda Grigoryevna Grekova – 1938^[10]

Belgium

• Count of Flanders – Margaret I – 1191
• Count of Luxembourg – Ermesinde – 1197
• Count of Hainaut – Margaret I – 1244
• Duke of Brabant – Joanna – 1355
• Duke of Burgundy – Mary of Burgundy – 1477
• Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands – Margaret of Austria – 1507
• Duke of Bouillon – Charlotte de La Marck – 1574
• Member of Parliament (Senate) – Marie Janson – 1921^[11]
• Mayor – Léonie Keingiaert de Gheluvelt, (Gheluvelt) – 1921^[12]
• Member of Parliament (Chamber of Representatives) – Lucie Dejardin – 1929^[13]
• Minister for Family and Housing – Marguerite De Riemaecker-Legot – 1965^[14]
• Minister for Flemish Affairs – Rika De Backer – 1974^[15]
• Mayor of Antwerp – Mathilde Schroyens – 1977^[16]
• Party leader of major political party – Antoinette Spaak – 1977^[17]
• Secretary of State for Brussels Region – Lydia De Pauw – 1979^[18]
• Secretary of State for the Dutch-speaking Community – Rika Steyeart – 1979^[19]
• Secretary of State for Environment and Social Emancipation – Miet Smet – 1985^[20]
• Secretary of State for Pensions – Leona Detiège – 1988^[19]
• Minister for Budget – Wivina Demeester – 1991^[21]
• Minister for Employment and Labour – Miet Smet – 1992^[20]
• Minister of Health – Laurette Onkelinx – 1992^[22]
• Minister-President of the French Community – Laurette Onkelinx – 1993^[22]
• Minister for Social Affairs – Magda De Galan – 1994^[23]
• Deputy Prime Minister – Laurette Onkelinx & Isabelle Durant – 1999^[22][24]
• Minister of Transport – Isabelle Durant – 1999^[24]
• Minister of Justice – Laurette Onkelinx – 2003^[22]
• President of the Senate – Anne-Marie Lizin – 2004^[25]
• President of the Parliament of the French Community – Isabelle Simonis – 2004^[26]
• President of the Flemish Parliament – Marleen Vanderpoorten – 2006^[27]
• European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility – Marianne Thyssen – 2014

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

• President – Borjana Krišto – 2007
• Major of Sarajevo – Semiha Borovac – 2005

Republika Srpska

• Minister of Finance Petra Marković – 1992
• President – Biljana Plavšić – 1996
• Minister of Finance – Svetlana Cenić – 2004
• Vice President of Parliament – Nada Tešanović – 2006
• Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic relations and Regional cooperation – Jasna Brkić – 2006
• Minister of Self-government – Lejla Rešić – 2010
• Minister of Tourism and Trade – Gorana Zlatković – 2010
• Minister of Sport and youth – Nada Tešanović – 2010
• Minister of Justice – Gorana Zlatković – 2011
• Minister of Planning, Civil Engineering and Ecology – Srebrenka Golić – 2010
• Minister of Economic regional relations – Željka Cvijanović – 2010
• Prime Minister – Željka Cvijanović – 2013
• Minister of Tourism and Trade – Maida Ibširagić Hrstić – 2013

Bulgaria

Kingdom

• Regent – Tsarina Maria – 1018 (disputed)
• Regent – Irene Komnene of Epirus – 1246 (disputed)

People's Republic

• Minister of Posts, Telegraphs and Telephones – Tsola Dragoycheva – 1947

Republic

• Prime Minister (acting) – Reneta Indzhova – 1994
• Foreign minister (acting) – Irina Bokova – 1996
• European Commissioner for Consumer Protection – Meglena Kuneva – 2009
• President of the National Assembly – Tsetska Tsacheva – 2009
• Mayor of Sofia – Yordanka Fandakova – 2009

Croatia

Kingdom (medieval)

• Regent (for Stjepan Držislav) – Jelena of Zadar, Queen of Croatia – 969 (disputed)

Socialist Republic of Croatia

• Prime minister – Savka Dabčević-Kučar – 1967
• President of the Presidency – Ema Derossi-Bjelajac – 1985

Republic

• Minister for Education – Vesna Girardi-Jurkić – 1992^[28]
• President of County house of Parliament (Senate) – Katica Ivanišević – 1994
• Minister for Building and Construction – Marina Matulović-Dropulić – 1995^[29]
• Vice Prime Minister – Ljerka Mintas-Hodak – 1995^[30]
• Mayor of Zagreb – Marina Matulović-Dropulić – 1996^[31]
• Minister for European Integration – Ljerka Mintas-Hodak – 1998^[30]
• Minister for Science – Milena Žic-Fuchs – 1999^[30]
• Minister for Health – Ana Stavljenić-Rukavina – 2000^[32]
• Minister for Tourism – Pave Župan-Rusković – 2000^[32]
• Minister for Justice – Ingrid Antičević-Marinović – 2001^[32]
• Minister for Defence – Željka Antunović – 2002^[33]
• Minister without portfolio – Gordana Sobol – 2002^[33]
• Minister for Foreign Affairs – Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović – 2005^[34]
• Prime Minister – Jadranka Kosor – 2009^[35]
• Minister for Finance – Martina Dalić – 2010
• President – Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović – 2015

Cyprus

Kingdom

• Regent – Plaisance of Antioch – 1253
• Monarch – Charlotte of Cyprus – 1458

Republic

• Mayor of Nicosia – Eleni Mavrou – 2006
• Foreign Minister – Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis – 2007
• European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth – Androulla Vassiliou – 2010

Northern Cyprus

unrecognized, secessionist state

• Prime Minister – Sibel Siber – 2013
• Foreign Minister – Emine Çolak – 2015

Czechoslovakia

• Members of the first Czechoslovak Parliament: Revolutionary National Assembly (unicameral) – Bozena Ecksteinova, Anna Chlebounova, Irena Kanova, Frantiska Kolarikova, Luisa Landova-Stychova, Alice Masarykova (daughter of President Tomas G. Masaryk), Eliska Purkynova, Bozena Vikova-Kuneticka, Ludmila Zatloukalova-Coufalova, Frantiska Zeminova – 1918
• Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Czechoslovakia – Anezka Hodinova - Spurna – 1945
• Minister of Industry – Ludmila Jankovcova – 1947
• Deputy Prime Minister – Ludmila Jankovcova – 1954
• Minister of Consumer Industry – Bozena Machacova-Dostalova – 1954
• Speaker of the Chamber of People of the Federal Assembly – Sona Pennigerova – 1969
• Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of People of the Federal Assembly – Eva Zeleznikova – 1986
• Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Nations of the Federal Assembly – Blanka Hykova – 1989
• Minister of State Audit – Kvetoslava Korinkova – 1989

Czech Republic

• Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies – Petra Buzková – 1996
• Vice-President of the Senate – Jaroslava Moserová – 1996
• Minister of Justice – Vlasta Parkanová – 1997
• Minister of Health – Zuzana Roithová – 1998
• President of the Senate – Libuše Benešová – 1998
• Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies – Jitka Kupčová – 2002
• Minister of Education, Youth and Sport – Petra Buzková – 2002
• Minister of Information Technologies – Dana Bérová – 2005
• Minister of Agriculture – Milena Vicenová – 2006
• Minister of Culture – Helena Třeštíková – 2007
• Minister of Defense – Vlasta Parkanová – 2007
• Minister without Portfolio – Džamila Stehlíková – 2007
• Vice-President of the Senate – Alena Gajdůšková – 2008
• Governor of Plzeňský region – Milada Emmerová – 2008
• Governor of Ústecký region – Jana Vaňhová – 2008
• Deputy Prime Minister – Vlasta Parkanová – 2009
• Minister of Environment – Rut Bízková – 2010
• Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies – Miroslava Němcová – 2010
• Minister of Labour and Social Affairs – Ludmila Müllerová – 2012
• Minister of Regional Development – Věra Jourová – 2014
• Mayor of Prague – Adriana Krnáčová – 2014
• European Commissioner for Justice and Consumers – Věra Jourová – 2014

Denmark

• Regent – Margaret Sambiria – 1259
• Monarch – Margaret I – 1387
• Minister for Education – Nina Bang – 1924^[36]
• Minister without portfolio – Fanny Jensen – 1947^[37]
• Minister for Justice – Helga Pedersen – 1950
• Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs – Bodil Koch – 1950^[38]
• Speaker of the Landsting, Chamber of Parliament – Ingeborg Hansen – 1950^[39]
• Minister for Trade – Lis Groes – 1953
• Minister for Economy – Marianne Jelved – 1993^[40]
• European Commissioner for the Environment – Ritt Bjerregaard – 1995
• Minister of Finance – Pia Gjellerup – 2000
• Minister for Agriculture and Food – Mariann Fischer Boel – 2002
• Lord Mayor of Copenhagen – Ritt Bjerregaard – 2006^[41]
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Lene Espersen – 2010
• Prime Minister – Helle Thorning-Schmidt – 2011
• Speaker of the Folketing – Pia Kjærsgaard – 2015

Faroe Islands

• Prime Minister – Marita Petersen – 1993
• Speaker of the Løgting – Marita Petersen – 1994
• High Commissioner – Vibeke Larsen −1995^[42]

Greenland

• Foreign minister – Aleqa Hammond – 2007
• Chairperson of Landsting – Ruth Heilmann – 2008
• High Commissioner – Mikaela Engell – 2011
• Prime Minister – Aleqa Hammond – 2013

Estonia

Danish Estonia

• Regent – Margaret Sambiria of Denmark – 1259

Swedish Estonia and Livonia

• Monarch – Christina of Sweden – 1632

Autonomous Governorate of Estonia

• Member of the Provincial Assembly – Anna Leetsmann – 1917^[43]

Republic of Estonia

• Members of the Constituent Assembly – Emma Asson-Petersen, Marie Helene Aul, Minni Kurs-Olesk, Alma Ostra-Oinas, Johanna Päts, Helmi Press-Jansen and Marie Reisik – 1919^[44]
• Members of the Riigikogu – Emma Asson-Petersen and Alma Ostra-Oinas – 1920^[45]
• Members of the National Constituent Assembly – Linda Marie Eenpalu and Alma Jeets – 1937^[46]
• Member of National Council (Second Chamber) – Linda Marie Eenpalu – 1938^[47]

Estonian Government in Exile

• Minister without portfolio (in Exile) – Renate Kaasik – 1971^[48]
• Secretary of State (in Exile) – Katrin Nyman-Metcalf – 1990^[49]
• Minister of Justice (in Exile) – Aino Lepik von Wirén – 1990^[50]

Soviet occupation

• Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (acting) – Meta Vannas – 1978
• Party leader – Lagle Parek of the National Independence Party – 1988^[51]
• Minister of Social Welfare – Siiri Oviir – 1990^[52]

Republic of Estonia

• Minister of Internal Affairs – Lagle Parek – 1992^[53]
• Minister of Social Affairs – Marju Lauristin – 1992^[54]
• Minister of Reforms – Liia Hänni – 1994^[55]
• Minister of Economic Affairs – Liina Tõnisson – 1995^[56]
• Mayor of Tallinn – Ivi Eenmaa – 1995^[57]
• Minister of Culture – Signe Kivi – 1999^[58]
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Kristiina Ojuland – 2002^[59]
• Minister of Education – Mailis Rand – 2002^[60]
• County Governor (Tartu County) – Eha Pärn – 2003 (acting governor until 2004)^[61]
• President of the Riigikogu – Ene Ergma – 2003^[62]
• Mayor of Tartu – Laine Jänes – 2003^[63]
• Minister of Agriculture – Ester Tuiksoo – 2004^[64]
• Members of the European Parliament – Marianne Mikko and Siiri Oviir – 2004^[65]
• Minister of Population Affairs – Urve Palo – 2007^[66]
• Minister of Environment – Keit Pentus – 2011^[67]
• Minister of Foreign Trade and Entrepreneurship – Anne Sulling – 2014
• Minister of Finance – Maris Lauri – 2014
• Chancellor of Justice – Ülle Madise – 2015
• Minister of Entrepreneurship – Ülle Madise – 2015
• President of Estonia – Kersti Kaljulaid – 2016^[68]

Finland

Swedish Realm

• • Regent – Ingeborg of Norway – 1319

Kalmar Union

• • Monarch – Margaret I – 1389

Swedish Realm

• • Governor of Turku – Ebba Stenbock (acting interim governor) – 1597

Grand Duchy

• • Member of Parliament – Miina Sillanpää, Alli Nissinen, Hilma Räsänen, Ida Aalle-Teljo, Anni Huotari, Mimmi Kanervo, Hilja Pärssinen, Maria Raunio, Jenny Upari, Eveliina Ala-Kulju, Hedvig Gebhard, Liisi Kivioja, Iida Vemmelpuu – 1907

Republic

• • Minister of Social Affairs – Miina Sillanpää – 1926
  • Minister without portfolio – Hertta Kuusinen – 1948
  • Deputy Prime Minister of Finland – Tyyne Leivo-Larsson – 1958
  • Education Minister – Kerttu Saalasti – 1954
  • Minister of Justice – Inkeri Anttila – 1975
  • Minister of Commerce and Industry – Pirkko Työläjärvi – 1981
  • Minister of Interior – Kaisa Raatikainen – 1984
  • Defence minister – Elisabeth Rehn – 1990
  • Foreign minister – Tarja Halonen – 1995
  • Minister of Environmental Affairs – Sirpa Pietikäinen – 1991
  • Minister of Transport – Tuula Linnainmaa – 1995
  • Minister of Labour – Sinikka Mönkäre – 1999
  • Minister of Health and Social Services – Eva Biaudet – 1999
  • Minister of Culture – Suvi Lindén – 1999
  • Minister of Agriculture – Sirkka-Liisa Anttila – 2007
  • Finance minister – Jutta Urpilainen – 2011
  • Mayor of Helsinki – Eva-Riitta Siitonen – 1996
  • Mayor of Tampere – Anna-Kaisa Ikonen – 2013
  • President – Tarja Halonen – 2000
  • Speaker of the Parliament – Riitta Uosukainen – 1995
  • Prime Minister – Anneli Jäätteenmäki – 2003

Åland

• Lantråd (Premier) – Viveka Eriksson – 2007

France

• Regent – Anne of Kiev – 1060
• Undersecretary of State for national education – Cécile Brunschvicg – 1936
• Undersecretary of state for Public Health – Suzanne Lacore – 1936
• Undersecretary of state for Science – Irène Joliot-Curie – 1936
• Minister of Health – Simone Veil – 1974
• Prefect – Yvette Chassagne (Loir-et-Cher) – 1981
• Mayor of Strasbourg – Catherine Trautmann – 1989
• European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud – Christiane Scrivener – 1989
• Prime Minister – Édith Cresson – 1991
• Minister of Labour – Martine Aubry – 1997
• Minister of Justice – Élisabeth Guigou – 1997
• Mayor of Lille – Martine Aubry – 2001
• Minister of Defence – Michèle Alliot-Marie – 2002
• Mayor of Montpellier – Hélène Mandroux – 2004
• Minister of the Interior – Michèle Alliot-Marie – 2007
• Minister of Finance – Christine Lagarde – 2007
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Michèle Alliot-Marie – 2010
• Mayor of Paris – Anne Hidalgo – 2014

Georgia

Kingdom

• Regent – Mariam of Vaspurakan – 1027
• Monarch – Tamar – 1178–1210

Republic

• Speaker of the Georgian Parliament – Nino Burjanadze – 2003 – 2004 and 2007
• President (acting) – Nino Burjanadze – 2003
• Minister for Foreign Affairs – Salomé Zurabishvili – 2004
• Minister of Economic Development – Ekaterine Sharashidze – 2008
• Minister of Defense – Tina Khidasheli – 1 May 2015

Germany

Weimar

• Regent – Adelaide of Italy and Theophanu (co-regents) – 983
• Weimar National Assembly – Louise Schroeder – 1919
• Members of the Parliament – 37 women, among them being Marie Baum, Marie Juchacz – 1919

Allied Occupation

• Mayor of Berlin – Louise Schroeder – 1947

Democratic Republic

• Member of the Presidium of the Volkskammer – Friedel Malter – 1948
• Minister of Justice – Hilde Benjamin – 1953
• President of the Volkskammer and Acting Head of state – Sabine Bergmann-Pohl – 1990

Federal Republic (West)

• State secretary of Youth and Family Affairs – Gabriele Wülker – 1957
• Minister of Health – Elisabeth Schwarzhaupt – 1961
• President of the Bundestag – Annemarie Renger – 1972

Federal Republic (United)

• Minister of Justice – Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger – 1992
• Minister-President of any German state – Heide Simonis (of Schleswig-Holstein) – 1993
• European Commissioner for Regional Policy – Monika Wulf-Mathies – 1994
• Mayor of Frankfurt – Petra Roth – 1995
• Chancellor – Angela Merkel – 2005
• Minister of Defence – Ursula von der Leyen – 2013

Greece

Kingdom

• Regent – Queen Olga – 1920
• Member of Parliament – Eleni Skoura – 1953
• Mayor – Maria Desylla-Kapodistria, (Corfu (city)) – 1953
• Government minister and Minister for Social Welfare – Lina Tsaldari – 1956

Republic

• Minister for Culture – Melina Mercouri – 1981
• Minister of Education and Religious Affairs – Marietta Giannakou-Koutsikou – 1993
• Minister for Environment – Vassiliki "Vaso" Papandreou – 1999
• European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs – Anna Diamantopoulou – 1999
• Mayor of Athens – Dora Bakoyannis – 2003
• President of Parliament – Anna Psarouda-Benaki – 2004
• Minister for Foreign Affairs – Dora Bakoyannis – 2006
• Minister for Tourism – Fani Palli-Petralia – 2006
• Prime Minister (acting, not elected) – Vassiliki Thanou-Christophilou – 2015

Hungary

Kingdom

• Monarch – Mary of Hungary – 1382
• Member of Parliament – Margit Slachta – 1920

People's Republic

• Speaker of the National Assembly – Erzsébet Metzker Vass – 1963
• Minister of Health – Anna Ratkó – 1950
• Minister of Education – Valéria Benke – 1958

Republic

• Minister for Justice – Ibolya Dávid – 1998
• Minister for Interior – Mónika Lamperth – 2002
• Minister for Equality – Katalin Lévai – 2004
• Foreign Minister – Kinga Göncz – 2006
• Health Minister – Ágnes Horváth – 2007
• Minister of National Development – Zsuzsanna Németh – 2011

Iceland

Kingdom

• Member of a City Council – Bríet Bjarnhéðinsdóttir – 1908
• Member of Parliament – Ingibjörg H. Bjarnason – 1922^[69]

Republic

• Mayor of Reykjavik City – Auður Auðuns – 1960
• Speaker of Parliament (lower house) – Ragnhildur Helgadóttir – 1961^[70]
• Minister of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs – Auður Auðuns – 1970^[71]
• President – Vigdís Finnbogadóttir – 1980^[72]
• Speaker of Parliament (upper house) – Salome Þorkelsdóttir – 1983^[73]
• Minister of Education, Science and Culture – Ragnhildur Helgadóttir – 1983^[70]
• Minister of Health and Social Security – Ragnhildur Helgadóttir – 1985^[70]
• Speaker of Parliament (bicameral united house) – Salome Þorkelsdóttir – 1991^[73]
• Speaker of Parliament (unicameral) – Salome Þorkelsdóttir – 1991^[73]
• Minister for the Environment – Siv Friðleifsdóttir – 1999^[74]
• Minister of Industry – Valgerður Sverrisdóttir – 1999^[75]
• Minister for Foreign Affairs – Valgerður Sverrisdóttir – 2006^[75]
• Prime Minister – Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir – 2009^[76]
• Minister of Finance – Oddný Guðbjörg Harðardóttir – 2011^[77]

Ireland

Kingdom (medieval)

• High Queen of Ireland – Macha Mong Ruad – LGE 4th/3rd century BC – FFE 468–461 BC – AFM 661–654 BC

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

• Member of Parliament – Constance Markievicz – 1918^[78]

Irish Republic

• Minister for Labour – Constance Markievicz – 1919^[79]

Free State

• Senator – Eileen Costello, Alice Stopford Green, Ellen Cuffe and Jennie Wyse Power – 1922^[80]

Republic

• Lord Mayor of Dublin – Kathleen Clarke – 1939^[81]
• Lord Mayor of Cork – Jane Dowdall – 1959
• Department of state Secretary-General – Thekla Beere – 1959^[82]
• Council of State Member – Honor Crowley – 1964
• Minister of State – Máire Geoghegan-Quinn – 1977^[83]
• Member of the European Parliament – Eileen Desmond and Síle de Valera – 1979^[84][85]
• Minister for the Gaeltacht – Máire Geoghegan-Quinn – 1979^[83]
• Minister for Health and Social Welfare – Eileen Desmond – 1981^[86]
• Minister for Education – Gemma Hussey – 1982^[87]
• President – Mary Robinson – 1990^[88]
• Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications – Máire Geoghegan-Quinn – 1992^[83]
• Minister for Justice – Máire Geoghegan-Quinn – 1993^[83]
• Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) – Mary Harney – 1997^[89]
• Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment – Mary Harney – 1997^[89]
• Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands – Síle de Valera – 1997^[85]
• Minister for Agriculture and Food – Mary Coughlan – 2002^[90]
• Government Chief Whip – Mary Hanafin – 2002^[91]
• European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science – Máire Geoghegan-Quinn – 2009^[92]
• Attorney General of Ireland – Máire Whelan – 2011
• Minister for Children and Youth Affairs – Frances Fitzgerald – 2001^[93]
• Leader of the Labour Party – Joan Burton – 2014

Italy

• Minister for Health – Tina Anselmi – 1978 (as well as first woman government minister)
• President of the Chamber of Deputies – Nilde Iotti – 1979
• Minister of Education – Franca Falcucci – 1982
• Senator for Life – Camilla Ravera – 1982
• Minister of Tourism – Margherita Boniver – 1992
• President of Lombardia – Fiorella Ghilardotti – 1992
• Minister for Agriculture and Forests – Adriana Poli Bortone – 1994
• European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection – Emma Bonino – 1995
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Susanna Agnelli – 1995
• Minister without Portfolio – Livia Turco – 1996
• Minister for Equal Opportunities – Anna Finocchiaro – 1996
• Minister of Cultural Activities and Sport – Giovanna Melandri – 1998
• Minister of Interior – Rosa Russo Iervolino – 1998
• President of Trentino-Alto Adige – Margherita Cogo – 1999
• President of Umbria – Maria Rita Lorenzetti – 2000
• Mayor of Naples – Rosa Russo Iervolino – 2001
• President of Piedmont – Mercedes Bresso – 2006
• Minister of European Politics and International Trade – Emma Bonino – 2006
• Mayor of Milan – Letizia Moratti – 2006
• Minister of the Environment – Stefania Prestigiacomo – 2008
• President of Democratic Party (Italy) – Rosy Bindi – 2009
• President of Lazio – Renata Polverini – 2010
• Minister of Justice – Paola Severino – 2011
• President of Friuli-Venezia Giulia – Debora Serracchiani – 2013
• Minister of Integration – Cécile Kyenge – 2013
• Minister of Defence – Roberta Pinotti – 2014
• Minister of Economic Development – Federica Guidi – 2014
• Minister of Constitutional Reforms and Parliamentary Relations – Maria Elena Boschi – 2014

Latvia

Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic

• Chairman of the Supreme Soviet – Valentina S. Klibike – 1975

Republic

• Deputy minister of Education – Valērija Seile – 1921
• President – Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga – 1999
• Speaker of the Saeima – Ilga Kreituse – 1995
• Foreign minister – Sandra Kalniete – 2002
• European Commissioner for Agriculture and Fisheries – Sandra Kalniete – 2004
• Defence minister – Linda Mūrniece – 2006
• Prime Minister – Laimdota Straujuma – 2014

Liechtenstein

• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Andrea Willi – 1993

Lithuania

Republic

• Members of Parliament – Felicija Bortkevičienė, Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė – 1920
• Speaker of the constituent session of the Constituent Assembly of Lithuania – Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė – 15 May 1920^[94]
• Prime Minister – Kazimira Prunskienė – 1990^[95]
• European Commissioner for Financial Programming and the Budget – Dalia Grybauskaitė – 2004
• President – Dalia Grybauskaitė – 2009^[96]
• Foreign minister (acting) – Rasa Juknevičienė – 2010

Luxembourg

County, Duchy and Grand Duchy

• Monarch – Ermesinde, Countess of Luxembourg – 1197

Grand Duchy

• Grand Duchess – Marie-Adélaïde – 1912
• Deputy Prime Minister – Colette Flesch – 1980
• Minister for Foreign Affairs – Colette Flesch – 1980
• Mayor of Luxembourg City – Lydie Polfer – 1982
• President of the Chamber of Deputies – Erna Hennicot-Schoepges – 1989
• European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality – Martine Reicherts – 2009

Macedonia

• Minister of Development – Sofija Todorova – 1992
• Minister without portfolio – Gordana Siljanovska – 1992
• Interior minister – Dosta Dimovska – 1999
• Foreign minister – Ilinka Mitreva – 2001
• Minister of justice – Meri Mladenovska Gjorgjievska – 2002
• Prime Minister (acting) – Radmila Šekerinska – 2004
• President of Social Democratic Union of Macedonia – Radmila Šekerinska – 2006
• Minister of Culture – Elizabeta Kanceska Milevska – 2008

Malta

Colony

• Member of Parliament – Agatha Barbara – 1947
• Minister – Agatha Barbara – 1955

Republic

• President – Agatha Barbara – 1982
• Mayor – Rita Cutajar, Mayor of Għasri, Gozo – 1993
• Speaker of the House of Representatives – Myriam Spiteri Debono – 1996

Moldova

• Speaker of the Parliament – Eugenia Ostapciuc – 2001
• Prime Minister – Zinaida Greceanîi – 2008
• Finance minister – Marianna Durlesteanu – 2008.^[97]
• Foreign minister – Natalia Gherman – 2013

Transnistria

unrecognized, secessionist state

• Foreign minister – Nina Shtanski – 2012
• Prime Minister – Tatiana Turanskaya – 2013

Montenegro

Serbia and Montenegro

• Speaker of Parliament – Vesna Perović – 2001
• Supreme State Attorney – Vesna Medenica – 2004
• Mayor of City/President of Municipality (first elected) – Marija-Maja Ćatović – 2005

Republic of Montenegro

• Deputy Prime Minister- Gordana Đurović – 2006

Netherlands

Spanish Netherlands

• Governor- Margaret of Austria- 1507–1530

Dutch Republic

• Diplomat – Bartholda van Swieten – 1615
• Regent (acting stadtholder) – Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange – 1751

Kingdom

• Monarch – Queen Wilhelmina – 1890
• Member of the House of Representatives of the States-General – Suze Groeneweg – 1917
• Member of the Senate of the States-General – Carry Pothuis-Smit – 1920^[98]
• Alderman – Eiske ten Bos-Harkema – 1924
• Mayor – Truus Beliën – 1946
• Minister of Social Work – Marga Klompé – 1956
• Party chair – Haya van Someren – 1969
• Minister of Health and Hygiene – Irene Vorrink – 1973
• Parliamentary leader in the Senate – Haya van Someren – 1976
• Party leader – Ria Beckers – 1977
• Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives – Ria Beckers – 1977
• Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management – Neelie Kroes – 1982
• Minister for Development Cooperation – Eegje Schoo – 1982
• Minister of the Interior – Ien Dales – 1989
• Minister of Justice – Winnie Sorgdrager – 1994
• Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment – Margreeth de Boer – 1994
• Deputy Prime Ministers – Annemarie Jorritsma and Els Borst – 1998
• Minister of Economic Affairs – Annemarie Jorritsma – 1998
• Speaker of the House of Representatives – Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven – 1998
• Minister of Education, Culture and Science – Maria van der Hoeven – 2002
• Minister for Integration and Immigration – Rita Verdonk – 2003
• President of the Senate – Yvonne Timmerman-Buck – 2003
• European Commissioner – Neelie Kroes – 2004
• Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality – Gerda Verburg – 2007
• Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment – Melanie Schultz van Haegen – 2010
• Minister of Defence – Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert – 2012

Norway

• Monarch – Margaret I – 1388
• Deputy member of the Norwegian Parliament – Anna Rogstad – 1911
• Member of the Norwegian Parliament – Karen Platou – 1921
• Mayor – Aasa Helgesen (in Utsira) – 1926
• Minister of Social Affairs – Kirsten Hansteen – 1945
• State Secretary – Elsa Rastad Bråten – 1971
• President of the Lagting – Torild Skard – 1973
• Minister of the Environment – Gro Harlem Brundtland – 1974
• County Governor – Ebba Lodden (in Aust-Agder) – 1974
• Prime Minister – Gro Harlem Brundtland – 1981^[99]
• President of the Odelsting – Åshild Hauan – 1985
• Mayor of Oslo – Ann-Marit Sæbønes – 1992
• President of the Storting – Kirsti Kolle Grøndahl – 1993
• Governor of Svalbard – Ann-Kristin Olsen – 1995
• Minister of Defence – Eldbjørg Løwer – 2001
• Minister of Finance – Kristin Halvorsen – 2005

Other political positions

• Party leader – Eva Kolstad (Liberal) – 1974

Poland

Kingdom (1385–1569)

• Monarch – Jadwiga of Poland – 1384

Second Republic

• First members of Sejm (lower house of the parliament) – Gabriela Balicka, Jadwiga Dziubińska, Irena Kosmowska, Maria Moczydłowska, Zofia Moraczewska, Anna Piasecka, Zofia Sokolnicka, Franciszka Wilczkowiakowa, Roza Pomerantz-Meltzer – 1919
• Senator – Zofia Daszyńska-Golińska – 1928

People's Republic

• Minister of Justice – Zofia Wasilkowska – 1956
• Minister of Administration, Land Economy and Environment – Maria Milczarek – 1976
• Minister of Labor, Welfare and Social Policy – Maria Milczarek – 1979
• Minister of Education and Behaviour – Joanna Michałowska-Gumowska – 1985
• Minister of Health and Welfare – Izabela Płaneta-Małecka – 1988

Republic

• Minister of Culture and Art – Izabella Cywińska – 1989
• Minister of Industry and Commerce – Henryka Bochniarz – 1991
• Prime Minister – Hanna Suchocka – 1992
• Chairman of the National Bank of Poland – Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz – 1992
• Minister of Construction and Spatial Management – Barbara Blida – 1993
• Marshal of the Senate – Alicja Grześkowiak – 1997
• Minister of Finance – Halina Wasilewska-Trenkner – 2001
• Minister of State Treasury – Aldona Kamela-Sowińska – 2001
• Minister of European Affairs – Danuta Hübner – 2003
• Deputy Prime Minister – Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka – 2004
• Minister of Social Policy – Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka – 2004
• European Commissioner for Regional Policy – Danuta Hübner – 2004
• Minister of Regional Development – Grażyna Gęsicka – 2005
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Anna Fotyga – 2006
• President of Warsaw – Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz – 2006
• Minister of Sport and Tourism – Elżbieta Jakubiak – 2007
• Minister of Science and Higher Education – Barbara Kudrycka – 2007
• Marshal of the Sejm – Ewa Kopacz – 2011

Portugal

County

• Regent – Theresa, Countess of Portugal – 1112

Kingdom

• Monarch (disputed) – Beatrice of Portugal – 1383
• Monarch – Maria I – 1777

Republic

• Minister of Social Affairs – Maria de Lurdes Pintasilgo – 1974
• Prime Minister – Maria de Lurdes Pintasilgo – 1979
• Minister of Health – Leonor Beleza – 1985
• Minister of Education – Manuela Ferreira Leite – 1993
• Minister of Environment – Teresa Patrício de Gouveia – 1993
• Minister of Planning – Elisa Ferreira – 1999
• Minister of Finance – Manuela Ferreira Leite – 2002
• Minister of Justice – Celeste Cardona
• Minister of Science and Higher Education – Graça Carvalho – 2003
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Teresa Patrício de Gouveia – 2003
• Minister of Culture – Maria João Bustorff – 2004
• Leader of the Opposition – Manuela Ferreira Leite – 2008
• President of the Assembly of the Republic – Maria da Assunção Esteves – 2011

Romania

Kingdom

• Mayor – Luiza Zavloschi, (Buda (Bogdănești)) – 1930

People's Republic

• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Ana Pauker – 1947
• First Deputy Prime Minister – Elena Ceauşescu – 1980

Republic

• Minister of Education- Ecaterina Andronescu – 2000
• Minister of Justice – Monica Macovei – 2004
• Prefect (of Bucharest) – Mioara Mantale – 2004
• President of the Chamber of Deputies – Roberta Anastase – 2008
• Minister of Tourism – Elena Udrea – 2008
• European Commissioner for Regional Policy – Corina Crețu – 2014

Russia

Imperial

• Regent – Elena Glinskaya – 1533
• Monarch – Catherine I of Russia – 1725

Intermin Republic

• Vice Minister of State Welfare and Vice Minister of Education – Sofia Panina – 1917

Union of the Soviet Socialist Republic

• Commissar (Minister): Alexandra Kollontai – First female minister in the world – 1917
• Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union : Nadezhda Krupskaya – 1924
• Deputy minister (Comissar) of Education : Nadezhda Krupskaya – 1929
• Member of the Supreme Soviet : Nadezhda Krupskaya – 1931
• Member of the Politburo : Ekaterina Furtseva – 1957

Federation

• Governor : Valentina Matviyenko – 2003
• Mayor of Saint Petersburg : Valentina Matviyenko – 2003
• Chairwoman of the Federation Council of Russia: Valentina Matviyenko – 2011

San Marino

• Co-Captain Regent – Maria Lea Pedini-Angelini – 1981
• Foreign minister – Antonella Mularoni – 2008

Serbia

Imperial

• Regent- Helena of Bulgaria – 1355 – 1357

Moravian

• Empress- Princess Milica of Serbia – 1389 – 1402

Despotate

• Monarch – Jelena (Marija) – 1458 – 1459

Principality

• Education and Art adviser - Katarina Ivanović – 1870

Socialist Yugoslavian Republic

• Minister of Education – Mitra Mitrović – 1945 – 1948
• Minister of Labour – Spasenija Cana Babović – 1946 – 1948
• Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health – Spasenija Cana Babović – 1948 – 1953

Federal Yugoslavia

• Mayor of Belgrade – Slobodanka Gruden – 1993 – 1994
• Minister of Social affairs, family and equality – Margit Savović – 1994 – 1996
• Mirjana Marković – leader of party Yugoslav Left – 1994 – 2001
• Deputy Prime Minister – Maja Gojković – 1998 – 2000
• Minister of Self-government – Gordana Pop Lazić – 1998 – 2000
• Minister of Information – Radmila Milentijević – 1998 – 2000
• Minister of Economic transformation Jorgovanka Tabaković 1998–2000
• Minister of Labour and Employment – Gordana Matković – 2001 – 2004
• President of Party of successful women – Margit Savović – 2001 – 2004
• Minister of Environment – Anđelka Mihajlov – 2001 -2002
• President of the Supreme Court – Leposava Karamarković – 2001 -2002
• Minister of Traffic and Telecommunication – Marija Rašeta Vukosavljević – 2001 – 2004
• Speaker of the National Assembly of Serbia – Nataša Mićić – 2001 – 2004
• President (acting) – Nataša Mićić – 2002 – 2003
• Minister of Energy and Mining Kori Udovički – 2001 – 2003
• Governor of a National Bank of Serbia Kori Udovički – 2003 – 2004
• Minister of Education – Ljiljana Čolić – 2004
• Mayor of Novi Sad – Maja Gojković – 2004 – 2008

Republic of Serbia

• Deputy Prime Minister – Ivana Dulić-Marković – 2006
• Minister of Science – Ana Pešikan – 2007 – 2008
• Minister of Telecommunication and Informatics 2007 – 2008 – Aleksandra Smiljanić
• President of the Constitutional Court of Serbia – Bosa Nenadić 2007 – 2010
• Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy 2011– 2012 – Verica Kalanović
• Minister of Finance – Diana Dragutinović – 2008 – 2011
• Minister of Justice – Snežana Malović – 2008 – 2012
• Mayor of Pančevo – Vesna Martinović – 2008 – 2012
• President of the Supreme Court of Cassation – Nata Mesarović – 2010 – 2013
• State Attorney – Zagorka Dolovac – 2012 –
• President (acting) – Slavica Đukić Dejanović – 2012
• President of Christian Democratic Party of Serbia – Olgica Batić – 2011 –
• President of party Together for Vojvodina – Olena Papuga – 2012 –
• Minister of Energy – Zorana Mihajlović – 2012 – 2014
• Deputy Prime Minister – Suzana Grubješić – 2012 – 2013
• Mayor of Smederevo – Jasna Avramović – 2012 –
• Governor of a National Bank of Serbia – Jorgovanka Tabaković – 2012 –
• Speaker of the National Assembly of Serbia – Maja Gojković – 2014 –
• Deputy Prime Minister and a Minister of Transportation, Construction and Infrastructure Zorana Mihajlović – 2014
• Deputy Prime Minister and a Minister of State and Local Governments Kori Udovički – 2014 –
• Minister of Agriculture and Environment – Snežana Bogosavljević Bošković- 2014 –
• Minister of European Integration – Jadranka Joksimović – 2014 –
• President of Democratic Party of Serbia – Sanda Rašković Ivić – 2014 –
• Mayor of Vršac – Dragana Mitrović – 2016 –
• Mayor of Sombor – Dušanka Golubović – 2016 –

Kosovo

partially recognized secessionist state under nominal international administration

• Foreign minister (acting) – Vlora Çitaku – 2010
• President – Atifete Jahjaga – 2011

Slovakia

• Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Family – Oľga Keltošová – 1993 (also Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of Slovakia within Czechoslovakia since 1992)
• Minister of Justice – Katarína Tóthová – 1993 (also Minister of Justice of Slovakia within Czechoslovakia since 1992)
• Minister of Health – Irena Belohorská – 1993
• Deputy Prime Minister – Brigita Schmögnerová – 1994
• Minister of Education – Eva Slavkovská – 1994
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Zdenka Kramplová – 1997
• Minister of Privatization – Mária Machová – 1998
• Minister of Finance – Brigita Schmögnerová – 1998
• Deputy Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic – Zuzana Martináková – 2002
• Minister of Agriculture – Zdenka Kramplová – 2007
• Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court of Slovakia – Ivetta Macejková – 2007
• Prime Minister – Iveta Radičová – 2010

Note: Independent Slovak Republic was established on January 1, 1993. First female politicians of Slovak Republic as a part of Czech and Slovak Federative Republic are not included above.

List of Slovak female holders of political offices before independence:

Czechoslovakia

• Member of Parliament – Irena Kaňová – 1919
• Commissioner for Health and Social Welfare (equivalent to minister) – Emília Janečková-Muríňová – 1950
• Minister of Health and Social Affairs – Eva Tökölyová – 1986
• Minister of State Audit – Mária Kolaříková – 1989

Czech and Slovak Federative Republic

• Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Family – Helena Woleková – 1991
• Minister of Trade and Tourism – Jana Kotová – 1992
• Minister of Justice – Katarína Tóthová – 1992
• Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Family – Oľga Keltošová – 1992

Slovenia

• Ministry of Health – Katja Boh – 1990
• Minister of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities – Jožica Puhar – 1990
• Minister of Veterans and War Invalides – Ana Osterman – 1990
• Ministry of Justice – Metka Zupančič – 1994
• Ministry of Economy Development and Technologies – Tea Petrin – 2000
• Ministry of Culture – Andreja Rihter – 2000
• Ministry of Education, Science and Sport – Lucija Čok – 2000
• Ministry without Portfolio (Regional Development) – Zdenka Kovač – 2002
• Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry – Zdenka Kovač – 2004
• Minister of the Interior – Katarina Kresal – 2008
• Ministry of Public Administration – Irma Pavlinič Krebs – 2008
• Minister of Defence – Ljubica Jelušič – 2008
• Prime Minister – Alenka Bratušek – 2013
• Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning – Irena Majcen – 2014
• European Commissioner for Transport – Violeta Bulc – 2014

Spain

Kingdom

• Monarch (of Castile, León and Galicia) and held the imperial title Suo jure Empress of All the Spains – Urraca of León and Castile – 1109–1126
• Monarch- Berengaria of Castile 1217
• Monarch (of Crown of Castile) – Isabel I of Castile – 1474–1504
• Queen Governor – Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies – 1833–1840
• Monarch – Isabel II – 1833–1868
• Regent of Spain -Maria Christina of Austria 1885–1902
• Mayor – Matilde Pérez Mollá – 1924

Second Republic

• Members of Parliament – Margarita Nelken, Clara Campoamor and Victoria Kent – 1931
• Minister of Health – Federica Montseny – 1936

Francoist Spain

• Mayor of Bilbao – Pilar Careaga – 1969

Kingdom (restored)

• Mayoress of Vigo – Enma González – 1978
• Minister of Culture – Soledad Becerril – 1981
• Mayor of Valencia – Clementina Ródenas – 1988
• President of the Region of Murcia – María Antonia Martínez – 1993
• Mayor of Seville – Soledad Becerril – 1995
• Mayor of Saragossa – Luisa Fernanda Rudi – 1995
• Mayor of Málaga – Celia Villalobos – 1995
• Minister of Environment – Isabel Tocino – 1996
• Minister of Agriculture – Loyola de Palacio – 1996
• Minister of Justice – Margarita Mariscal de Gante – 1996
• President of Senate – Esperanza Aguirre – 1999
• Minister of Education – Esperanza Aguirre – 1999
• Mayor of Cordóba – Rosa Aguilar – 1999
• Mayor of Gijón – Paz Fernández – 1999
• European Commissioner for Transport and Energy – Loyola de Palacio – 1999
• Minister of Industry – Anna Birulés – 2000
• Foreign minister – Ana Palacio – 2002
• Minister of Public Administrations – Julia García-Valdecasas – 2003
• President of the Community of Madrid – Esperanza Aguirre – 2003
• Mayor of Las Palmas – Josefa Luzardo – 2003
• Mayoress of Palma de Mallorca – Catalina Cirer – 2003
• Minister of Public Works – Magdalena Álvarez – 2004
• Minister of Presidency – María Teresa Fernández de la Vega – 2004
• Minister of Housing – María Antonia Trujillo – 2004
• First Vice President of the Government – María Teresa Fernández de la Vega – 2004
• Minister of Defense – Carme Chacón – 2008
• Minister of Science and Innovation – Cristina Garmendia – 2008
• Minister of Equality – Bibiana Aído – 2008
• Mayor of Alicante – Sonia Castedo – 2008
• Minister of Economy – Elena Salgado – 2009
• Mayor of Madrid – Ana Botella – 2014

Sweden

Kingdom

During the Kalmar Union (1397-1520), Sweden-Finland was in union with Denmark and Norway, but maintained its own administration. Sweden was in union with Norway during the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway (1814-1905), but each country had its own administration and laws, and thus should be listed separately.

• Regent: Ingeborg of Norway – 1319
• Monarch – Margaret I – 1389
• Governor (häradshövding) of Stranda Hundred – Sigrid Sture – 1577
• Ambassador (to Russia) - Catharina Stopia - 1632
• Member of a government comity: Sophie Adlersparre and Hilda Caselli - 1885
• Member of the Executive Committee of a Political party – Kata Dalström – 1900
• Chairperson of the Women's trades union – Anna Sterky – 1902
• Member of the City Council of Stockholm – Gertrud Månsson – 1910
• Member of a City Council – 37 women, among them Hanna Lindberg – 1910
• Member of the legislative assembly – Emilia Broomé – 1914
• Member of the Riksdag (lower house) – Elisabeth Tamm, Agda Östlund, Nelly Thüring and Bertha Wellin – 1921
• Member of the Riksdag (upper house) – Kerstin Hesselgren – 1921
• Minister without portfolio – Karin Kock-Lindberg – 1947
• Minister for Public Housekeeping – Karin Kock-Lindberg – 1948
• Minister of Family, Consumption, Aid and Immigration – Ulla Lindström – 1954
• Acting Prime Minister – Ulla Lindström – 1958
• Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations – Agda Rössel – 1958
• Chairperson of City Council – Blenda Ljungberg – 1959
• Municipal commissioner – Ella Tengbom-Velander – 1967
• Supreme Court Justice – Ingrid Gärde Widemar – 1968
• County Governor – Camilla Odhnoff – 1974
• Minister for Foreign Affairs – Karin Söder – 1976
• Minister for Health and Social Affairs – Karin Söder – 1979
• Minister for Education – Lena Hjelm-Wallén – 1982
• Minister for Employment – Anna-Greta Leijon – 1982
• Leader of a political party represented in the Riksdag – Karin Söder – 1985
• Minister for Justice – Anna-Greta Leijon – 1987
• Minister for the Environment – Birgitta Dahl – 1987
• Speaker of the Riksdag – Ingegerd Troedsson – 1991
• Minister for Finance – Anne Wibble – 1991
• Minister for Culture – Birgit Friggebo – 1991
• Deputy Prime Minister – Mona Sahlin – 1994
• Minister for Agriculture – Margareta Winberg – 1994
• European Commissioner for Immigration, Justice, Home Affairs and Financial Control – Anita Gradin – 1995
• Minister for Defence – Leni Björklund – 2002
• Mayor of Stockholm – Annika Billström – 2002

Switzerland

• Member of a citizens' council – Trudy Späth-Schweizer – 1958
• President of a Cantonal Parliament (of Geneva) – Emma Kammacher – 1965
• Member of the Swiss Council of States – Lise Girardin – 1971
• Member of the Swiss National Council – Nelly Wicky, Lilian Uchtenhagen, Hanny Thalmann, Liselotte Spreng, Hanna Sahlfeld, Martha Ribi, Gabrielle Nanchen, Josi Meier, Hedi Lang, Tilo Frey, Elisabeth Blunschy – 1971
• President of the Swiss National Council – Elisabeth Blunschy – 1977
• Member of a Cantonal Executive (of Zurich) – Hedi Lang – 1983
• Member of the Swiss Federal Council – Elisabeth Kopp – 1984^[100]
• Justice minister – Elisabeth Kopp – 1984
• Vice-President of the Swiss Confederation – Elisabeth Kopp – 1989
• President of the Swiss Council of States – Josi Meier – 1991
• Landammann of Schwyz – Margrit Weber-Röllin – 1992
• Schultheiss of Lucerne – Brigitte Mürner-Gilli – 1992
• Landammann of Zug – Ruth Schwerzmann – 1993
• Landammann of Aargau – Stéphanie Mörikofer – 1997
• President of the Swiss Confederation – Ruth Dreifuss – 1999^[100]
• Landammann of Uri – Gabi Huber – 2002
• Foreign minister – Micheline Calmy-Rey – 2003
• Landammann of Nidwalden – Lisbeth Gabriel – 2005
• Economics minister – Doris Leuthard – 2006
• Landammann of Glarus – Marianne Dürst – 2008
• Member of the Conseil d'État of the canton of Valais – Esther Waeber Kalbermatten – 2009
• Mayor of Zurich – Corine Mauch – 2009

Turkey

Ottoman

• Regent – Kösem Sultan – 1623

Republic

• Members of Parliament – Hatı Çırpan and 17 others – 1935
• Mayor (of Mersin) – Müfide İlhan – 1950
• Minister of Health – Türkân Akyol – 1971
• Minister of Labor Relations – Dr. Imren Aykut – 1987
• Provincial Governor (Muğla Province)- Lale Aytaman – 1991
• Prime Minister – Tansu Çiller – 1993
• Minister of the Interior – Dr. Meral Akşener – 1996^[101]
• Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister – Tansu Çiller – 1996

Ukraine

Soviet Socialist Republic

• Government minister and Minister of Interior – Evgenia Bosh – 1918
• Acting Prime Minister – Evgenia Bosh – 1918
• Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet – Valentyna Shevchenko – 1984

Republic

• Prime Minister – Yulia Tymoshenko – 2005
• Minister of Labor and Social Policy – Lyudmila Denysova – 2007

United Kingdom

Great Britain

• Monarch – Queen Anne – 1701^[102]

Great Britain and Ireland

• Member of Parliament (elected) – Constance Markievicz – 1918^[78]
• Member of Parliament (who took her seat) – Nancy Astor – 1919^[78]

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland:

• Minister of Labour – Margaret Bondfield – 1929
• Minister for Education – Ellen Wilkinson – 1945
• Member of the House of Lords – Stella Isaacs, Marchioness of Reading – 1958
• Government Whip – Harriet Slater – 1964^[103]
• Minister of Pensions and National Insurance – Margaret Herbison – 1964
• Minister of Overseas Development – Barbara Castle – 1964
• Minister for Transport – Barbara Castle – 1965
• First Secretary of State – Barbara Castle – 1968
• Secretary of State for Social Services (Health) – Barbara Castle – 1974
• Leader of the Opposition – Margaret Thatcher – 1975
• Prime Minister – Margaret Thatcher – 1979^[104]
• Leader of the House of Lords – Janet Young, Baroness Young – 1981^[105]
• Speaker of the House of Commons – Betty Boothroyd – 1992^[106]
• Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food – Gillian Shephard – 1993
• Secretary of State for National Heritage (later Culture, Media and Sport) – Virginia Bottomley – 1995
• Secretary of State for Northern Ireland – Mo Mowlam – 1997
• President of the Board of Trade – Margaret Beckett – 1997
• Leader of the House of Commons – Ann Taylor – 1997
• Chief Whip – Ann Taylor – 1998
• Solicitor General for England and Wales – Harriet Harman – 2001^[107]
• Secretary of State for Scotland – Helen Liddell – 2001
• Deputy General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress – Frances O'Grady – 2003
• Foreign Secretary – Margaret Beckett – 2006^[108]
• Lord Speaker – Helene Hayman, Baroness Hayman – 2006
• Home Secretary – Jacqui Smith – 2007^[109]
• Attorney General – Baroness Scotland – 2007^[110]
• European Commissioner for Trade – Catherine Ashton – 2008
• Welsh Secretary – Cheryl Gillan – 2010^[111]
• General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress – Frances O'Grady – 2013
• Vice-President of the European Commission – Catherine Ashton – 2010

England

• Regent – Edith of Scotland – 12th century
• Monarch – Queen Mary I – 1553^[112]
• Lord Mayor of Liverpool – Margaret Beavan – 1927
• Lord Mayor of Sheffield – Ann Eliza Longden – 1936
• Lord Mayor of York – Edna Annie Crichton – 1941
• Lord Mayor of Leeds – Jessie Beatrice Kitson – 1942 (succeeded upon the death in office of Arthur Clark)
• Lord Mayor of Newcastle-upon-Tyne – Violet Hardisty Grantham – 1952
• Lord Mayor of Leeds (elected) – Mary Pearce – 1958
• Lord Mayor of Bristol – Florence Mills Brown – 1963
• Lord Mayor of Manchester – Nellie Beer – 1966
• Lord Mayor of Plymouth – Dorothy F Innes – 1971
• Lord Mayor of Portsmouth – Phyllis Loe – 1972
• Lord Mayor of Birmingham – Marjorie Alice Brown – 1973
• Lord Mayor of London – Mary Donaldson – 1983
• Deputy Mayor of London – Nicky Gavron – 2000
• Chair of the London Assembly – Sally Hamwee – 2001
• Police and Crime Commissioner – Vera Baird, Ann Barnes, Katy Bourne, Jane Kennedy, Sue Mountstevens – 2012

Northern Ireland

Parliament of Northern Ireland

• Member of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland – Julia McMordie, Dehra Chichester – 1921
• High Sheriff of Belfast – Julia McMordie – 1928
• Minister of Health for Northern Ireland – Dehra Chichester – 1949
• Lord Mayor of Belfast – Grace Bannister – 1982

Northern Ireland Assembly

• Health Minister of Northern Ireland – Bairbre de Brún – 1999
• Presiding Officer of the Northern Ireland Assembly – Eileen Bell – 2007
• First Minister – Arlene Foster – 2016

Scotland

• Monarch – Margaret I of Scotland – 1286
• Regent – Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scotland – 1437
• Lord Provost of Glasgow – Dame Jean Roberts – 1960
• Lord Provost of Edinburgh – Eleanor McLaughlin – 1988
• Lord Provost of Aberdeen – Margaret Farquhar – 1996
• Lord Provost of Dundee – Helen Wright – 1999
• Solicitor General for Scotland – Elish Angiolini – 2001
• Lord Advocate – Elish Angiolini – 2006
• Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party – Annabel Goldie – 2006
• Deputy First Minister – Nicola Sturgeon – 2007
• Leader of the Scottish Labour Party – Wendy Alexander – 2007
• Foreign Minister – Linda Fabiani – 2007
• Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament – Tricia Marwick – 2011
• Leader of the Scottish National Party – Nicola Sturgeon – 2014
• First Minister – Nicola Sturgeon – 2014

Wales

• Lord Mayor of Cardiff – Helena Evans – 1959
• Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales – Jane Davidson – 1999
• Deputy First Minister for Wales – Jenny Randerson – 2001
• Leader of Plaid Cymru – Leanne Wood – 2012

Vatican City

• Vice Minister – Sister Enrica Rosanna – 2004

Yugoslavia

• President of the Federal Chamber – Stana Tomasević-Arnesen – 1979
• President of the Federal Executive Council (Prime Minister) – Milka Planinc – 1982

See also

• List of women heads of state
• List of the first LGBT holders of political offices

Footnotes and references

1. "Kuvendi i Republikës së Shqipërisë". Parlament.al. Retrieved 2010-06-24.
3. hy:Հասմիկ Պողոսյան
4. http://netherlands.mfa.am/en/ambassador/
5. hy:Հերմինե Նաղդալյան
6. http://vietnam.mfa.am/en/ambassador/
7. http://armenpress.am/eng/news/743294/new-armenian-ambassador-to-indonesia-assigned.html
8. hy:Նաիրա Զոհրաբյան
9. http://news.am/eng/news/284710.html
10. "Women in power 1900–1940". Retrieved 15 March 2015.
11. "Place Marie Janson" Le Soir 28/03/2003. (French)
12. "Zonnebeke herdenkt eerste vrouwelijke burgemeester" Nieuwsblad.be 30/11/2011. (Dutch)
13. "Lucie Dejardin: la première femme élue députée" ps-bxl.be. Retrieved 16 May 2012. (French)
14. "Femmes de Belgique, on vous aime!" Lalibre.be 09/06/2006. (French)
15. "Gewezen CVP-minister Rika De Backer overleden" De Standaard 05/05/2002. (Dutch)
16. "Antwerpse Burgemeesters – Mathilde Schroyens" Gva.be. Retrieved 19 May 2012. (Dutch)
17. "Antoinette Spaak. Le résultat des candidats FDF sera décisif pour les francophones le 10 juin" Fdf.be. Retrieved 19 May 2012. (French)
18. "Wonen in Brussel: Lydia De Pauw-Deveen (77)" brusselnieuws.be 27/10/2006. (Dutch)
19. "Sénat de Belgique – Belgische Senaat 22/12/1999" senate.be. (French)(Dutch)
20. "Biografie van Miet Smet" Instituut voor de Gelijkheid van Vrouwen en Mannen, 2009. (Dutch)(French)
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