This is a list of political offices which have been held by a woman, with details of the first woman holder of each office. It is ordered by the countries in Europe and by dates of appointment. Please observe that this list is meant to contain only the first woman to hold of a political office, and not all the female holders of that office.

Albania

People's Socialist Republic Member of Parliament – Naxhije Dume, Liri Gega and Ollga Plumbi – 1946 Minister of Culture, Education and Science – Nexhmije Hoxha – 1946 Member of the Praesidium of the People's Republic of Albania – Liri Belishova – 1950 Chairperson of the State-Planning Committee in the Council of Ministers – Petra Dode – 1972 Minister of Agriculture – Themie Thomai – 1975 President of the Praesidium of the People's Republic of Albania – Mine Guri – 1978 Minister of Light Industry – Esma Ulqinaku – 1982 Minister for Light- and Food Industry – Vito Kapo – 1982

Republic Foreign Minister – Arta Dade – 2001 Deputy Prime Minister – Ermelinda Meksi – 2003 Chairwoman of the Parliament – Jozefina Topalli – 2005 European Integration Minister – Majlinda Bregu – 2005 Defence Minister – Mimi Kodheli – 2013 Education and Sport Minister – Lindita Nikolla – 2013 Minister of Economy – Milva Ekonomi – 2015 Minister of Justice – Etilda Gjonaj – 2017

Andorra

National level Councillor/Parliamentarian – Mercè Bonell – 1984 Cabinet minister - Minister for Public Service – Mercè Sansa – 1985 Mayor – Bibiana Rossa and Lydia Magallon – 1995 Mayor of Andorra la Vella – Conxita Mora Jordana – 1999 Representative of the French Co-Prince of Andorra – Emmanuelle Mignon – 2007 Speaker of the Parliament – Roser Suñé Pascuet – 3 May 2019

Individual ministries Secretary General of Tourism and Sport – Monserrat Roncheras Santacreu – 1985 Secretary General of the Conceil Generall – Susagna Arasanz – 1991 Minister for Education, Sport and Youth – Rosa Maria Mandico Alcobe – 1994 Minister of Finance – Susagna Arasanz – 1994 Secretary of State for Health in the Ministry of Health and Welfare – Lydia Magallon – 1995 Secretary of State of Agriculture – Olga Adellach Coma – 1997 Minister of Agriculture and Environment – Olga Adellach Coma – 1998 Minister of Health and Welfare – Mònica Codina Tort – 2001 Foreign Minister – Meritxell Mateu i Pi – 2007

Armenia

Kingdom of Armenia Monarch — Erato of Armenia – 1st century BC & first half of 1st century

First Republic of Armenia Member of Parliament — Katarine Zalyan-Manukyan — 1919 Member of Parliament — Perchuhi Partizpanyan-Barseghyan — 1919 Member of Parliament — Varvara Sahakyan — 1919

Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic Deputy Premier Minister – Rema Khristoforovna Svetlova – 1975 Minister of Trade – Nina Asmayan – 1991

Armenia Ombudsman – Larisa Alaverdyan – 1 March 2004 Minister of Culture — Hasmik Poghosyan – 8 June 2007:hy:Հասմիկ Պողոսյան Minister of Diaspora — Hranush Hakobyan – 1 October 2008 Deputy President of National Assembly —Hermine Naghdalyan – 31 May 2012:hy:Հերմինե Նաղդալյան Leader of Prosperous Armenia Political Party – Naira Zohrabyan – 5 March 2015:hy:Նաիրա Զոհրաբյան Minister of Justice — Arpine Hovhannisyan – 4 September 2015 Minister of Culture — Lilit Makunts — 12 May 2018 (Pashinyan government) Minister of Labor and Social Affairs — Mane Tandilyan — 12 May 2018 (Pashinyan government)

Austria

Imperial Monarch – Maria Theresia of Austria – 1740

Republic Member of Parliament – Anna Boschek – 1919 President of the Bundesrat – Olga Ruder-Zeynek – 1927 Understate secretary for Food – Helene Postranecky – 1945 Government Minister (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 Chancellor of Austria – Brigitte Bierlein – 2019

Azerbaijan

Soviet Socialist Republic

National level Cabinet Minister – Ayna Sultanova – 1938 Deputy Premier Minister – Tahira Tahirova – 1963 Vice-President – S.M. Mamedaliyeva – 1963 Chairwoman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet – Elmira Gafarova – 1989 Speaker of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan – Elmira Gafarova – 1990

Individual ministries Minister of Justice – Ayna Sultanova – 1938 Chairperson of the Committee for Science and Technology at the Council of Ministers – Tahira Tahirova – 1957 Minister of Education – Sakina Aliyeva – 1958 Minister of Foreign Affairs – Tahira Tahirova – 1959 Minister of Higher and Special Education – Zuleikha Ismail-Kyzy Guseinova – 1965 Minister Social Affairs – L.P. Lykova – 1965 Head of the Central Committee Department of Agriculture – L.D. Radzhabova – 1971 Minister of Public Service/Consumers Protection – Zuleikha Mageran Kyzy Gasanova – 1974 Minister of Trade – Svetlana Chingvitz-Kyzy Kasimova – 1979 Minister of Foreign Affairs – Elmira Gafarova – 1983

Republic Chairwoman of the National Assembly – Elmira Gafarova – 1991 Secretary of State – Lala Shevket – 1993 Minister of Justice – Südaba Hasanova −1995 Vice President of Azerbaijan – Mehriban Aliyeva – 2017

Belarus

Soviet Socialist Republic Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet – Nadezhda Grigoryevna Grekova – 1938 Public Commisar of Education – Evdokiya Ilinichna Uralova – 1938 Deputy Premier Minister for Culture – Nina Leonovna Snezhkova – 1970 Minister of Food Industry – Ionna A. Stavrovskaia – 1980

Belgium

Monarch (Count of Flanders) – Margaret I – 1191 Governor (Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands) – Margaret of Austria – 1507

Kingdom

National level Member of Parliament (Senate) – Marie Janson – 1921"Place Marie Janson" Le Soir 28/03/2003. Mayor – Léonie Keingiaert de Gheluvelt, (Gheluvelt) – 1921"Zonnebeke herdenkt eerste vrouwelijke burgemeester" Nieuwsblad.be 30/11/2011. Member of Parliament (Chamber of Representatives) – Lucie Dejardin – 1929"Lucie Dejardin: la première femme élue députée" ps-bxl.be. Retrieved 16 May 2012. Cabinet minister – Family and Housing – Marguerite De Riemaecker-Legot – 1965"Femmes de Belgique, on vous aime!" Lalibre.be 09/06/2006. Party leader of major political party – Antoinette Spaak – 1977"Antoinette Spaak. Le résultat des candidats FDF sera décisif pour les francophones le 10 juin" Fdf.be. Retrieved 19 May 2012. Deputy Prime Minister – Laurette Onkelinx & Isabelle Durant – 1999"Isabelle Durant, vice-présidente du Parlement européen" Lelibre.be 24/06/2009. President of the Senate – Anne-Marie Lizin – 2004"Anne-Marie Lizin, première présidente Constitution européenne : « Débattons-en au Sénat ! »" Le Soir 01/10/2004. Prime Minister – Sophie Wilmès – 2019

Individual ministries or regions Minister for Flemish Affairs – Rika De Backer – 1974"Gewezen CVP-minister Rika De Backer overleden" De Standaard 05/05/2002. Mayor of Antwerp – Mathilde Schroyens – 1977"Antwerpse Burgemeesters – Mathilde Schroyens" Gva.be. Retrieved 19 May 2012. Secretary of State for Brussels Region – Lydia De Pauw – 1979"Wonen in Brussel: Lydia De Pauw-Deveen (77)" brusselnieuws.be 27/10/2006. Secretary of State for the Dutch-speaking Community – Rika Steyeart – 1979"Sénat de Belgique – Belgische Senaat 22/12/1999" senate.be. Secretary of State for Environment and Social Emancipation – Miet Smet – 1985 Instituut voor de Gelijkheid van Vrouwen en Mannen, 2009. Secretary of State for Pensions – Leona Detiège – 1988 Minister for Budget – Wivina Demeester – 1991"Wivina Demeester – CV" Demeester.com. Retrieved 19 May 2012. Minister for Employment and Labour – Miet Smet – 1992 Minister of Health – Laurette Onkelinx – 1992"Laurette Onkelinx" Lesoir.be. Retrieved 19 May 2012. Minister-President of the French Community – Laurette Onkelinx – 1993 Minister for Social Affairs – Magda De Galan – 1994"Magda De Galan: «On a eu un rêve»" Lelibre.be 13/03/2001. Minister of Transport – Isabelle Durant – 1999 Minister of Justice – Laurette Onkelinx – 2003 President of the Parliament of the French Community – Isabelle Simonis – 2004"Simonis Isabelle" pfwb.be. Retrieved 19 May 2012. President of the Flemish Parliament – Marleen Vanderpoorten – 2006"Marleen Vanderpoorten" vlaamsparlement.be. Retrieved 19 May 2012. European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility – Marianne Thyssen – 2014

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Serb Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina – Željka Cvijanović – 2022 Chairwoman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina – Željka Cvijanović – 2022 Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers – Borjana Krišto – 2023

Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina President – Borjana Krišto – 2007 Mayor of Sarajevo – Semiha Borovac – 2005

Republika Srpska

National level Cabinet minister – Finance – Petra Marković – 1992 President – Biljana Plavšić – 1996 Vice President of Parliament – Nada Tešanović – 2006 Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic relations and Regional cooperation – Jasna Brkić – 2006 Prime Minister – Željka Cvijanović – 2013

Individual ministries Minister of Finance – Svetlana Cenić – 2004 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 – Biljana Marić – 2001 Minister of Justice (Republika Srpska) – Gorana Zlatković – 2011 Minister of Planning, Civil Engineering and Ecology – Srebrenka Golić – 2010 Minister of Economic regional relations – Željka Cvijanović – 2010 Minister of Tourism and Trade – Maida Ibširagić Hrstić – 2013

Bulgaria

Kingdom Regent – Maria Palaiologina Kantakouzene – 1271 or Irene Komnene of Epirus – 1246 (disputed)

People's Republic Minister of Posts, Telegraphs and Telephones – Tsola Dragoycheva – 1947 Deputy Minister of Finance – Vera Lukanova – 1954 Member of the Politburo – Nadya Zenuka Vasileva Zhikova – 1961 Minister, Chairperson of the Commission for Light Industry – Dora Pavlova – 1963 Minister of Justice – Svetla Daskalova – 1966 Minister of Culture - Lyudmilla Zhivkova - 1975 Minister of Education - Drazha Deleva Vulcheva - 1977

Republic Prime Minister (acting) – Reneta Indzhova – 1994 Foreign minister (acting) – Irina Bokova – 1996 European Commissioner for Consumer Protection – Meglena Kuneva – 2007 President of the National Assembly – Tsetska Tsacheva – 2009 Mayor of Sofia – Yordanka Fandakova – 2009 President – Iliana Iotova – 2026

Croatia

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

Socialist Republic of Croatia Finance Minister – Anka Berus – 1945 Prime minister – Savka Dabčević-Kučar – 1967 President of the Presidency – Ema Derossi-Bjelajac – 1985

Republic

National level Cabinet minister – Minister for Education – Vesna Girardi-Jurkić – 1992 President of County house of Parliament (Senate) – Katica Ivanišević – 1994 Vice Prime Minister – Ljerka Mintas-Hodak – 1995 Prime Minister – Jadranka Kosor – 2009 President – Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović – 2015

Individual ministries Minister for Building and Construction – Marina Matulović-Dropulić – 1995 Mayor of Zagreb – Marina Matulović-Dropulić – 1996 Minister for European Integration – Ljerka Mintas-Hodak – 1998 Minister for Science – Milena Žic-Fuchs – 1999 Minister for Health – Ana Stavljenić-Rukavina – 2000 Minister for Tourism – Pave Župan-Rusković – 2000 Minister for Justice – Ingrid Antičević-Marinović – 2001 Minister for Defence – Željka Antunović – 2002 Minister without portfolio – Gordana Sobol – 2002 Minister for Foreign Affairs – Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović – 2005 Minister for Finance – Martina Dalić – 2010

Cyprus

Kingdom Regent – Alice of Champagne – 1218 Monarch – Charlotte of Cyprus – 1458

Republic Member of the Turkish Communal Chamber – Kadriye Hulusi Hacıbulgur – 1960