List of the first women holders of political offices

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 country, by dates of appointment. Former countries, such as Yugoslavia, are also listed.

Africa

Asia

Europe

North America

Oceania

South America

International organizations

African Union

President of the Pan-African Parliament – Gertrude Mongella – 2004 (at its founding) Vice President of the Pan-African Parliament – Elise Loum – 2004 Chairperson of the African Union Commission – Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma – 2012

European Union

President of the European Parliament – Simone Veil – 1979 President-in-Office of the European Council – Margaret Thatcher – 1981 European Commissioner – Christiane Scrivener / Vasso Papandreou – 1989Ladies First Leader of the Socialist Group and of any major party – Pauline Green – 1994Ladies First Co Vice-President of the European Commission – Loyola de Palacio – 1999 First Vice-President of the European Commission – Margot Wallström – 2004 High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy – Catherine Ashton – 2009 President of the European Commission – Ursula von der Leyen – 2019

League of Nations

Substitute Delegate and Ambassador to the League of Nations – Elena Văcărescu – 1922 Permanent Delegate and Ambassador to the League of Nations – Elena Văcărescu – 1924

United Nations

Head of the section of Welfare Policy – Alva Myrdal – 1949 Chairman of UNESCO's social science section – Alva Myrdal – 1950 President of the United Nations General Assembly – Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit – 1953 Permanent Representative – Agda Rössel (Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations) – 1958 Head of the United Nations Children's Fund – Carol Bellamy – 1995 United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights – Mary Robinson – 1997 Deputy Secretary-General – Louise Fréchette – 1998 Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme – Anna Tibaijuka – 2000 Under-Secretary-General – Inga-Britt Ahlenius – 2005 Assistant-Secretary-General – Helvi Sipilä – 1972 President of the International Court of Justice – Rosalyn Higgins – 2006 Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme – Helen Clark – 2009 Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund – Christine Lagarde – 2011

See also

Council of Women World Leaders List of elected and appointed female heads of state and government List of the first LGBT holders of political offices List of the first women heads of government and state in Muslim-majority countries Muslim women political leaders Women in government

References