Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
Female
Heads of State of Bosnia-Herzegovina/ Republika Bosne i Hercegovina (Female Suffrage 1949) Formerly part of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire, Joined the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes 1918,
the later Yugoslavia, Independence 1992
Also see Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia-Herzegovina Ministers and Female Presidents of Unterstate Entities
Until 1314 Regent Dowager Duchess Jelisaveta Nemanjic
After 1283 she was married to ban Stjepan Kotroman (died in 1314) of
Upper and Lower Bosnia. They had six children. Regent of Bosnia until Apr 1314,
after which she fled with her son to Dubrovnik. The daughter of King Stefan
Dragutin of Serbia and
Katalin of Hungary, she
lived (1270-1331).
1354-59 Regent Jelena Subica
She was regent for the ban (governor) Tvrtko I (1353-77/91), who succeeded her husband, Stjepan II Kotromanic, initially with his father, Prince
Vladislav as regent. After his death she took over as regent.
1395-98 Reigning Queen Jelena Gruba
Her husband, Stephen Dabiša, had
designated King Sigismund of Hungary, the husband of his relative, Queen Mary of
Hungary, as his successor. The Bosnian nobility refuzed to recognize Sigismund
as king and installed her as the new monarch. It was during her reign that the
Bosnian nobility grew in power independently from the crown. Amongst them were
the famous Dukes Sandalj Hranić and Hrvoje Vukčić and Prince Pavle Radenović
that ruled their own demesnes independently from the Queen. Her demesne was a
small territory in central Bosnia, while she lost the suzeiranity over the
territories of Usora in the valley of the river of Sava. Though she lost some
territory and control over nobility, Jelena's reign saw successful trade with
the Republic of Dubrovnik.In 1398 she was replaced with Stephen Ostoja. It is
unclear why she was replaced. It is possible that her brothers were gaining too
much wealth and influence during her reign and the rest of the nobility didn't
like it. She continued to reside at the court as queen dowager. Sources refer to
her as the most serene and mighty lady Gruba. (d. after 1399).
1418-21 De-Facto Joint Ruler Dowager Queen Kujava
She married King Ostoja in 1399,
shortly after he repudiated his first wife, Queen Vitača. He gained support of
the noble family of Radenović by marrying her, as they were closely related to
the new queen consort. When her husband was deposed in 1404, he left Bobovac and
fled to Hungary, but she and her son remained in Bosnia whose crown was given to
her brother-in-law, King Stephen Tvrtko II. Tvrtko II himself was deposed in
1409 when Kujava's her returned from exile and resumed the throne, at which
point she became queen of Bosnia once again, but the marriage started falling
apart in 1415. Prince Pavle Radenović, her brother or cousin [1], was killed in
a plot set by her husband. Duke Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić died soon after, leaving
behind a wealthy widow, Jelena Nelipčić. Her husband saw the opportunity and
divorced her and married Duchess Jelena, who brought Hrvoje's lands into
marriage. Three years later her ex-husband died and was succeeded by their son,
Stephen Ostojić. She suddenly became very influential and powerful, de facto
ruling along with her son. Her son's short reign wa marked by her conflicts with
Queen Jelena. Their conflicts stopped in the summer of 1419, when her son
imprisoned the dowager queen. Jelena died under mysterious circumstances in
1422. After her son died in 1421 she supported various pretenders to the Bosnian
throne.
1463-78 Pretender Dowager Queen Katarina Vukic Kosaca of Bosnia-Serbia
When the kingdom was occupied by the Ottomans in 1461 her husband Stjepan
Tomasevic (1461-63) was killed and her son and daughter brought up in the
Islamic faith. She escaped and lived in exile in Rome where she died. As the
legal representative of the Bosnian Kingdom, she left it to the Holy See. She
lived (1424-78)
1991-92 Member of the Presidency Biljana Plavsic
1992 Member of the Presidency of the Serb republic of Bosnia i Hercegovina
1994-96 Vice-President of Srpska
1996-98 President of Srpska
1992-96 Member of the Presidency and Council of Minister of Bosnia-Herzegovina Tatjana
Ljugic-Mijatovic
Ambassador to Austria and to UN in Vienna (Wien) from 1997
2003-07 Minister of Justice of the Bosniak-Croat
Federation an entity in The Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The former
Vice-President of the Parliament, Spomenka Micic, was elected one of the 2
Vice-Presidents of Federation. 2010 she was candidate for the presidency of
Bosnia-Herzegovina. (b. 1961-).
The former Vice-President of the Parliament she
was elected one of the 2 Vice-Presidents of the
Bosniak-Croat Federation. (b. 1949-)
Last updated 05.03.13