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Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
CURRENT
FEMALE PRESIDENTS
OF PARLIAMENTS
AND
PARLIAMENTARY BODIES
Also see
Female Presidents of Parliaments 1920-2007
Female Heads of Assembly prior to the 20th Century
Female Heads of Parliamentary Bodies
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2000-
Speaker of the House of Representatives Alix Boyd Knights, Dominica
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Former human Right's Advocate.
The government nominated for the office of state president in 2013, but
she withdrew. |
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Around 2000- President of the Kotu Nui The Tika Mataiapo Dorice
Reid, Cook Islands (In Free Association with New Zealand) |
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The
Kotu Nui or Council of Chiefs is a council consisting of sub-chiefs.
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2004-
President of the General Council Nassimah Magnolia Dindar, Réunion
(French Oversea's Territory) |
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As
President of the General Council she is also Head of the Government. She
was Vice-President of the Regional Council 2001-04 (b. 1960-). |
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2006-
President of the Senate Chief Gelane Zwane, Swaziland |
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The Deputy President of the Senate since 2003, she became bcting
President of the Senate when the former President became Foreign
Minister on 24 February and was elected to the post and later elected to
the post. on 31. March. She was Acting Chief of koNtjingila in the
Shiselweni region in 2004. |
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2006- Chairperson of the Mejlis
Akja Nurberdiyeva, Turkmenistan |
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Also known as Akja
Tajiyevna, Akdja,
Akça and Nurberdyyeva.
When the eccentric authoritarian
President Saparmurat Niyazov the Chairman of the Mejlis should have
become acting president in accordance with the constitution, but he
was removed from office and instead a Vice-Premier became Interim
Head of State and she took over the Chairmanship of the Parliament
and in February the following year she was elected to the post on a
permanent basis. She has been the Vice-Chair since 2003. |
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2008-
Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis Diloram
Gafurjanovna Tashmukhamedova, Uzbekistan |
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Her name is also
transcribed as Dilorom Tashmukhamedova. She was First Secretary of
the Political Council of Social and Democratic Party of Uzbekistan
“Adolat” (“Justice”), Head of the Parliamentary Faction and
Presidential Candidate in 2007 and received 2,9% of the vote.
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2008- Speaker of the Legislative Council Margaret Anne
Catherine Hopkins, Saint Helena (UK External Territory) |
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A member of the Legislative Council since circa 1999, Cathy Hopkins was
was Secretary to the Elected Members for Constitutional Development
from circa 2003 until 2005 when a referendum rejected a proposed
Ministerial System. 2001-05 Member of the Executive Council and
Chairperson of the Public Health and Social Services Committee. |
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2008- President of the
Senate Carol Ann Marie Bassett, Bermuda (External Territory of United
Kingdom of Great Britain) |
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Businesswoman and independent Senator since 2003. |
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2010- President of Assembleia da República
Veronica
Nataniel
Macamo, Mozambique |
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Veronica Macamo was Vice-President of the Assembly from 1999, the last
years as the First Deputy. Also member of the Pan African Parliament. |
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2010- Speaker of the House of Assembly Barbara Webster-Bourne,
Anguilla (UK External Territory)
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An educator, she was appointed to the position after the elections in
which no women were elected. |
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2010-
Chairperson of the Nationale Assemble Jennifer
Simons-Geerlings, Suriname |
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Parliamentary Leader of Millennium Combinatie
2000-05, Vice-Presidential Candidate and candidate for
the post of Parliamentary Speaker in 2005 and
Parliamentary Leader of DNP 2005-10. |
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2010- Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Robyn Adams,
Norfolk Island (Australian External Territory) |
Deputy Clerk 1981-84 and
Clerk 1984-2010 until she was elected to the Assembly.
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2010-
Speaker of the National Assembly
Anne Semamba Makinda,
Tanzania |
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Minister of State by the Prime Minister 1983-86, Minister
of State of Capital Development by the President 1987-89 Minister of State by
the 1. Vice-President and Prime Minister 1989-90, Minister of Community
Development 1990-92, Minister of Social Affairs 1990-94, Minister of Women’s and
Children's Affairs 1990-95, Regional Commissioner 1995-2000
and
Minister of Community Development
1994-95 and
Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly
2005-10.
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2010- President of the
National Assembly
Pany
Yathotou, Laos |
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Cabinet Member and
Governor of the Central Bank 1987-98 and In 1998 she became member of
the National Assembly and Chairperson of the Committee of Ethnic
Affairs and Vice-President of the Assembly (the
Sapha Heng)
2001-10. Also member of the Politbureau. |
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2011-
Speaker of the National Assembly Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga,
Uganda |
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Rebecca Kadaga
was State Minister of Foreign Affairs for International
Cooperation 1996-99 and
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs 1999-2001
and Deputy Speaker of the Parliament 2001-11 (b. 1956-)
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2011-
President of the Assembly
Christen Springette, Nevis (St. Kitts and Nevis) |
| Special
Advisor for Education in the Premier’s Ministry 2006-11. |
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2011- Chairperson of the Federation Council Valentina
Ivanovna Matviyenko, Russia |
| First secretary of the Communist
Committee of the Krasnogvardeiski District in Leningrad 1984-86 and
then Deputy Chairperson the Leningrad Council of the People's
Deputies, Ambassador, 1991-95 and 1997-98 before becoming
Vice-Premier until 2003 when she became Representative of the
President North-West Russia federal district, Governor of Saint
Petersburg 2003-11. (b. 1949-). |
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2011- Speaker of the House of Assembly Ingrid Moses-Scatliffe,
British Virgin Islands (United Kingdom External Territory) |
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Attorney at Law and former Government Chief Registrar of Lands |
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2012-
President of the Senate Kerryann Ifill, Barbados |
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Senator from 2008 and Senate Vice-President
2008-12. She is blind and works for the Barbados Council for the
Disabled. (b. 1974-). |
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2012-
President of the Senate Sharon Wilson, The Bahamas |
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An Attorney and former Magistrate she
was also Senate President 2002-07 |
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2012- President
of the Conseil Regional
Josette Borel-Lincertin, Guadaloupe (French External
Territory) |
| First Vice-President
2005-12. |
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2012- President of the Regional
Assembly Ana Luísa Pereira Luís, The Azores (Portugese External Territory) |
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2012- Speaker of the Parliament
Niki Rattle,
Cook Islands (Free Association with New Zealand) |
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Secretary General of the Red Cross of Cook Islands up to her
appointment. |
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2013- Speaker of the
Parliament Halimah Yacob, Singapore |
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MP
since 2001 and former Chair of the Jurong Town Council, Mister of
State of Community Development, Youth and Sports 2011-13. (b.
1954-). |
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2013- President of
the Cámara dei Diputati Laura Boldrini, Italy |
| Spokesperson for the UN
High Commissoner for Refugees 1998-2012 and MP for the Left Ecology
Freedom party list from 2013. (b. 1961-) |
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2013-
Speaker of Jatiya Sangsad Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Bangladesh |
| 2012-13 Minister of State
for Women and Children Affairs |
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2013-
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Juliana O’Connor-Connolly,
Cayman Islands (United Kingdom External Dependency) |
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Minister of Community Development,
Sports, Youth Affairs and Culture 1997-2000 and 2003-04 and Minister
for Planning, Communications, District Administration and IT 2004-05,
Deputy Leader of Government Business and
Minister for District Administration, Agriculture, Environmental
Health, Public Works, Telecommunication and Gender Affairs,
Premier 2012-13,
Deputy Leader of the United Democratic Party 2009-12 and
Leader of People's National Alliance from 2013 |
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2013- President of the Asamblea Nacional Gabriela
Rivadeneira Burbano, Ecuardor |
| Vice Prefect 2009-11 and
Governor 2011-12 of the Imbabura Province. In 2013 both Parliament
vice-presidents were also women. (b. 1983-) |
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2013- Chairperson
of the Eerste Kamer Ankie Broekers-Knol, The Netherlands |
| Member of the First
chamber for VVD since 2001. (b. 1946-) |
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2013- Speaker of the
Cumhuriyet Meclisi
Sibel Siber, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus |
| As Parliament Speaker she is also Deputy Head of State. MP from 2009
and Prime Minister in 2013 in the
self-declared state that comprises the northeastern part of the
island of Cyprus. Recognised only by Turkey. |
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2013-
President of the Umutwe w'Abadepite Donatille Mukabalisa, Rwanda |
| Former Senator. From
2013 64 % of the MPs were women. |
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2013-
President of the Senate
Teresa
Efua Asangono,
Equatorial Guinea |
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Also known as
Esangono, she was Minister-Delegate of Foreign Affairs and
Cooperation 1998-99,
Minister of Social and Women’s Affairs
1999-2004,
Ambassador to Cuba 2007-12 and 1. Deputy Secretary-General of the
Democratic Party of Equatorial Guineal 2012-13. |
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2013- Chairperson of the House of Chiefs
Senior Chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II,
Zambia |
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As Chief Elizabeth Mulenje, she was MP and Minister of State of Home Affairs
1979-86. She has been chief of the Soli People in the
Lusaka Rural district and the Chongwe district since around 1972 and
was raised to the position of Paramount Chief in 2013.
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2014- President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe
Anne Brasseur (Luxembourg) |
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Minister of National
Education,
Professional Training and Sports
1999-2004
and Party Vice-President
and Group Vice-President since 2004,
Vice-President of the House of Representatives in 2009. As
President-by-age in 2013 she is Interim President until the
formation of a new government in Luxembourg. (b. 1950-) |
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2014- President of
the
Antenimierampirenena
Christine
Razanamahasoa,
Madagascar |
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Former
Minister of Justice. |
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2014- President of the
Skupština Maja Gojković, Serbia |
| Vice-Chairperson of
the Yoguslav Chamber of Citizens 1993-94, Serbian Minister without
Portfolio 1998-99, Vice-President of the Government of Yugoslavia
1999-2000, Mayor of Novi Sad 2004-08, Secretary General and
Vice-President of the Serbian Radical Party until 2006, Chairperson
of her own party "Grupa Građana - Maja Gojković" 2008 and later
joined the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (b. 1963-). |
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2014- Chairperson of the National Council
of Provinces Thandi Modise, South Africa |
| Premier of the North West Province 2010-14.
(b. 1939-). |
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2014-
Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete, South Africa |
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Also Speaker 2004-08.
Chairperson of the (ANC) Parliamentary caucus 1995-96 and Deputy
Speaker 1996-2004. Chairperson of ANC from 2007. When the
President resigned in September 2008 it was expected that she would be
named Acting President for the period until April 2009, but this
position went to a man, who appointed her as Deputy President. (b.
1949-). |
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2014-
Speaker of the Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan, India |
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MP for the Bharatiya Janata
Party since 1989, Union Minister of State 1999-2002, Member of the Panel of
Chairmen of Lok Sabha 2004-14 (b. 1943-)
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2014- President of the Senate Alincia Williams-Grant,
Antigua and Barbuda |
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Bank executive and attorney. She is the third female Senate
President in a row since 1994 except for a short period in 2004. |
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2014- President of
the Nationalrat Doris Bures, Austria |
SPÖ Member of Parliament
from 1990 and Party Secretary General 2000-07 and again in 2008,
Federal Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Federal
Chancellor in charge of Women's Affairs, Media and Civil Service
2007-08 and Federal Minister of Infrastructure, Trafic, Innovation
and Technology 2008-14 (b. 1962-).
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2014-
Speaker of the
Parliament
Jiko
Luven, Fiji |
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Interim Minister of Health, Women, Social
Welfare 2008-14 and President of the Fiji First Party from 2014. (b.
1946-). |
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2014- President of the Senate Christine
Defraigne, Belgium |
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Chairperson of the Senate
Faction of Mouvement Réformateur,
MR, 2003-09. |
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2014- President of the National Assembly Tsetska Tsacheva, Bulgaria |
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Former
Vice-President of the World Bank, MP from 2009 and also National
Assembly Chair 2009-13. |
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2014- Speaker of the National
Assembly Gladys Kokorwe, Botswana |
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Assistant Minister of Local Government
1999-2004, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly 2004-08, Minister
of Youth, Sport and Culture 2008-09 and Ambassador to Zimbabwe,
Malawi, Mauritius and Mozambique 2009-13. |
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2014- Speaker of the Saeima Ināra Mūrniece,
Latvia |
| MP for the National
Alliance of All for Latvia and For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK from
2011. (b. 1970-). |
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2014- Speaker of the National Assembly Santi Bai
Hanoomanjee, Mauritius |
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Maya Hanoomanjee was Minister of Health 2010-11. A former Permanent
Secretary for Fiance and Health. (b. 1952-) |
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2015- Speaker of the Legislative Council Shirley Osborne,
Montserrat |
| Became Chairperson of the Peoples Democratic Movement in 2014.
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2015-
President of the House of Peoples Lidija
Bradara, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina) |
| Member of the leadership of the Croat Party. |
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2015- President of the Senate Lucie Milébou Aubusson,
Gabon |
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Vice-President of the Senate
2002-15. |
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2015- President of the Asamblea Legislativa
Lorena Guadalupe Peña Mendoza, El Salvador |
| Vicepresident of the
Parlamento Centroamericano 2005-06 and 2008-09 and 1. Secretary of
the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador 2010-15. |
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2015- Speaker Maria Lohela,
Finland |
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MP from 2011 for
the extreme rightwing True Finns. (b. 1979-) |
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2015-17 President of the Latin
American Parliament Blanca María del Socorro Alcalá Ruiz
(Mexico) |
| Blanca Alcalá is a Mexican
Member of Congress. |
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2015- Chairperson of the Folketing Pia Kjærsgaard, Denmark |
| MP
from 1984,
Group-Secretary 1984-87 and Political Spokesperson,
Deputy Party-Chairperson and Leader of Fremskridtspartiet 1985-94, Leader of
Danish People´s Party 1995-2012 and 2. Vice-Chair of the
Folketing 2012-15.
(b. 1947-) |
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2015-
Speaker of the House of
Representatives Brigid Annisette-George, Trinidad and Tobago |
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Attorney General 2007-09. |
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2015- President of the Senate
Christine Kangaloo, Trinidad and Tobago |
| A few
days after having been elected vice-President
in 2002, she acted as
President of the Upper Chamber during Linda Baboolal's tenures as
Acting President of the Republic. Minister in the Office of the
Prime Minister 2002-05,
Minister of Legal and Consumer's
Affairs 2005-07 Minister of Legal Affairs and Consumer Affairs
and Minister of
Science, Technology and Tertiary
Education
2007-10.
(b. 1960-) |
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2015-2016 Co-President of the
Consiglio Grande e Generale Lorella Stefanelli,
San Marino |
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Member of the Consiglio Grande e Generale for
the Partito Democratico Cristiano from 2012. As Captain General she
is also head of the Parliament. |
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2015-
Speaker of the National Assembly Ntlhoi Motsamai, Lesotho |
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Deputy Speaker 1996-99,
Speaker 1999-2012 and became Chair of the Southern African Development
Community Parliamentary Forum in 2002. |
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2015- Speaker
of the Parliament Onsari Gharti Magar,
Nepal |
| 2014-15 Vice-Chairperson of the Constituent Assembly and Deputy Speaker of the
Parliament. UCPN (Maoist) lawmaker. |
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2015-
President of the Federal National Council
Amal al-Qubaisi,
United Arab Emirates |
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Vice-President of the Council 2011-15. |
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2015-16
President of the National Council Christa Markwalder, Switzerland |
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Member of the Grand Council of Bern
2002-03 and the National Council from 2003. 2. Vice-President 2014
and 1. VicePresident in 2015.(b. 1975-) |
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2015-
President of the Senate Gabriela Michetti, Argentina |
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Deputy Chief of Government of Buenos Aires 2007-09, MP 2009-13 and
Senator 2013-15. As Vice-President of the
Republic she is also President of the Senate.
(b. 1965-) |
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2015-
Chairperson of the National Council Magreth Mensah-Williams, Namibia |
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1999-2015 Deputy
Chairperson. |
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2015-16
Acting Chairperson of the Twede Kamer
Khadija Arib, The Netherlands
2016- Chairperson |
| Substitute Member of the Presidium
2010-12 and 1. Vice-Chairperson
of the Twede Kamer from 2012, the same year she was candidate
for the post of parliament chair. In 2015 she was acting chair after the
resignation of her predecessor and before she was elected to the
post. |
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2016- President of the
National Assembly Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân, Vietnam |
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Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan was Parliament Vice-resident
2001-18 and Member of the Politbureau of the Communist Party from
2011 (b. 1954-). |
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2016- Speaker of the House of Assembly
Theodore-John, Saint Lucia |
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Lawyer and member of the United Workers Party,
she was President of the Senate 2010-12.
(b. 1969) |
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2016-
President of the Congreso de los Diputados Ana María Pastor Julián,
Spain |
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Subsecretary of Culture and Education 1996-2000,
Subsecretary of the Presidency 2000-01, Subsecretary of State of
Interior 2001-02, Minister of Health and Consumer Protection
2002-04, 2. Vice-President of the Congress 2008-11 and Minister of
Public Works and Transport 2011-16. (b. 1957-) |
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2016-
President of the Parliamentary Assembly of
OSCE Christine Muttonen (Austria) |
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MP from 1999 and Vice-Chair of the Parliamentary
Faction of the Austrian Socialist SPÖ from 2005. |
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2016-17 President
of the Congreso Nacional
Luz Salgado Rubianes de Parades, Peru |
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1992 Vice-Minister of Regional
Development in the Ministry of the Presidency 1993-96, member of the
Directive Council of the Democratic Constitutient Congress, 1996-97 and
1998-99 3. Vice-President and from July 2000 1. Vice-President. In this
capacity she was acting President after Martha Hillebrandt was forced
from office and again after that Hillebrandt's successor became acting
President of the Nation. In 2000 she was also leader of Perú Posible in
the Congress |
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2016-
President
of the
Cámara de Diputados
Lucía Medina Sánchez, the Dominican
Republic |
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MP since 2002 and Vice-President of
the Chamber 2006-16. (b. 1969-). |
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2016-17 President of the Bundesrat Malu Dreyer,
Germany |
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Held the rotating presidency of the Federal
Council in her capacity as of Premier of Rheinland-Pfalz since 2013.
She was Minister of Labour, Social Affairs, Family and
Health 2002-13. Also Vice-President of the Bundesrat 2015-16 and
217-18. Married to the Lord Mayor of Trier, Klaus Jensen,
and mother of 3 children. (b.
1961-) |
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2016-17 President of the Central American
Parliament Priscilla Weeden de Miró (Panama) |
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MP and former Secretary General of the Ministry
of External Affairs. |
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2016-17
President of the Andean Parliament Edith Mendoza Fernández (Bolivia) |
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Bolivian MP. (b. 1983-). |
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2016-
Speaker of the People's Council Hadiya Khalaf Abbas, Syria |
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(b. 1958-). |
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2016-
Chairperson
of the
Parliament
Sarah
Wescot-Williams,
Sint Maarten
(Self-governing Part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
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Also
President of
the
Parliament
2014 and
2015-16. Circa 1995-2009 Commissioner of General Affairs, Education
etc.,
1999-2009 Leader of the Government, Social and Cultural Development, Finance, Juridical
Affairs, Emergency Services, Information, Communication and Protocol, Strategic
Policy, Planning and Development as well as Prime Minister 2010-14.
She is
Leader of the St. Maarten Party. |
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2017- Chairperson
of
the Alþing
Unnur Brá Konráðsdóttir, Iceland |
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Unnur Konradsdottir was elected MP
from the Independence Party in 2009, Vice-Chairperson of the Althing
2009-13. (b. 1974-). |
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2017- President of the Bundesrat Sonja Ledl-Rossmann,
Austria
2017 President of the Bundesversamlung (26.01) |
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As chair of the joint meeting of the two
chambers of the Austrian Parliament, the Federal Assembly, she
inaugurated the new President of the Republic.
Member
of the Landtag of Tirol 2008-09, became Deputy Chair of the Local
Conservative Party, ÖVP in 2009 and member of the Bundesrat in 2013.
(b. 1974-) |
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2017-
Speaker of the House of
Representatives Laura Tucker Longsworth, Belize |
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Has held high
positions within nursing and health administration |
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2017-
Chairperson
of
the Alþing
Unnur Brá Konráðsdóttir,
Iceland |
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MP from the Indepence
Party from 2009, Vice-Chairperson of the Althing 2009-13. (b. 1974-). |
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2017- Presiding Officer of the House of
Assembly Denise Tsoiafatt-Angus,
Tobago (Self-Ruling part of Trinidad and Tobago) |
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Secretary of Community Development and
Culture
2013-17 |
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2017- President of the Bundesrat Sonja
Ledl-Rossmann,
Austria
2017 President of the Bundesversamlung (26.01) |
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As chair of the
joint meeting of the two chambers of the Austrian Parliament, the
Federal Assembly, she inaugurated the new President of the Republic.
Member
of the Landtag of Tirol 2008-09, became Deputy Chair of the Local
Conservative Party, ÖVP in 2009 and member of the Bundesrat in 2013.
(b. 1974-) |
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2017- President of the Cámara de
Diputados María Guadalupe Murgía Gutiérez,
Mexico |
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AVice-President
2016-17. |
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2017
Joint Chairperson of the Consiglio Grande e
Generale
Mimma Zavoli, San Marino |
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As Captain Regent she also chairs the Parliament
jointly with the other Captain Regent, which for the first time was
another woman. Member of the Consiglio Grande e Generale for
Civico 10. (b. 1963-). |
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2017
Joint Chairperson of the Consiglio Grande e
Generale
Vanessa d’Ambrosio, San Marino |
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Member of the Consiglio Grande e Generale for
Sinistra Socialista Democratica (b. 1988-). |
Last update 04.04.17
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