Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
Heads of State of Vietnam

Also see Vietnam Ministers

113-112 Regent Dowager Queen Cu-Thi of Nam-Viêt
Murdered together with son.

39-43 Queen Trúng Trac
Trưng Trắc

39-43 Queen Trúng Nhi
Trưng Nhị and her sister lead a defending army against the Chinese occupation-forces, they ruled over a territory until they were defeated. They are today seen as national heroes and known as Hai Ba Trung (Hai Bà Trưng), the two Trung Ladies.

Circa 222-248 Trieu Au (Trieu Thi Trinh)
She is sometimes referred to as the „Vietnamese Joan of Arch“. She was a rebel leader at the time when Vietname was a territory of China. She led an army from the mountains which won more than 30 major battles against the Chinese. She then set up her own administration in the freed territory, which she kept independent for several months. She was defeated in 248 and committed suicide. Also known as Ba Trieu – Lady Trieu.

Until 653 Queen of the Champa Kingdom
Her name have been lost. Her predecessor ruled from 645.

979-980 Regent Dowager Empress Duong Thai Hau
Dương Vân Nga or Đinh Bộ Linh allied herself with the mandarin in charge of military affairs Le Hoan as her son Dinh Phe De (Đinh Phế Đế) succeeded to the throne and the Chinese Song army approached the Vietnamese boarder. Le quickly became her lover and they set up a scenario which resulted in downgrading the young king and promoting Le Hoan to the throne as Emperor Le Dai Hanh and soon demonstrated his capacity as an intelligent leader and a talented politician and ruled until 1005.

1069 and 1072-circa 82 Regent Queen Nguyen Phi Y Lan
Nguyễn Phi Ỷ Lan was left in charge of the government when her husband, Thanh Tong commanded the troop in a fight against the Kingdom of Champa. he was very decisive to distribute relief to people in a famine for crop failure and by this, avoid the rebellions and chaos. After her husband's death she was regent for their 6 years old son, Emperor Nhan Tong, she trusted Ly Thuong Kiet to command the army and expectedly, he got a glorious victory over the Sung. She was famous for her domestic security policy, agriculture policy, and looked after the welfare of the people and founded the first silk weaving workshop in the capital city of Ha Noi.  Originally named Le Thi Khiet, she was born as a peasent girl and lived (1044-1117).

1224-1225 Empress Lý Chieu Hoang
Originally named Lý Phật Kim or Lý Thiên Hinh she succeeded to the throne when her father Ly Hue Tong abdicated in her favour. Tran Thu Do, now a lover of her mother, ex-Queen Tran Thi, arranged a marriage between Empress Ly Chien Hoang with his nephew, the seven-year old Tran Canh, who became founding Emperor Tran Thai Tong of the now Tran Dynasty in 1225. Tran Thu Do then arranged for the death of remaining members of the Ly family, including the retired ex-emperor Ly Hue Tong. In 1236, Thu Do forced the young emperor to abandon his wife, who was childless, in favour of her older sister, who was already married to another member of the Tran family and already pregnant.  In protest Tran Thai Tong, a fervent Buddhist fled the capital and sought refugee at a Thien Buddhist monastery on nearby Mount Yen Tu, after which he was deposed by Thu Do. She lived (1218-78)

1442-1459 Regent The Dowager Queen Nguyễn Thị Anh  of Vietnam
When Nguyen Thi Anh's husband, King Lê Thái Tông, died, she took over the regency for her 1 year old son, Lê Nhân Tông. In reality, the real power behind the throne was Trịnh Khả and together they managed to rule Vietnam reasonably well, though there was some friction. Her son was officially given the powers of government in 1453 even though he was only 12 years old. This was unusual and seems to have made little real difference, the she continued to rule while the other noble families acted as a brake on her power. In 1459 her late husband's oldest son staged a coup, killed the king and the next day she allowed herself to be killed by a loyal servant. She lived (circa 1422–1459).

1981-1987 Member of the Council of State Nguên Thi-Binh
1987-2002 Vice-President 
Nguyễn Thị-Binh was Spokesperson of the National Liberation Front by the Peace Negotiations in Paris in 1968, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Provisoric Government of North-Vietnam 1969-76, Minister of Education 1976-87 and from 1992 she has been the only Deputy Head of State. (b. 1927-),