Portugal Ministers

Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
Republic of Portugal/ A República Portugesa (
In 1911 Doctor Carolina Beatriz Ângelo voted for the Constituent Assembly in her capacity as Head of Family - suffrage was thereafter speficfically restricted to men, until 1931 when women with a superior or secondary education was allowed to vote, universal suffrage 1976). A Kingdom until 1910 then a republic

Also see Portugal Heads

1970-73 Undersecretary of State of Social Affairs Maria Teresa Carcomo Lobo

1974 Secretary of State of Social Affairs Maria de Lurdes Ruvio da Silva de Matos Pintasilgo
1974-75 Minister of Social Affairs
1979-80 President of the Government (Premier Minister) (31.7-31.1)
1979-86 Member of Council of State
198
6 Presidential Candidate
Dr. Maria de Lurdes Pintasilgo was Ambassador to UNESCO 1975-79, Member of the European Parliament 1987-89, and
lived (1930-2004).

1975-76 Subsecretary of State for Public Investments
1976-78 Secretary of State of Finance
1977-78 Secretary of State of in the Ministry of Finance for Taxes
1978 Secretary of State of Finance for the Treasury Maria Manuela Matos Margado Santiago Batista

1975-76 Secretary of State of Consumers' Protection Maria Isabel Carmelo Rosa

1977 Secretary of State of Planning Maria Manuela da Silva

1977-78 Secretary of State of Culture Teresa Dória Monteriro Santa Clara Gomes
1978-79 Secretary of State by the President of the Government

1978-79 Secretary of State of Labour Maria Manuela Aguiar Dias Moreira Aguiar
1980-81 and 1985-87 Secretary of State Foreign Affairs for Emigration and Portuguese Communities Abroad
MP since 1980, 1987-91 Vice-President of the Assambleia Nacional, since 1999 Parliamentary Leader of Partido Social Democrato. (b. 1942-)

1978-79 Secretary of State of Education, Culture and Scientific Research for Basic and Secondary Education Maria Alice Nobre Gouveia

1979 Secretary of State by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers for Public Administration Grabiela Guedes Salgueiro

1980-82 Member the Cabinet of Vice-Ministers of the President of the Government Margarida do Rego Da Costa e Salema D'Oliviera Martines
She is daughter of Edwardo Maria De Brito Melo e Castabo e Alberquerque Da Costa e Salema and Maria Do Amapario Simones Be Lima Mello. Married to Olivera Martines in 1980 and mother of two daughters, Member of Parliament, 1980-85, Member of the European Parliament from 1989. (b. 1940-)

1980-83 Secretary of State of Planning and Environment Aurora Margarida de Carvalho Santos Borges de Carvalho

1980-81 Secretary of State of Budget Maria de Lurdes Orfão de Mateus Correira do Vale

1980-81 Secretary of State of Family Maria Teresa Paulo Sampaio da Costa Macedo

1980-82 Subsecretary of State in The Office of the President of Council of Ministers
1982 Subsecretary of Parliamentary Affairs Maria Luísa Falcão Líbano Monteiro Anras

1982 Secretary of State by the President of the Council of Ministers
Maria Leonor Couceiro Pizarro Beleza de Mendonça Tavares.
1983-85 Secretary of State of Social Affairs
1985-90 Minister of Health
Dra. Leonor Beleza was Vice-President of Assambleia Nacional 1991-94 and 2002
-05, Vice-President of Partido Social Democrata (Centrum-Right) 1990-92 and 1998-99.

1983-83 Secretary of State of Local Administration
1983-85 Secretary of State of Agriculture Helena de Melo Torres Marques
Former Director General of Regional- and Local Action in the Ministry

1983-85 Secretary of State of Education Maria Helena Carvalho dos Santos Oliveira Lopes

1983-84 Secretary of State of Education Maria Helena Nazareth Santos Valente Rosa

1983-85 Secretary of State of External Commerce Maria Raquel Lopes de Bethencourt Ferreira

1985-87 Secretary of State of Education Maília Dulce Coelho Pina Morgado Raimundo
 Civil Governor of Guarda Saber 1988-91

1985-87 Secretary of State of Culture Maria Teresa Pinto Basto Patrício Gouveia
1987-
89 Secretary of State by the Premier Minister for Culture
19
91-93 Secretary of State of Environment and Natural Resources
1993-95 Minister of Environment
2003-03 Minister of Foreign Affairs and Portugese Communities
MP from 1987. She was against the appointment of
Pedro Santana Lopes as successor of José Durão Barroso as Prime Minister and resigned from the government. (b. 1940-).

1987-95 Secretary of State of the President of the Council of Ministers for Administrative Reform Isabel Maria Freire dos Santos Côrte-Real
From ca.2002 Isabel Corte-Real has been Secretary General of the National Assembly.

1987-89 Secretary of State of Planning and Territorial Administration
1989-95 Secretary of State of Planning and Economic Development
Isabel Maria de Lucena Vasconcelos Cruz de Almeida Mota

198?-1991 Secretary of State of Parliamentary Affairs Mrs. Oliviera e Costa

1990-93 Secretary of State of Finance for Budget Maria Manuela Dias Ferreira Leite
1993-95 Minister of Education
2002-
04 Minister of State and Minister of Finance
Deputy Parliamentary Leader
1996-2001, Party Vice-President 1998-99 and 2001 Parliamentary Leader of the conservative Partido Social Democrata. As Minister of State she was Second in Command of the Government. She was against the appointment of the new Prime Minister and resigned from the government. She resigned from parliament and became a technical advisor at the Bank of Portugal. Party President 2008-09 and candidate for the post of Prime Minister in the 2009-elections. (b. 1940-).

1990-91 Subsecretary by the President of the Council of Ministers for Culture Natália Correia Guedes

1991-95 Subsecretary of State by the President of the Council of Ministers for Culture Maria José Avillez Nogueira Pinto

1991-95 Secretary of State of Justice Maria Eduarda de Almeida Azeuedo
Vice-President of Partido Social Democrata since 1999.

1991-93 Secretary of State of Natural Resources Teresa Taveira da Silva

1991-95 Secretary of State of Internal Trade and Tourism Teresa Paula de Oliveira Ricou

1995-99 Minister of Environment Elisa Maria da Costa Guimarães Ferreira
1999-
2002 Minister of Planning
Elisa Ferreira was Vice-Chairperson of the parliamentary party of the Socialist Party 2002-03 and from 2004 Member of the European Parliament. (b. 1955-)

1995-97 Minister of Employment and Qualification Maria João Fernandez Rodrigues

1995-99 Minister of Health Maria de Belém Roseria Martins Coelho Henriques de Pina
1999-2001 Minister of Equality
Maria de Belém was President of the WHO Assembly in 1999 and President of the socialist Partido Socialista 2011-14, Acting Party Leader 2014 and Presidential Candidate 2016. (b. 1949-)

1995-97 Secretary of State of Finance Maria Manuela de Brito Arcanjo Marques da Costa
1999-2001 Minister of Heath

1995 Secretary of State of Planning and Territorial Administration and Social Provision for Housing and Communication
1995-2002 Secretary of State of Social Provision for Housing Leonor Coutinho Pereira dos Santos
Leonor Coutinho is (b. 1947-)

1995-2002 Secretary of State of Education for Education and Innovation Ana Maria Benavente da Silva Nuno
Ana Benavente is (b. 1945-)

1995-96 Secretary of State of Youth Maria do Céu Baptista Ramos

1997-2001 Secretary of State of Culture Catarina Marques de Almeida Vaz Pinto
In the second socialist government from 1999 only 3 of the 42 Secretaries of State were women (b. 1960-)

1997-99 Secretary of State of Equipment, Planning and Territorial Administration for Regional Development Maria José Marrafinha Pardana Conatâncio
(b. 1939-)

2000-01 Secretary of State of Education for Scholarly Administration Maria José Rodriguez Rau Pinto da Silva

2001-02 Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs for European Affairs Maria Teresa Quintela Bessa Pereira de Moura

2001-02 and 2005- Assistant Secretary of State of Health Carmen Madalena da Costa Gomes e Cunha Pignatelli

2001-02 Secretary of State for Equality by the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister Maria do Céu Farrajota Castanho Lombo da Cunha Regy

2002-04 Minister of Justice Maria Celeste Ferreira Lopes Cardona

2002-04 Secretary of State in the Ministry of Finance for Public Administration Suzana Maria de Moura Alves da Silva Toscano

2002-03 Secretary of State of Economy Maria Dulce Farinha Franco Vilhena de Carvalho

2002-04 Secretary of State of Commerce, Industry and Services Maria do Rosário Mayoral Machado Simões Ventura

2003-04 Secretary of State of Public Works, Transport and Housing Maria do Rosário Cardoso Águas
2004 Secretary of State of the Ministry of Social Security, Family and Children
2004-05 Secretary of State of Public Administration in the Ministry of Finance and Public Administratio
Rosário Águas has been a conservative MP since 2002. (b. 1961-).

2002-04 Secretary of State of Education Mariana Jesus Martinez de Torres Vas Freire Cascais

2002-03 Secretary of State of Social Security Maria Margarida Correia de Aguiar
The rightwing government elected in 2002 had 7 female
and 45 male members.

2003-05 Minister of Science and Higher Education Maria da Graça Martins da Silva Carvalho

2003-04 Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs for Cooperation Maria Manuela Franco 

2003-04 Secretary of State of Social Security Teresa Margarida Figueiredo de Vasconcelos Caeiro
2004-05
Secretary of State of Culture in charge of Art and Spectacles
Civil Governor of Lisboa 2002-03. 2004 it was first made public that she was appointed Secretary of State of Defence but the Prime Minister shifted her to the Ministry of Culture in the last minute. (b. 1969-)

2004 Secretary of State of Cities, Territorial Planning and Environment in charge of Regional Development Maria Hermínia Cabral de Oliveira

2004-05 Minister of Education Maria do Carmo da Costa Seabra

2004-05 Minister of Culture Maria João Bustorff Silva
Her full name is
Maria Joao Espirito Santo Bustorff Silva

2004-05 Secretary of State of Economic Activities and Labour in charge of Industry, Commerce and Services Maria da Graça Ferreira Proença de Carvalho

2004 Secretary of State in the Ministry of Finance for Public Administration
2004-05 Secretary of State in the Office of the President of the Council of Ministers Sofia de Sequeira Teixeira Galvão
The number of Ministers in the new government formed in 2004 went up from 17 to 19, but the number of female ministers dropped from 4 to 3. At the same time the number of Secretaries of States went up from 36 to 38, 5 of whom are women, the same as in the previous government.

2004-05 Secretary of State of Health Regina Maria Pinto da Fonseca Ramos Bastos
Regina Bastos was Vice-Governor of
Aveiro 1994-96 and MEP 2000-04. (b. 1960-).

2005-09 Minister of Education Maria de Lurdes Reis Rodrigues
An academic with no political experience. (b. 1956-).

2005-08 Minister of Culture Maria Isabel da Silva Pires de Lima
sabel Pires de Lima has been Socialist MP since 1999. (b. 1952-). Of the 17 ministers in the socialist government with an absolute majority two are women. I

2005 Secretary of State of Finance for the Treasury and Finances Maria dos Anjos Capote

2005-09 Secretary of state of Transport in the Ministry of Public Works and Communications Ana Paula Vitorino
Of the 34 secretaries of state, 3 were women until 2007, when an additional woman was appointed.

2005-11 Assistant Secretary of State of Rehabilitation in the Ministry of Social Security Idália Maria Marques Salvador Serrão de Menezes Moniz
Normally known as I
dália Moniz

2007-11 Secretary of State of the Ministry of Administration for Administration Modernisation Maria Manuel Leitão Marques
2015- Minister of the Presidency and Minister of Administrative Modernisation 

2008-11 Minister of Health Ana Maria Teodoro Jorge
Former Hospital Administrator.

2008-09 and 2015- Secretary of State of European Affairs Margarida Marques

2008-09 Secretary of State of Culture Paula Fernandes dos Santos
Worked in the Foreign Ministry from 2001.

2009-11 Minister of Environment and Teritorrial Planning Dulce dos Prazeres Fidalgo Álvaro Pássaro
Dulce Pássaro is an academic with no political experience. (b. 1953-)

2009-11 Minister of Labour and Social Solidarity Maria Helena dos Santos André
Trade unionist with no political experience. (f. 1960-)

2009-11 Minister of Education Maria Isabel Girão de Melo Veiga Vilar Alçada
Isabel Alçada is an academic with no political experience. (b. 1950-)

2009-11 Minister of Culture Maria Gabriela da Silveira Ferreira Canavilhas
Gabriela Canavilhas is An academic with no political experience. (b. 1961-).

2009-11 State Secretary of Internal Administration Maria Dalila Correia Araújo Teixeira
Governor of Lisboa 2008-09.

2009-11 Secretary of State for Equality in the Ministry of the Presidency Elza Maria Henriques Deus Pais

2009-11 State Secretary of Teritorial Planning and Cities Fernanda Maria Rosa do Carmo Julião

2011-15 Minister of Justice Paula Teixeira da Cruz
Paula Maria von Hafe Teixeira da Cruz is a lawyer, was Alderman of Lisboa 1998-2002 and President of the Assembleia Municipal 2005-2009 and Vice-President of the National Political Committee since 2005. (b. 1960-)

2011-15 Minister of Agriculture and The Sea Assunção Cristas
2011-13 Minister of Environment and Territorial Planning

Maria da Assunção de Oliveira Cristas Machado da Graça has been an MP since 2009 and is Vice-President of CDS-PP.  (b. 1974-)

2011-15 State Secretary Adjunct to the Minister and Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs Vânia Dias da Silva

2011-15 State Secretary Adjunct to the Minister and Secretary of State of Defence Berta Maria Correia de Almeida de Melo Cabral

2011-13 Secretary of State of Finance for the Treasury and the Finances Maria Luís Albuquerque
2013-15 Minister of State and Minister of Finance

2011-15 Secretary of State of Parliamentary Affairs and Equality Teresa Morais
2015 Minister of Culture, Equality and Citizenship
Maria Teresa da Silva Morais has been an MP since 2002.

2011-12 Secretary of State of Tourism Cecília Meireles
Cecília Felgueiras de Meireles Graça (b. 1977-)

2011-12 Secretary of State of Education for Basic and Secondary Education Isabel Maria Santos Silva

2011-15 Secretary of State of Education for Science Maria Leonor Parreira

2012-15 Secretary of State of the Treasury Isabel Castelo Branco

2014-15 Minister of Internal Administration Anabela Miranda Pinto de Miranda Rodrigues
Anabela Rodrigues is a law professor

2015 Minister of Education and Science Margarida Isabel Mano Tavares Simões Lopes Marques de Almeida

2015 State Secretary adjunct to the Minister of Defence Mónica Sofia do Amaral Pinto Ferro
Former Vice-President of the Parliamentary Group of PSD.


2015 Secretary of State of Economy Vera Lúcia Alves Rodrigues

2015 Secretary of State of Justice Teresa Maria de Moura Anjinho

2015 Secretary of State of Basic and Secondary Education Amélia Maria Botelho de Carvalho Loureiro

2015- Minister of Internal Administration Constança Urbano de Sousa

2015- Minister of Justice Francisca Van DunemThe first female black minister, she was Public Procecutor prior to her appointment to the government.

2015- Minister of the Sea Ana Paula Vitorino

2015- State Secretary Adjunct to the Prime Minister Mariana Vieira da Silva

2015- State Secretary Adjunct to the Minister and Secretary of State of Administrative Modernisation Graça Fonseca

2015- State Secretary Adjunct to the Minister and Secretary of State of Internal Admnistration Isabel OnetoFormer Civil Governor of Porto.

2015- State Secretary Adjunct to the Minister and Secretary of State of Justice Helena Mesquita Ribeiro

2015- State Secretary Adjunct to the Minister and Secretary of State of Education Alexandra Leitão

2015- Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Maria Teresa Gonçalves Ribeiro
Teresa Ribeiro is a diplomat and among others former Ambassador to the EU.

2015- Secretary of State of Administration and Public Entreprises Carolina Ferra

2015- Secretary of State of Justice Anabela Pedroso

2015- Secretary of State for Citizenship and Equality Catarina Marcelino

2015- Secretary of State of Culture Isabel Botelho Leal

2015- Secretary of State of Science, Technology and Higher Education Maria Fernanda Rollo

2015- Secretary of State of Social Security Cláudia Joaquim

2015- Secretary of State for the Inclusion of People with Disabilities Ana Sofia Antunes

2015- Secretary of State  of Tourism Ana Mendes Godinho

2015- Secretary of State  of Territorial Planning and Protection of the Nature Célia Ramos


Last update 31.01.16