Woman Local Premiers 1930-90

Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership

WOMEN CHIEFS OF 
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS 
1920-90

This is a listing of female chiefs of governments both of federal states and provincial with various degrees of autonomy

Also see Women Local Leaders

1947-48 Acting Reigning Mayor Louise Schroeder, Berlin (Germany)
Chief of the government even though Berlin was not yet a full state in the West German Federation. She was  Mayor of Western Berlin 1946-47 and 1948-50. Former Member of the Constitutional Asssembly 1918 and the Reichstag 1920-33. She lived (1887-1957).
1952-59 Chairperson of the District Government Lydia Poser, Gear (German Democratic Republic)
Worked with the German Communist Party since 1929 and was imprisoned 1933-36, Mayor of Jena 1946-48, Member of the Presidium of the Landtag of Thüringen 1946-48. She lived (1909-84).
1957-62 Chairperson of the Council of Ministers Rosa Abdul-Basyrovna El'darova, Daghestan (Russia/USSR)
President of the Supreme Soviet 1962-69.
1959-62 Chairperson of the Council of Ministers Tamara Soltnovna Khetagurova, North-Ossetina (Russia/USSR)
1949-54 Vice-Minister of Finance, 1958-59 Minister of Finance and Vice-Premier, 1962-74 Chairperson of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet. (b. 1913)
1960-67 Chairperson of the Executive Committee Domna Pavlovna Komarova, District of Briansk (Russia/USSR)
In Charge of Agriculture 1962-64.
1961-70 Chairperson of the Executive Committee Anna Dmitriyevna Nutetegryne,  Chukotka Okrug Autonomous District (Russia in USSR)
Followed on the post by Linda Tynel. (b. 1930- )
1963-67 Chief Minister Sucheta Kripalani, Uttar Pradesh (India)
Involved in the Quit India Movement, Member of the Constitutient Assembly in 1947 and member of Lok Sabha 1952-62 and served as a Minister of State for Small Scale Industries. Assembly Member and Minister in Uttar Pradesh in 1962. lived (1908-74).
1963-76 Chairperson of the Executive Committee Aleksandra Ivanovna Demidova, Kaluga Oblast (Russia in USSR)
Followed on the post by Linda Tynel. (b. 1930- )
1967-69 Premier Minister Savka Dabčević-Kúčar  of Croatia (Yugoslavia)
1969-70 Leader of Communist Party in Croatia
Dsmissed as Communist Party leader by Marshall Tito because he considered her views too liberal, 1970-71 Co-Leader of the Croatian Spring- movement, from 1990 Chairperson of the Democratic Party and 1992 Presidential Candidate.(b. 1923-) 
1969-82 Chairperson of the Executive Committee Antonina Georgiyevna Grigoryeva, Khanty-Mansi Okrug (Russia in USSR)
Followed on the post by Valentina Telenkova. She lived (1918-98).
1970-82 President of the General Council Evelyne Baylet, Tarn-et-Garonne (France)
1959-78 Mayor of Valence d'Agen, 1972-85 Vice-President of the Regional Council of the Midi-Pyrénées (b. 1913-)
1970-80 Chairperson of the Executive Committee Lina Grigoryevna Tynel, Chukotka Okrug Autonomous District (Russia in USSR)
Followed Ana Nutetegryne and was followed by Nadezhda Otke on the post. (b. 1932- )
1971-89 Chairperson of the District Government Irma Uschkamp, Cottbus (DDR)
Kown as Vorzitzende des Rates des Bezirkes in German. (b. 1929-)
1972-73 and 1974-76 Chief Minister Nandini Satpathy, Orissa (India)
1966-69 Union Minister of State of Information, 1969-70 Minister of State to the Prime Minister (Indira Gandhi), 1970-71 Minister of State without Portfolio, 1971-72 Minister of State of Information. She lived (1931-2006).
1973-79 Chief Minister Shashikala Gurudatt Kakodkar, Goa, Daman and Diu (India)
Minister of state in 1973, she became leder of the government after the death of her father, Dayanand B. Bandodkar. 1973-80 and from 2001 leader of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party. (b. 1935-)
1974-81 Minister in Charge Rika De Backer-Van Ocken, Flemish Community (Belgium)
1974-79 Minister of Dutch Culture and Flemish Affairs, 1980-82 Minister of the Dutch Community and Chairperson of the Ministerial Committee in Charge of Flanders and 1981-82 Secretary of State of Tourism, Culture and Housing  She lived (1923-2002).
1977 Interim Leader of the Territorial Council (Government)  Hilda Watson, Yukon (Canada)
As Interim Leader of Progressive Conservatives, which held the majority in the Assembly, she was head of the government. She lived (1922-97)
1975-78 Chairperson of the Revolutionary Committee Xing Yanzi, Tianjin (China)
Vice-Chairperson of the Revolutionary Committee of the Dazhongzhuang People's Commune, 1975-77 also Secretary of the Tianjin Communist Party (Mentioned as Chief of the Government of Hebei in 1978). She disappeared in 1985. (b. 1940-)
1980-81 Chief Minister Syeda Anwara Taimur , Assam (India)
Congress Politician, 1972-1983 and 1991 Member, Assam Legislative Assembly,  1975 Minister of Education, Government of Assam, 1988 Nominated to Rajya Sabha 1991 Minister of Agriculture, Haj and Wakf Property, Government of Assam, 2004 Elected to Rajya Sabha. (b. 1936-).
1980-83 President of the Government Anna Nenna d'Antonio, Regione d'Abruzzo (Italy)
Regional Councillor for Industry 1972-77 and for Social Affairs and Environment 1977-80. 
1980 Minister in Charge Cecile Goor-Eyben, Bruxelles Community(Belgium)
Vice-President of the Senate 1979-80, 1980 Minister of the Brussel Region (Chief Minister), 1980-85 Secretary of State for Brussels
(b. 1923-)
1980-90 Chairperson of the Executive Committee Nadezhda Pavlovna Otke, Chukotka Okrug Autonomous District (Russia in USSR)
Followed Linda Tynel as the third woman at the post since 1961. (b. 1941- )
1982-87 Chairperson of the Executive Committee Valentina Pavlovna Telenkova, Khanty-Mansi Okrug (Russia in USSR)
Followed Antonia Grigoryeva on the post. (b. 1939-)

1984 and 1993-95 President of the Government María Antonia Martínez García, The Autonomous Region of Murcia (Spain)
Former Councillor of Economy and Housing, Relations of the Autonomies, Vice-President of the Gvernment and 1991-93 1. Vice-President of the Regional Assembly of Murcia. Since 1995 she has been national Senator and Deputy Parliamentary Spokesperson of PSOE. (b. 1953-).
1985-87 Chairperson of the Executive Committee Zoya Pavlovna Pukhova, Ivanovo Oblast (Russia in USSR)
(b. 1936-)
1985-87 Chairperson of the Executive Committee Valentina Ivanova Uspenskaya, Koryak Autonomous Okrug (Russia in USSR)
Followed on the post by Valentina Bronevich.
1987-89 Chairperson of the Executive Council  Kaqusha Jashari (Kosova/Yugoslavia)
1989 Chief Secretary of the Communist Party
Forced to resign after the first Kosovan riots in the republic. In 2000 she was member of the Kosovo Transitional Council (Legislative) and Chairperson of Social Democratic Party of Kosovo (PSDK) which she had chaired since 1991.
1987-91 Premier Enny Moaitz, Morobe Province (Papua New Guinea)

Member of the Interim Provincial Government for Youth, Women and Home Affairs 1978-80, and in the period from 1980-91 as an elected member of the legislature, she held the portfolios of Youth, Women and Home Affairs, Finance and Forestry. Candidate for the national elections 1992 and 1997. (b. 1945-)
1987-90 Chairmen of the Executive Committee Valentina Tadeyevna Bronevich, Ivanovo Oblast (Russia in USSR)
Governor 1996-2001. (b. 1956-)
1988 Chief Minister V.V. Janaki Ramachandra, Tamil Nadu (India)
Her husband, Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran was a famous film actor before he founded AIADMK in 1972 and was Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu 1977-80 and 1981-87, when he died. She succeeded him as Chief Minister and Party Leader, but only for (7/1-30/1-88), until she was ousted by rival Factions, led by her husband's former mistress, J. Jayalalitha Jayaram, who first became Chief Minister from 1991. Janaki lived (ca. 1923-96)
1989-91 Chairperson of the Interim Commission Josephine Abaijah,  The National Capital District (Papua New Guinea)
Leader of the Papuan Freedom Party since 1972. 1997-2000 Governor of Milne Bay Province and from 2000 Member of the National Committee on Bouganville. (b. 1942)
1989 Chairperson of the Council of Ministers Elmira Makail-Kyzy Kafarova, Azerbaijan (USSR)
First Secretary of the Communist Party of Baku 1980, 1980-83 Minister of Education,  1983-87 Minister of Foreign Affairs, 1987-89 Deputy Premier Minister, 1989-90 Chairperson of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet and Head of State of Azerbaijan, 1990-92 President of the Supreme Soviet of the independent Azerbaijan. She lived (1934-93)
1989 and 1991-95  Chief Minister Rosemary Follett, Australian Capital Territory (Australia)
1989-91 Leader of the Opposition (Labour). In 1996 she resigned from the Legislative Assembly to become Discrimination Commissioner of ATC.
1989-90 and 1994-95 President of the Government  Hedi Lang, Kanton Zürich (Switzerland)
In 1970 Heidi Lang-Agheri became member of the local council of Wetzkiker as the first woman anywhere in Switzerland. She was President of the Nationalrat 1981-82 and Councillor of Interior of Zürich 1983-91 again as the first woman. 1991-95 she was Councillor of Economy. In 1988-89 and 1993-94 she was Vice-President of the Government. She lived (1931-2004).

Last update 18.10.08