Women Speakers of national parliaments
Before 1945:
- Austria was the only state where a woman was elected president of a chamber (the Bundesrat ) before World War II
From 1945 to 1997:
- Only 42 of the 186 states with legislative institutions at some point in their history have had a woman chair of parliament or a chamber of parliament: this has occurred 78 times in all.
- These are 18 European countries, 19 countries in the Americas, three African countries, one country in Asia and one country in the Pacific.
- Twenty-four of the states in question had a bicameral parliament, and the presidency was given to a woman somewhat more frequently in the Senate than in the People’s Chamber.
Current Status:
- Only 64 women preside over one of the Houses of the 190 Parliaments, 79 of which are bicameral. Women therefore occupy only 23.7% of the total filled posts of Presiding Officers of Parliament or of one of its Houses. See a full list of women Speakers below, including the link to global and regional percentages for Speakers.
Lower and unicameral chambers
Upper chambers
Country data on women speakers
Country | Chamber | Full name | Year of birth | Date of appointment |
---|---|---|---|---|
Albania | Parliament | Elisa Spiropali | 1983 | 28 Jul 2024 |
Angola | National Assembly | Carolina Cerqueira | 1956 | 16 Sep 2022 |
Antigua and Barbuda | Senate | Alincia Williams-Grant | 1972 | 25 Jun 2014 |
Argentina | Senate | Victoria Eugenia Villarruel | 1975 | 10 Dec 2023 |
Australia | Senate | Sue Lines | 1953 | 26 Jul 2022 |
Azerbaijan | National Assembly | Sahiba Gafarova | 1955 | 10 Mar 2020 |
Bahamas | House of Assembly | Patricia Deveaux | 1968 | 06 Oct 2021 |
Bahamas | Senate | Lashell Adderley | 1968 | 06 Oct 2021 |
Belarus | Council of the Republic | Natalya Kochanova | 1960 | 06 Dec 2019 |
Belgium | Senate | Valérie De Bue | 1966 | 25 Jul 2024 |
Belize | House of Representatives | Valerie Woods | 1973 | 11 Dec 2020 |
Belize | Senate | Carolyn Trench Sandiford | 1962 | 11 Dec 2020 |
Cambodia | National Assembly | Khuon Sudary | 1952 | 22 Aug 2023 |
Canada | Senate | Raymonde Gagné | 1956 | 12 May 2023 |
Chile | Chamber of Deputies | Karol Cariola | 1987 | 15 Apr 2024 |
Côte d'Ivoire | Senate | Kandia Kamissoko Camara | 1959 | 12 Oct 2023 |
Cyprus | House of Representatives | Anita Demetriou | 1985 | 10 Jun 2021 |
Czechia | Chamber of Deputies | Marketa Pekarova Adamova | 1984 | 10 Nov 2021 |
Ecuador | National Assembly | Viviana Veloz | 1984 | 02 Oct 2024 |
Equatorial Guinea | Senate | María Teresa Efua Asangono | 1957 | 12 Jul 2013 |
Eswatini | Senate | Lindiwe Dlamini | 1965 | 23 Oct 2018 |
France | National Assembly | Yaël Braun-Pivet | 1970 | 28 Jun 2022 |
Gabon | Transitional Senate | Paulette Missambo | 1949 | 11 Sep 2023 |
Germany | German Bundestag | Bärbel Bas | 1968 | 26 Oct 2021 |
Germany | Federal Council | Anke Rehlinger | 1976 | 01 Nov 2024 |
Grenada | Senate | Dessima Williams | 31 Aug 2022 | |
Indonesia | House of Representatives | Puan Maharani | 1973 | 02 Oct 2019 |
Jamaica | House of Representatives | Juliet Holness | 1971 | 26 Sep 2023 |
Latvia | Parliament | Daiga Mieriņa | 1969 | 20 Sep 2023 |
Lesotho | Senate | Mamonaheng Mokitimi | 1970 | 11 Jul 2017 |
Liberia | The Liberian Senate | Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence | 15 Jan 2024 | |
Lithuania | Parliament | Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen | 1983 | 13 Nov 2020 |
Malawi | National Assembly | Catherine Gotani Hara | 1974 | 19 Jun 2019 |
Mozambique | Assembly of the Republic | Esperança Laurinda Francisco Nhiuane Bias | 1958 | 13 Jan 2020 |
Panama | National Assembly | Dana Castañeda | 1968 | 01 Jul 2024 |
Poland | Senate | Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska | 1957 | 13 Nov 2023 |
Russian Federation | Council of the Federation | Valentina Matvienko | 1949 | 21 Sep 2011 |
Rwanda | Chamber of Deputies | Gertrude Kazarwa | 1964 | 14 Aug 2024 |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | National Assembly | Lanein Blanchette | 1986 | 25 Oct 2022 |
Saint Lucia | Senate | Alvina Reynolds | 1968 | 24 Nov 2022 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | House of Assembly | Rochelle Forde | 1974 | 30 Nov 2020 |
San Marino | Great and General Council | Francesca Civerchia | 1977 | 01 Oct 2024 |
Sao Tome and Principe | National Assembly | Celmira Sacramento | 1975 | 08 Nov 2022 |
Serbia | National Assembly | Ana Brnabić | 1975 | 20 Mar 2024 |
Slovenia | National Assembly | Urška Klakočar Zupančič | 1977 | 13 May 2022 |
South Africa | National Assembly | Angela Thokozile Didiza | 1965 | 14 Jun 2024 |
South Africa | National Council of Provinces | Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane | 1973 | 15 Jun 2024 |
South Sudan | Transitional National Legislative Assembly | Jemma Nunu Kumba | 1966 | 02 Aug 2021 |
Spain | Congress of Deputies | Francina Armengol | 1971 | 17 Aug 2023 |
Switzerland | Council of States | Eva Herzog | 1961 | 04 Dec 2023 |
Timor-Leste | National Parliament | Maria Fernanda Lay | 1954 | 22 Jun 2023 |
Trinidad and Tobago | House of Representatives | Bridgid Annisette-George | 1958 | 23 Sep 2015 |
Turkmenistan | Assembly | Dunyagozel Akmuhammedovna Gulmanova | 1989 | 06 Apr 2023 |
Uganda | Parliament | Anita Annet Among | 1973 | 25 Mar 2022 |
United Republic of Tanzania | National Assembly | Tulia Ackson | 1976 | 01 Feb 2022 |
United States of America | Senate | Kamala D. Harris | 1964 | 20 Jan 2021 |
United States of America | Senate | Patty Murray | 1950 | 03 Jan 2023 |
Uruguay | House of Representatives | Ana Olivera Pessano | 1953 | 01 Mar 2024 |
Uruguay | Senate | Beatriz Argimón | 1961 | 01 Mar 2020 |
Uzbekistan | Senate | Tanzila Narbaeva | 1956 | 21 Jun 2019 |
Zambia | National Assembly | Nelly Butete Kashumba Mutti | 1956 | 03 Sep 2021 |
Zimbabwe | Senate | Mabel M. Chinomona | 1958 | 11 Sep 2018 |