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 59 women preside over one of the Houses of the 192 Parliaments, 80 of which are bicameral. Women therefore occupy only 21% 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
ISO Code | Country | Country without accent | Region | Chamber | Structure of parliament | Chamber type | Official title | Full name | Year of birth | Sex | Date of appointment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AD | Andorra | Andorra | Europe | General Council | Unicameral | Speaker (Syndica General) of the General Council | Roser Suñé Pascuet | 1960 | Female | 02 May 2019 | |
AG | Antigua and Barbuda | Antigua and Barbuda | Americas | Senate | Bicameral | Upper chamber | President of the Senate | Alincia Williams-Grant | Female | 25 Jun 2014 | |
AR | Argentina | Argentina | Americas | Senate | Bicameral | Upper chamber | President of the Senate | Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner | 1953 | Female | 10 Dec 2019 |
AT | Austria | Austria | Europe | Federal Council | Bicameral | Upper chamber | President of the Federal Council | Andrea Eder-Gitschthaler | 1961 | Female | 01 Jul 2020 |
AZ | Azerbaijan | Azerbaijan | Europe | National Assembly | Unicameral | Chairwoman of the National Assembly | Sahiba Gafarova | 1955 | Female | 10 Mar 2020 | |
BS | Bahamas | Bahamas | Americas | Senate | Bicameral | Upper chamber | President of the Senate | Mildred Hall-Watson | Female | 05 Dec 2019 | |
BH | Bahrain | Bahrain | Middle East and North Africa | Council of Representatives | Bicameral | Lower chamber | Speaker of the Council of Representatives | Fawzia Zainal | 1961 | Female | 12 Dec 2018 |
BD | Bangladesh | Bangladesh | Asia | Parliament | Unicameral | Speaker of Parliament | Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury | 1966 | Female | 30 Apr 2013 | |
BY | Belarus | Belarus | Europe | Council of the Republic | Bicameral | Upper chamber | Chairperson of the Council of the Republic | Natalya Kochanova | 1960 | Female | 06 Dec 2019 |
BE | Belgium | Belgium | Europe | House of Representatives | Bicameral | Lower chamber | President of the House of Representatives | Eliane Tillieux | 1966 | Female | 13 Oct 2020 |
BE | Belgium | Belgium | Europe | Senate | Bicameral | Upper chamber | President of the Senate | Stephanie D'Hose | 1981 | Female | 13 Oct 2020 |
BZ | Belize | Belize | Americas | House of Representatives | Bicameral | Lower chamber | Speaker of the House of Representatives | Valerie Woods | Female | 11 Dec 2020 | |
BZ | Belize | Belize | Americas | Senate | Bicameral | Upper chamber | President of the Senate | Carolyn Trench Sandiford | Female | 11 Dec 2020 | |
BA | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Europe | House of Representatives | Bicameral | Lower chamber | Speaker of the House of Representatives | Borjana Krišto | 1961 | Female | 06 Dec 2018 |
BG | Bulgaria | Bulgaria | Europe | National Assembly | Unicameral | Speaker of the National Assembly | Tsveta Karayancheva | 1968 | Female | 17 Nov 2017 | |
CL | Chile | Chile | Americas | Senate | Bicameral | Upper chamber | President of the Senate | Adriana Muñoz | 1948 | Female | 17 Mar 2020 |
CD | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Sub-Saharan Africa | National Assembly | Bicameral | Lower chamber | Speaker of the National Assembly | Jeannine Mabunda Lioko | 1964 | Female | 24 Apr 2019 |
GQ | Equatorial Guinea | Equatorial Guinea | Sub-Saharan Africa | Senate | Bicameral | Upper chamber | President of the Senate | María Teresa Efua Asangono | Female | 12 Jul 2013 | |
SZ | Eswatini | Eswatini | Sub-Saharan Africa | Senate | Bicameral | Upper chamber | President of the Senate | Lindiwe Dlamini | 1965 | Female | 23 Oct 2018 |
FI | Finland | Finland | Europe | Parliament | Unicameral | Speaker of Parliament | Anu Vehviläinen | 1963 | Female | 09 Jun 2020 | |
GA | Gabon | Gabon | Sub-Saharan Africa | Senate | Bicameral | Upper chamber | President of the Senate | Lucie Milebou-Aubusson | 1957 | Female | 27 Feb 2015 |
GM | Gambia (The) | Gambia (The) | Sub-Saharan Africa | National Assembly | Unicameral | Speaker of the National Assembly | Mariam Jack Denton | Female | 11 Apr 2017 | ||
ID | Indonesia | Indonesia | Asia | House of Representatives | Unicameral | Speaker of the House of Representatives | Puan Maharani | 1973 | Female | 02 Oct 2019 | |
IT | Italy | Italy | Europe | Senate | Bicameral | Upper chamber | President of the Senate | Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati | 1946 | Female | 24 Mar 2018 |
JM | Jamaica | Jamaica | Americas | House of Representatives | Bicameral | Lower chamber | Speaker of the House of Representatives | Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert | Female | 15 Sep 2020 | |
JP | Japan | Japan | Asia | House of Councillors | Bicameral | Upper chamber | President of the House of Councillors | Akiko Santo | 1942 | Female | 01 Aug 2019 |
KI | Kiribati | Kiribati | Pacific | House of Assembly | Unicameral | Speaker of the House of Assembly | Tangariki Reete | 1967 | Female | 22 May 2020 | |
LA | Lao People's Democratic Republic | Lao People's Democratic Republic | Asia | National Assembly | Unicameral | President of the National Assembly | Pany Yathotou | 1951 | Female | 23 Dec 2010 | |
LV | Latvia | Latvia | Europe | Parliament | Unicameral | Speaker of Parliament | Inara Murniece | 1970 | Female | 04 Nov 2014 | |
LS | Lesotho | Lesotho | Sub-Saharan Africa | Senate | Bicameral | Upper chamber | President of the Senate | Mamonaheng Mokitimi | Female | 11 Jul 2017 | |
LR | Liberia | Liberia | Sub-Saharan Africa | The Liberian Senate | Bicameral | Upper chamber | President of the Senate | Jewel Howard Taylor (President) | 1963 | Female | 22 Jan 2018 |
LT | Lithuania | Lithuania | Europe | Parliament | Unicameral | Speaker of the Seimas | Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen | 1983 | Female | 13 Nov 2020 | |
MG | Madagascar | Madagascar | Sub-Saharan Africa | National Assembly | Bicameral | Lower chamber | President of the National Assembly | Christine Razanamahasoa | 1951 | Female | 16 Jul 2019 |
MW | Malawi | Malawi | Sub-Saharan Africa | National Assembly | Unicameral | Speaker of the National Assembly | Catherine Gotani Hara | Female | 19 Jun 2019 | ||
MX | Mexico | Mexico | Americas | Chamber of Deputies | Bicameral | Lower chamber | Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies | Dulce María Sauri Riancho | Female | 02 Sep 2020 | |
MZ | Mozambique | Mozambique | Sub-Saharan Africa | Assembly of the Republic | Unicameral | Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic | Esperança Laurinda Francisco Nhiuane Bias | 1958 | Female | 13 Jan 2020 | |
NL | Netherlands | Netherlands | Europe | House of Representatives | Bicameral | Lower chamber | Speaker of the House of Representatives | Khadija Arib | 1960 | Female | 13 Jan 2016 |
NO | Norway | Norway | Europe | Parliament | Unicameral | President of the Storting | Tone Wilhelmsen Trøen | 1966 | Female | 15 Mar 2018 | |
PE | Peru | Peru | Americas | Congress of the Republic | Unicameral | President of the Congress of the Republic | Mirtha Esther Vásquez Chuquilin | 1975 | Female | 17 Nov 2020 | |
PL | Poland | Poland | Europe | Sejm | Bicameral | Lower chamber | Marshal of the Sejm | Elżbieta Witek | 1957 | Female | 09 Aug 2019 |
MD | Republic of Moldova | Republic of Moldova | Europe | Parliament | Unicameral | President of the Parliament | Zinaida Greceanîi | 1956 | Female | 08 Jun 2019 | |
RO | Romania | Romania | Europe | Senate | Bicameral | Upper chamber | President of the Senate | Anca Dana Dragu | 1972 | Female | 21 Dec 2020 |
RU | Russian Federation | Russian Federation | Europe | Council of the Federation | Bicameral | Upper chamber | Speaker of the Council of the Federation | Valentina Matvienko | 1949 | Female | 21 Sep 2011 |
RW | Rwanda | Rwanda | Sub-Saharan Africa | Chamber of Deputies | Bicameral | Lower chamber | Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies | Donatille Mukabalisa | 1960 | Female | 05 Oct 2013 |
LC | Saint Lucia | Saint Lucia | Americas | Senate | Bicameral | Upper chamber | President of the Senate | Jeannine Michele Giraudy-McIntyre | Female | 20 Mar 2018 | |
VC | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Americas | House of Assembly | Unicameral | Speaker of the House of Assembly | Rochelle Forde | 1974 | Female | 30 Nov 2020 | |
ZA | South Africa | South Africa | Sub-Saharan Africa | National Assembly | Bicameral | Lower chamber | Speaker of the National Assembly | T R Modise | 1958 | Female | 22 May 2019 |
ES | Spain | Spain | Europe | Congress of Deputies | Bicameral | Lower chamber | President of the Congress of Deputies | Meritxell Batet | 1973 | Female | 03 Dec 2019 |
ES | Spain | Spain | Europe | Senate | Bicameral | Upper chamber | President of the Senate | María Pilar Llop Cuenca | 1973 | Female | 03 Dec 2019 |
TG | Togo | Togo | Sub-Saharan Africa | National Assembly | Unicameral | President of the National Assembly | Yawa Djigbodi Tsegan | 1971 | Female | 23 Jan 2019 | |
TT | Trinidad and Tobago | Trinidad and Tobago | Americas | House of Representatives | Bicameral | Lower chamber | Speaker of the House of Representatives | Bridgid Annisette-George | 1958 | Female | 23 Sep 2015 |
TT | Trinidad and Tobago | Trinidad and Tobago | Americas | Senate | Bicameral | Upper chamber | President of the Senate | Christine Kangaloo | Female | 23 Sep 2015 | |
TM | Turkmenistan | Turkmenistan | Asia | Assembly | Unicameral | Chairman of the Assembly | Gulshat Mamedova | 1964 | Female | 30 Mar 2018 | |
UG | Uganda | Uganda | Sub-Saharan Africa | Parliament | Unicameral | Speaker of Parliament | Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga | 1956 | Female | 19 May 2011 | |
US | United States of America | United States of America | Americas | House of Representatives | Bicameral | Lower chamber | Speaker of the House of Representatives | Nancy Pelosi | 1940 | Female | 03 Jan 2019 |
UY | Uruguay | Uruguay | Americas | Senate | Bicameral | Upper chamber | President of the General Assembly and of the Senat | Beatriz Argimón | 1961 | Female | 01 Mar 2020 |
UZ | Uzbekistan | Uzbekistan | Asia | Senate | Bicameral | Upper chamber | Chairwoman of the Senate | Tanzila Narbaeva | 1956 | Female | 21 Jun 2019 |
VN | Viet Nam | Viet Nam | Asia | National Assembly | Unicameral | President of the National Assembly | Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan | 1954 | Female | 31 Mar 2016 | |
ZW | Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe | Sub-Saharan Africa | Senate | Bicameral | Upper chamber | President of the Senate | Mabel M. Chinomona | 1958 | Female | 11 Sep 2018 |