Female Defence Ministers

Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership

FEMALE MINISTERS 
OF DEFENCE

The Portfolio of Defence have remained mainly a male domain. In the beginning it was mainly held by female Presidents or premier ministers 
- but this is slowly changing. Deputy Minister can be found in
Women in governments by country

1960-65 and 1970-77 Minister of Defence Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike, Sri Lanka
As Prime Minister she was also Minister of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Employment. See biography at Premier Ministers. She lived (1916-2000)
1975-77 Minister of Defence Indira Gandhi, India
1964-66 Minister of Information and as Prime Minister she was also Minister of External Affairs 1967-69 and 1984 and holder of various other portfolios. See biography at Premier Ministers. She lived (1917-84)


1985-90 Minister of Defence M. Eugenia Charles, Dominica
As Prime Minister she was also Minister of Foreign Affairs and holder of a number of other Portfolios. See biography at Premier Ministers. She lived (1916-2005).

1987-88 Minister for Defence Industry, Science and Personnel Ros Kelly, Australia  
1987 Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Industry, Science and Personnel, 1988-90 Minister for Telecommunication and Aviation Support, 1990-91 Minister of Tourism, 1990-94 Minister of Arts, Sport, Environment and Territories,  1992-94 Member of the Inner Cabinet, 1993-94 Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on the Status of Women. (b. 1948-)

1988-90 Minister of Defence Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan
During her first tenure as Prime Minister 1988-90 she was also Minister of  Defence, Atomic-Energy, Finance, Economy, Information  and Establishment. See biography at Premier Ministers. Killed by a suicide bomb, and lived (1953-2007).
1989-93 Associate Minister of National Defence Mary Collins, Canada
Progressive Conservative MP 1984-93,  1990-93 Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, 1993 Minister of State (Environment), 1993 Minister of Western Economic Diversification and Minister of State for Environment, 1993 Minister of National Health and Welfare (b. 1940-)
1990-97 Minister of Defence Violeta Barrios de Chamoro, Nicaragua
As Executive President and Head of the Cabinet she was also Minister of Defence. See biography at Presidents (b. 1929-)
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1990-95 Minister of Defence Elisabeth Rehn, Finland
Between 1983-87 Chairperson of the Law-Committee and Member of the Presidium of the Edskunan,1987-90 Parliamentary Leader of Svenska Folkpartiet (Swedish Peoples Party) 1991-95 Minister of Equality, 1994 and 2000 Presidential Candidate, 1995-97 Member of the European Parliament, 1995-99 Assistant Secretary General of the UN, 1995-98 UN-Commissioner for Human Rights in the former Yugoslavia 1998-99 UN Representative and Special Coordinator in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Personal Representative of Secretary General Koffi Annan responsible for Police and other Operations. (b. 1935-)

1991-96 and 2001-06 Minister of Defence Begum Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh  
As Prime Minister 1991-96 and 2001-06 she was holder of a number of other Portfolios. See biography at Premier Ministers (b. 1945- )

1993 Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs A. Kim Campbell, Canada
See biography at Premier Ministers. (b. 1947-)

1993-97 Secretary of The Air Force Shiela E. Widnell, United States of America  
The Secretary of the Air Force together with the Secretaries of the Army and Navy together with the Secretary of Defence make up the Leadership of the Department.

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1994-2001 and 2003-05 Minister of Defence Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Sri Lanka
As Executive President was is also Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and also held the Portfolio of Minister of Defence until her party lost the parliamentary elections in 2001, when she resigned all her cabinet posts. In 2003 she dismissed the Ministers of Defence, Interior and Information and took over those portfolios. See Presidents. (b. 1945-)

1995-99 Minister of Defence Anneli Kariina Taina, Finland
In 1995 she was Second Minister of Environment for Housing and from 2004 Governor of Södra Finland Län/Etelä-Soumen Lääni (b. 1951-).

1996-2001 and 2009- Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Division Sheikh Hasina Wajed, Bangladesh
As Prime Minister 1996-2001 and from 2009 she held and holds a number of Portfolios. See biography at Premier Ministers. (b. 1945- )
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1996-98 Minister for Defence Industry, Science and Personnel Browyn Bishop, Australia
President of Liberal Party of New South Wales 1985-87 and Minister for Aged Care 1998-2001. In 2004 she lost her party's internal electon for the government-nominee for the post of Speaker of the House of Representatives to a man who never held any important political office in his 22 years as an MP. Member of the Speaker's Panel from 2004. (b. 1942-).

1997-2001 Associate Minister of Defence
1997-2000 Minister for Veterans Jocelyn Newman, Australia
Senator for Tasmania since 1986 and 1994-96 Shadow Defence Minister. 1996-97 Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on the Status of Women and since 1996 Minister of Family and Community Service and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on the Status of Women (b. 1937-)


1999-2000 Defence Minister Eldbjørg Løwer, Norway
Between 1981-85 Deputy Leader of Venstre, 1984-88 Mayor of Kongsberg, 1997-99 Minister of Labour and Administration (b. 1943-)
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2000 Minister of Defence Cristian Matus Rodríguez, Nicaragua
Former administrator in the government and 1999-2000 Vice-Minister of Defence
 
2001-05 Minister of Defence Kristin Krohn Devold, Norway
MP for the Conservative Party for a number of years. (b. 1961-)
 
2001 Acting Minister of Defence Joyce Mujuru, Zimbabwe
A general during the anti-colonial under the name of Teurai-Ropa Nhongom, she has held various ministerial posts from 1980, since 1997 as Minister of Rural Resources and Water Development. Also ZANU-Party Secretary of Education. She acted as Defence Minister for two months.
 
2001-04 Minister for Veteran’s Affairs
2001-03 Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence Danna Vale, Australia
Liberal MP since 1996 and member of various committees. (b. 1944-).

2002-04 Minister of Defence Dr. Michelle Bachelet Jeria, Chile
Minister of Health 2000-02 and Minister of Defence 2002-04 and resigned to run for president and won the second round in January 2006, making her president-elect poised to take office on 11. March.  Her father, a general, was killed by the Pinochet dictatorship, she and her mother were tortured and she lived in exile for some years. Twice divorced, she is mother of 3. (b. 1952-).

2002-07 Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs Michèle Alliot-Marie, France
1986-88 Secretary of State for Education, 1993-95 Minister of Youth and Sports. From 1994 1. Vice-President of the General Council of the Department of Pyrénées-
Atlantique, 1999-2002 President of RPR, Rally for the Republic. Minister of Interior 2007-09, Minister of State from 2009, Minister of Justice 2009-10 and Foreign Affairs and European Affairs from 2010. (b. 1946-)  

2002-07 Minister of Security Cynthia "Mother" Pratt, Bahamas

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Security (In charge of the Defence Force and Police). She was Opposition Whip Circa 1992-2000 and from circa 2000 Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Deputy Leader of the Progressive Liberal Democratic Part. Acting Prime Minister in May-June during ilness of the Premier. She is aformer nurse, she is mother of 6 children (b. 1947-)

2002-03 Minister of Defence Dr. Zeljka Antunovic, Croatia  

Dr. Željka Antunović is a medical doctor and has been member of parliament since 1995 and was Deputy Premier Minister (Social Affairs) 2000-03, Vice-President of the Social Democrats from 2000 and Acting Leader in 2007, Minister of Defence 2002-03 and Vice-President of the Sabor from 2008. (b. 1955-).

 
2002-03 Minister of Defence Marta Lucía Ramírez de Rincón, Colombia
1991-98 Vice-Minister and 1998-2001 Minister of External Trade. Ambassador to France 2001-02. Since she took over, security had improved with murders and kidnappings sharply reduced. No reason was given for her resignation. Presidential Candidate in 2014.

2002 Minister of Defence Lena Hjelm-Walén, Sweden

Member of the Riksdag for the Social Democrats since 1969. 1973-76 Minister without Portfolio for Schools, 1982 Minister of Labour, 1982-85 Minister of Education and Culture, 1985-91 Minister of International Development, 1994-98 Minister of Foreign Affairs 1995-96 and 1998-2002 Vice-Premier. (b. 1943-)

2002-06 Minister of Defence Leni Björklund, Sweden

Secretary General of the Swedish Church (Lutheran) since 1999. (b. 1944-)

2002 Minister of Defence Mame Madior Boye, Sénégal
The Premier Minister 2001-02, she took over as Minister of Defence after the former incumbent resigned after almost 1.000 persons died in a ferry-disaster. She is former Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals in 2000-2001. (b.1940-)


2003-04 Minister of Defence Sylvia Flores

Also Minister of National Emergency Management. Former Mayor of Belize City, she was Speaker of the House of Representatives 1998-2001 and President of the Senate 2001-03 and from 2004 Minister of Human Resources.

2003 and 2006-07 Minister of Defence Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, The Philippines 
The Philippine President since 2001 was in charge of the Foreign Affairs Portfolio throughout July 2002. See more details in Presidents. In 2003 she took over the defence-portfolio for a few months and again from the end of November 2006 to the end of January 2007. (b. 1947-)  

2003-04 Minister of Defence Filomena Mascarenhas Tipote, Guinea Bissau
2000-01 Secretary of State, in 2001 Minister of Employment and Poverty Control, 2002-2003 Minister of Public Works, Labour and Employment. (b. 1969-).

2003 Acting Navy Secretary Susan Morissey Livingstone, USA
1993-98 Vice-President of the US Red Cross, 1998-2001 Chief Executive Officer and Deputy Chairperson of the Association of the United States Army and since 2001 Undersecretary of the Navy


2003-04 Associate Minister of National Defence and Minister of State for Civil Preparedness Albina Guarnieri, Canada

Liberal MP from 1988 and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Communication (Canadian Heritage) and to the Minister of Multiculturalism and Citizenship 1993-96. From 2004 Minister of Veteran Affairs. (b. 1953-).


2004 Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence Fran Bailey, Australia

Also Minister for Employment Services. She was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence 2001-04. From 2004 Minister for Small Business and Tourism (b. 1946-).


2004-06 Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence and Minister of Veteran's Affairs De-Anne Kelly, Australia

National Party MP 1996-2007, Member of the Speaker’s Panel of the House of Representatives 1997-2002, 2003-04 Parliamentary Secretary of the Leader and the Deputy Leader of the National Party. 2006 she was demoted to the post of Parliamentary Secretary of Trade and Parliamentary Secretary of Transport and Regional Development in 2007.


2005-08 Minister of Defence Azucena Berrutti, Uruguay

A human rights advocate and attorney. In the 1980's she worked as Secretary General of the City Administration of Montevideo. (b. 1929-).


2005-09 and 2012-13 Minister of Defence Anne-Grethe Strøm-Erichsen, Norway

Deputy Mayor 1998-1999, Mayor of Bergen 1999-2000, Leader of the City Council 2000-2003, Councillor in the City Government 2003-05 and Minister of Health and Care 2009-12. Member of the Leadership of Arbeiderpartiet. (b. 1949-).


2005-10 Minister of Defence Nilda Garré, Argentina

MP for the Frente Justicialista de Liberación 1973-76 and afterwards active in the fight against the dictatorship, MP again 1995-99, 2000 and 2001-05, Secretary of Political Affairs in the Ministry of Interior 2000-01 and Ambassador to Venezuela in 2005 and Minister of Security from 2010. (b. 1945-).


 

2005-07 Associate Minister of Defence Annette King, New Zealand

1987-90 Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Employment, Youth Affairs, Tourism and Social Welfare, 1989-90 Minister of Employment, Immigration and Minister of Youth Affairs and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister to liaise between the Cabinet and Caucus, 1999-2005 Minister of Health, 1999-2002 Minister of Racing, 2002-06 Minister for Food Safety, 2005-07 Minister of State Services, including the co-ordinating responsibility for Race Relations and Associate Minister of Trade, 2005-06 Associate Minister of Trade, Minister of Police from 2005, Minister of Trade and Minister of Justice and the Law Commission from 200  (b. 1947-).


2005-06 Acting Minister of Defence Solvita Āboltiņa, Latvia (23.12-05.01.06)

Solvita Aboltina worked in the Foreign Ministry 1993-2003 and Member of the Saeima 2002-04 before being appointed minister of Justice in 2004, Leader of New Area Party from 2008, Parliament Vice-Speaker 2009-10 and Speaker from 2010. (b. 1963-).


2006 Minister of Defence Linda Mūrniece, Latvia

Linda Murniece was also Second in the Cabinet. She was Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior 2002-04, Deputy Chairperson of the New Era Party in 2004 and Parliamentary Secretary of Defence 2005-06 and Minister of Interior from 2009. (b. 1970-)


2006-07 Minister of Defence Viviane Blanlot Soza, Chile

Until her appointment she was Executive Secretary of the National Energy Commission. She will take office on 11. March.


2006-11 Minister of Defence Cristina Fontes Lima, Cape Vede

Maria Cristina Lopes Almeida Fontes Lima was Minister of Justice 2001-06, Minister of Local Administration 2001-02, Minister of Interior 2002-04, Minister Adjunct to the Prime Minister and Government Spokesperson 2004-06, also Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers 2006-08 and Minister of State Reform 2006-11 and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health from 2011. (b. 1958-).


2006-07 and 2012-16 Minister of Defence Portia Simpson-Miller, Jamaica
Also Prime Minister 2006-07 and from 2012. Since 1976 MP, 1976-82 Parliamentary Secretary of the Prime Minister, Deputy President of People's National Party 1978-2006 and President from 2006. Minister of Labour, Social Welfare and Sports 1989-2000, Minister of Tourism, Entertainment, Sports and Women’s Affairs 2000-02, Minister of Local Government, Community Development and Sport 2002-06 and Opposition Leader 2007-11. (b. 1946-).

2007-09 Minister of Defence Vlasta Parkanová, Czech Republic
Member of Parliament 1990-1992 and again since 1997 for the KDU-CSL. Minister of Justice 1997-98. She was nominated twice for the post of defence ministers in the prolonged futile attempts to form a government after the elections in June. Chairperson of the Club of Christian-Democratic Union - Czechoslovak Peoples' Party (KDU-CSL) in the Chamber of Deputies 2006-07. Deputy Prime Minister in 2009. (b. 1951).

2007 (†) Minister of Defence Guadalupe Larriva González, Ecuador
MP and National President of the Partido Socialista Ecuatoriano 2002-07. Died in a helicopter crash after 10 days in office. She lived (1956-2007).

2007 Minister of Defence Lorena Escudero Durán, Ecuador
Non-political member of a number of human rights NGOs. National Secretary of Migration from 2007.


2007 Secretary General of Defence with Rank of Minister Ruth Tapia Roa, Nicaragua
Ruth Esperanza Tapia Roa Herrera is a former spokesperson of the Supreme Court, she was appointed Chief Executive of the Ministry after a period of vacancy. (b. 1961-).

2007 Minister of Defence  Yuriko Koike, Japan
2003-06 Minister of Environment, 2004-06 Minister of State in charge of Okinawa and Northern Territories, 2005-06 Minister of State of Global Environment Issues, 2006-07 National Defence Advisor of the Prime Minister, Candidate for the selection of a new party leader (and Prime Minister) of the Liberal Democratic Party in 2008 and elected Governor of Tokyo in 2016. (b. 1952-).

2007-09 Minister of Defence Cécile Manorohanta, Madagascar
Cécile Marie Ange Dominique Manorohanta was appointed Vice-Minister of Education and Scientific Research earlier in 2007, and was Acting Prime Minister in 2009.

2007-08 Minister of Veteran Affairs Isabel Buscardine, Guinea-Bissau

2008-11 Minister of Defence Carme Chacón i Piqueras, Spain
First Vice-President of the Congess 2004-07 and Minister of Housing 2007-08. Had her first child in 2008. (b. 1971-).

2008-10 Minister of Defence Elsa Maria Neto D’Alva Texeira de Barros Pinto, São Tomé e Príncipe
Elsa Texeira Pinto was Secretary of State of Reform of the State and Public Administration 2002-03 and 2003-04 and Minister of Justice 2005-05 and again in 2010. Presidential Candidate in 2011.

2008-12 Minister of Defence Ljubica Jelušič, Slovenia
Professor of defence studies at the Ljubljana Faculty of Social Sciences.

2008-12 Minister of Defence Rasa Juknevičienė, Lithuania
Deputy Chairperson of the Homeland Union since 1999, MP from 1999 and Assistant Speaker of the of Seimas 1999-2000. Acting Foreign Minister from 21. January 2010. (b. 1958-).


2008-11 Minister of Veteran's Affairs Judith Collins, New Zealand
Also Minister of Police and Corrections. National MP from 2002.

2008-11 Minister of Disarmament and Arms Control Georgina te Heuheu , New Zealand
Also Minister for for Courts, Pacific Island Affairs and Associate Minister of Maori Affairs. National MP since 1996, 1996-98 Chairperson of the Maori-Affair’s Committee of the Parliament and Minister for Courts and Women’s Affairs, Associate Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations and Associate Minister of Health 1998-99. (b. 1943-).



2008-11 Associate Minister of Defence Heather Roy, New Zealand
Also Minister of Consumer Affairs and Associate Minister of Education. MP from 2002 and Deputy Leader of ACT New Zealand since 2006, which joined the National Party Government in 2008, but remained outside the cabinet. (b. 1964).

2009-12 Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs Lindiwe Nonceba Sisulu, South Africa

ANC Activist since the 1970s, and Military training specializing in Intelligence 1977-79, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs 1996-2001, Minister of Intelligence 2001-04, of Housing 2004-09 and Public Works and Administration from 2012. (b. 1954-).

2009-11 Minister of Defence Bidhya Devi Bhandari, Nepal

Minister for Population and Environment in 1997 and Vice-president of the Nepal Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist) 1998-2015, President of the Republic from 2015. (b. 1961-)

2009-11 Minister Defence Angélique Ngoma, Gabon
1997-2000 Secretary of State of Social Affairs, 2000-07 Minister of Family, Children's Welfare and Women’s Advancement, 2007-08 Minister of Health, Public Hygiene and charged with Family and Women’s Advancement and from 2011 Minister of Labour and Employment, Social Prevision and Government Spokesperson.


2009-11 Minister of Defence Grete Faremo, Norway
1990-92 Minister of Development Aid, 1992-96 Minister of Justice and Police and 1996 Minister of Petroleum  and Energy and since 2011 Minister of Justice and Emergency Preparedness. (b. 1959- )


2010-11 Minister of Defence Gitte Lillelund Bech, Denmark

MP for the Rightwing Liberals 1999 and Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committe 2006-10. Married to Thomas Egebo, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Climate and Energy. (b. 1969-).


2010 Acting Minister of Defence and Security Lesego Motsumi, Botswana

2002-03 Assistant Minister of Home Affairs, 2003-04 Minister of Health, 2004-08 Minister of Works and Transport, 2008-09 Minister of Health and 2010 Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration. Also Acting Minister of Justice in 2010.


2011 Minister of Defence María Cecilia Chacón Chacón, Bolivia

Former Chief of Cabinet for the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and other positions as civil servant


2011-12 Minister of Defence Iveta Radičová, Slovakia

Iveta Radicova was Minister of Labour and Social Affairs 2005-06 , MP from 2006 and Deputy Leader of the  Democratic and Christian Union–Democratic Party 2006-10 and Party Leader since 2010. Presidential Candidate 2010 and Prime Minister 2010-12. (b. 1956-)


2012-16 Minister of Defence Milica Pejanović-Đurišić, Montenegro

Milica Pejanovic-Durisic was Member of the State Presidency of Montenegro 1990-92, Member of the Parliament of Montenegro 1993-2001, President of the Democratic Party of Socialists 1997-1998. Ambassador of Serbia and Montenegro to Belgium and Luxembourg 2004-06, Ambassador of Montenegro to France, Monaco and UNESCO 2007-10. (b. 1959-).


2012 Acting Minister of Defence Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd, Sweden
MP for the Moderaterna since 2002. Deputy Group Leader of Moderaterne 2006-08 and County Mayor of the County of Stockholm 2008-10 and Minister of Infrastructure since 2010. (b. 1963-).

2012-14 Minister of Defence Karin Enström, Sweden
Captain in the Coast Artillery, conservative MP from 1998, Mayor of Vaxholm 2002-06, Chairperson of the Defence Policy Committee 2008-10 and Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee 2010-11. (b. 1966-)

2012- Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs  Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, South Africa

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs 2002-04, Minister of Home Affairs 2004-09 and of Correctional Services 2009-12

 

2012-13 Minister of Defence María Liz García de Arnold, Paraguay
Former Rector of Universidad Metropolitana de Asunción.

2012- Minister of Defence Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, The Netherlands
Member of the European Parliament for VVD 2004-10 and MP since 2010. (b. 1973-)

2012-15 Minister of Defence María Fernanda Espinosa, Ecuador

Economist and Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2007, UN Ambassador 2008-09, Minister-Coordinator of the National Heritage 2009-12 and appointed Ambassador to Un in Geneva in 2014. (b. 1963-).


2012 Minister of Defence Karolina Peake, The Czech Republic

Also Vice-Premier 2011-13. Lawyer, member of the Chamber of Deputies since 2010 and Chairperson of the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies and also Deputy Chair of the Public Affairs Party, VV, and founding chairperson of LIDEM – Liberal Democrats 2012-13. (b. 1975-)


2013 Associate Minister of National Defence Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Canada
Conservative MP from 2011 and 2011-13 Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Minister of National Revenue from 2013.

2013- Secretary of Defence Raychelle Awour Omamo, Kenya
Former Ambassador to France, Portugal, The Holy See, Serbia and UNESCO.

2013-14 Minister of Defence Yingluck Shinawatra, Thailand
Prime Minister from 2013. She is a former buisness woman and main candidate for the Pheu Thai Party which won about 50% of the votes in the parliamentary elections. Member of a walthy family, her father, uncle and other family members were MPs her brother and brother-in-law were Prime Ministers and her sister Mayor of Chiang Mai and very influential in the party. She is married to businessman Anusorn Amornchat and mother of a son. (b. 1967-).

2013-14 Minister of Defence Carmen Meléndez Rivas, Venezuela
She is the countrys first female Admiral (Almiranta) and was Minister of Popular Power for the Office of the Presidency (chief of staff) and Follow Up for Presidential Governance 2012-13 and Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace 2014-17 and appointed Vice-President of the Council of Ministers for Policy and Sovereignty of the State in 2017. (b. 1961-)

2013- Minister of Defence Mimi Kodheli, Albania
 Socialist MP, Deputy Mayor of Tirana 2002-05. (b. 1964-)

2013- Minister of Defence Ine Eriksen Søreide, Norway
MP for the conserative party Høyre from 2001, Chair of the Committee of Foreign Affairs and Defence of the Storting 2009-13. (b. 1976-).
2013- Federal Minister of Defence Ursula von der Leyen, Germany
MP for CDU. Minister of Social Affairs, Women, Family and Health in Niedersachsen 2003-05, Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth 2005-09 and Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs 2009-13. (b. 1958-).
2014- Minister of Defence Roberta Pinotti, Italy
Former Provincial Councillor, MP for the Democratic Party and Chair of the Defence Committee, elected Senator in 2008 and was Vice-Chair of the Senate Defence Committee and Under-Secretary of State of Defence 2013-14. (b. 1961-).
2014- Minister of Defence Martha Ruiz Sevilla, Nicaragua

Secretary General of the Ministry for a number of years. She is the first Minister appointed to the post since 2007.

2014-15 Minister of Defence Cadi Mané, Guinea Bissau
A military doctor. Appointed Minister of He

2015 Minister of Defence Marie Noëlle Andet Koyara, Central African Republic

Also in charge of Restrcuturing of the Armies, vetrans and Victims of War. She was Minister of Rural Development 2013-14 and again from 2015, Minister of State 2014-15 and Minister in charge of Public Works, Equipment and Planning 2014-15

2015- Minister of Defence Marina Pendeš, Bosnia-Herzegovina
Deputy Minister of Defence 2004-15 and Acting Minister of Defence in 2007 of the Federation of Bosnia and Hercegovina  (b. 1964-).

2015-16 Minister of Defence Tina Khidasheli, Georgia
MP and married to Speaker of the Parliament Davit Usupashvili.

2015- Minister of Defence Andreja Katič, Slovenia
Former business woman and Social Democrat MP from 2014 and Parliament Vice-President 2014-15. (b. 1970-)

2015- Minister of Defence Marise Payne, Australia
Liberal Senator from 1997 and Minister for Human Services 2013-15.

2016- Minister of Defence Tomomi Inada, Japan

2012-14 Minister in charge of Administrative Reform, Civil Service Reform, "Cool Japan" Strategy and the "Challenge Again" Initiative and Minister of State for Regulatory Reform and 2014-16 Policy Chief of the Liberal Democratic Party. (b. 1959-).


2015- Minister of Defence Adiatu Djaló Nandigna, Guinea Bissau

Also known as Maria Adiatu Diallo Nandigna, she was Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport 2007-08 and has been Second in Cabinet since 2008 and Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Social Communication and Parliament from 2009 and Acting Prime Minister in 2012. 



2016-  Minister of Defence María Dolores de Cospedal García, Spain

Subsecretary in the Ministry of Interior 2004-05, Councillor of Transport and Infrastructure in Comunidad de Madrid, Senator from Comunidad de Castilla-La Mancha since 2006 and Leader of Partido Popular in the Province and Federal Secretary General from 2008, President of the Government, Castilla-La Mancha 2011-16. She is divorced and single mother. (b. 1965-).


Last update 07.01.17

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