Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
Female Ministers of
Kongeriget Danmark/
Kingdom of Denmark (Female Suffrage 1915) The
Rigsfælleskab – Commonwealth of the Realm consists of the Mainland of Denmark
and the self-governing external territories of
Greenland
and the
Faero Islands.
See
also Denmark Heads of State
There are no deputy ministers in Denmark, but the Permanent Secretaries (Departementchef) acts as deputies to the ministers, and abroad they have title of State Secretary
1924-25
Minister of Education Nina Bang
Social Democrat. Lived (1866-1928)
1947-50
Minister without Portfolio with special responsibility for the Interests of the
Homes, Housekeeping and Children within the Areas of Social Affairs and Supply
and the Interests of Working Women (Women’s Affairs) Fanny Jensen
Social
Democrat. Lived (1890-1969)
1950
Minister of Church Affairs Bodil Koch
1953-66 Minister of Church Affairs
1966-68 Minister of Cultural Affairs
Social
Democrat, and lived (1903-1972)
1950-53
Minister of Justice and Police Helga Pedersen
Rightwing
Liberal. Lived
(1911-1980)
1953-57
Minister of Trade, Industry and Shipping cand.polit Anne Lisbeth (Lis) Groes
Social
Democrat. Lived
(1911-74).
1953-65
State Secretary of The Ministry of Education Agnete Vøhtz
She lived (1895-1980)
1966-68
Minister of Family Issues Camma Larsen-Ledet
Social
Democrat, and lived
(1915-91)
1966-68
State Secretary of The Ministry of Family Issues Gudrund Refslund
Thomsen
She lived (1915-2001)
1968-71
Minister of Social Affairs Nathalie Lind
1973-75 Minister of Justice and Police and Minister of Cultural Affairs
1978-79 Minister of Justice and Police
Rightwing
Liberal. Lived (1918-99)
1971-73
Minister of Church Affairs Dorte Bennedsen
1978-82 Minister of Education
Social Democrat, daughter of Minister Bodil Koch. (b. 1938-)
1972-
Queen Margrethe II (14.1-)
Her official title is Her Majesty Margrethe the Second, by the Grace of God
Denmark's Queen. She is also Head of the Evangelian-Lutheran Church and Supreme
Commander of the Defence Forces, Also Queen of the Faeroes Islands and Greenland.
(b. 1940-)
1972-73
Minister of Social Affairs Eva Gredal
1975-78 Minister of Social Affairs
Social
Democrat. Lived (1927-95)
1973
Minister of Education Ritt Bjerregaard
1975-78 Minister of Education
1979-82 Minister of Social Affairs
1995-99 European Union Commissioner for Environment and Atomic Security
2000-01 Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries
Chairperson 1982 and 1987-91 of the Parliamentary Group of the Social Democrats
and from Lord Mayor of Copenhagen. (b. 1941-)
1973-75
Minister of Education Tove Nielsen
Rightwing
Liberal.
(b. 1941-)
1977-80
Minister without Portfolio with responsibility for Questions Concerning Foreign
Policy (Development Aid)
1980-82 Minister of Cultural Affairs and Nordic Co-operation Lise
Østergaard
Social
Democrat. Lived
(1924-96)
1979-87
State Secretary of The Ministry of Church Affairs Maria Topp
Social
Democrat. Lived (1919-98)
1981-82
Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs and Minister for Greenland Tove
Lindbo-Larsen
Social
Democrat.
(b. 1928-)
1982-86
Minister of Interior Britta Caroc Schall Holberg
1986-87 Minister of Agriculture
Rightwing
Liberal.
(b. 1941-)
1982-86
Minister of Labour Grethe Fenger Møller
Political
Spokesperson of The Conservative People’s
Party 1986-87. (b. 1941-)
1982-84
Minister of Cultural Affairs Mimi Jakobsen
1986-88 Minister of Social Affairs
1987 Minister for Greenland
1993-94 1. Vice-Premier Minister and Minister for Coordination of Business-Policy
1994 Minister of Co-ordination and of Industry
1994-96 2. Vice-Premier and Minister of Business and Industry
Chairperson of Centrum Demokraterne, The Center Democrats 1989-2005. (b. 1948-)
1982-84
Minister of Church Affairs Elsebeth Koch-Petersen
1984-86 Minister of Social Affairs
1988-89 Minister of Health
Rightwing
Liberal.
(b. 1949-)
1984-88
Minister of Church Affairs Mette Madsen
Rightwing
Liberal.
(b.
1924-)
1984-97
State Secretary of The Ministry of Education Inge Thygesen
(b. 1935-)
1987-88
Minister of Health Agnete Laustsen
1988-90 Minister of Housing
Conservative. (b. 1935-)
1988-90
Minister of Environment Lone Dybkjær
Social Liberal. (b. 1940-)
1988-90
Minister of Social Affairs Aase Olesen
Social Liberal.
(b. 1934-)
1989-93
Minister of Industry Anne Birgitte Lundholt
1990-93 Minister of Energy
Deputy Leader and Political
Spokesperson of the Conservative People's Party 1995-97 and Leadership-candidate
in 1997. (b. 1952- )
1989-93
Minister of Health Ester Larsen
Liberal.
(b. 1936)
1990-93
Minister of Social Affairs Else Winther Andersen
Rightwing
Liberal. (b. 1941-)
1990-93
Minister of Cultural Affairs mag.art. Grethe Fogh Rostbøll
Conservative.
(b. 1942-)
1993-94
2. Vice-Premier Minister
cand.pæd.
Marianne Jelved
1993- Minister of Economic Affairs
1994-2001 1. Vice-Premier Minister and Minister of Nordic Co-operation
1998-99 Acting Minister of Education (20.11.98-17.1.99)
Chairperson of the
Parliamentary Group 1987-93 and 2001-07 and Leader of The Social
Liberals 1990-2007, Deputy Group Chairperson in 2011
and from 2011 both Vice-Chairperson of the Folketing,
Group Chairperson and
Chairperson of the Finance Committee. (b. 1943-)
1993-94
Minister for Development Aid in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Helle Degn
Social
Democrat.
(b. 1946-)
1993-97
Minister of the Interior Birte Weiss
1994-96 Minister of Church Affairs
1996-98 Minister of Health
1999-2001 Minister of Research and Information Technology
Social
Democrat.
(b.
1941-)
1993-98
Minister of Labour Jytte Andersen
1998-2000 Minister of Housing and
Cities
1999-2000 Minister for Equality
Social
Democrat.
(b. 1941-)
1993
Minister of Justice and Police Pia Gjellerup
1998-2000 Minister of Business and Industry
2000-01 Minister of Finance (Fourth in the Cabinet)
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group of the Social Democrats
1994-98
and 2002-05.
(b.
1960-)
1993-96
Minister of Cultural Affairs Jytte Hilden
1996-98 Minister of Research and Information Technology
Social
Democrat.
(b. 1942-)
1993-94
Minister of Social Affairs Karen Jespersen
1994-2000 and 2007 Minister of Social Affairs
2000-01 Minister of the Interior
and Refugees
2007-09 Minister of Welfare in charge of Family, Consumer Affairs and Local Government
and Minister of Equality
Social Democrat and from 2007 Rightwing Liberal (b. 1947-)
1993-94
State Secretary of The Ministry of Housing Karin Kristensen
Civil Servant in the Justice Ministry. (b. 1953-)
1994
Minister of Social Affairs Bente Juncker
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group of the Centum Demokraterne 1993-94. (b. 1944-)
1994
Minister of Social Affairs Yvonne Herløv Andersen
1994-96 Minister of Health
Secretary General
1979-89
and
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group of the Center Democrats 1982-84. (b. 1944-)
1996-2001
State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassadør Ellen Margrethe Løj
Head of the South Group,
(Development Aid and Developping Countries) and part of the management group of
the Ministry. She is former Ambassador to Israel, Permanent Representative to United Nations
2001-07, Ambassador to the Czech Republic 2007-08 and Head of the UN
Peacekeeping Mission in Liberia from 2008. (b. 1948-).
1998-2000
Minister of Traffic and Tele-Communication Sonja Mikkelsen
2000 Minister of Health
Social
Democrat.
(b. 1955-)
1998-2001
Minister of Cultural Affairs Elsebeth Gerner Nielsen
Social Liberal.
(b. 1964-)
1998-2001
Minister of Education Margrethe Vestager
1998-2000 Minister of Church Affairs
2011- 1. Vice-Prime Minister and
Minister of Economy and Interior
Party Chairperson of the Social Liberals 1993-97, Deputy Group Chairperson 2001-07, Group Chairperson and Party Leader from 2007. (b. 1968-)
2000-01
Minister of Housing and Cities and
Minister for Equality Lotte Koed Bundsgaard
Vice-Chairperson of the Social Democrats 2002-05
and Political Spokesperson 2005-06. (b.
1973-)
2000-01
Minister of Development Aid in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anita Bay
Bundegaard
Social Liberal.
(b. 1963-)
2000-
State Secretary of the Ministry of Culture Karoline Prien Kjeldsen
(b. 1961-)
2001-08 Minister of Justice Lene Espersen
2006 Acting Minister of Family and Consumer Affairs (14.12-15.12)
2008-11 Deputy Prime Minister
2008-10 Minister of Economic and Business Affairs
2010-11 Minister of Foreign Affairs
Deputy Leader 1999-2008, Political Spokesperson 1999-2001 and Leader of the Conservative People's Party 2008-11. (b. 1965-)
2001-04
Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Mariann Fischer Boel
2004-10 European Union Commissioner of Agriculture
Rightwing Liberal.
(b. 1943-)
2001-05 Minister of Church Affairs Tove Fergo
Rightwing Liberal. (b. 1946-)
2001-05 Minister of Education Ulla Tørnæs
2005-10 Minister of Development
Aid
Political Spokesperson of The Rightwing
Liberals 1998-2001. (b. 1962-)
2001-04 Minister
of Social Affairs and Minister of Equality Henriette Kjær
2004-05 Minister of Family
and Consumer Affairs
Political Spokesperson of Det
Konservative Folkeparti from 2007 and Group Chairperson from 2008.
(b. 1966-)
2004-07 Minister of Social
Affairs and Minister of Equality Eva Kjer Hansen
2007-10 Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foods
Rightwing Liberal. (b. 1964-).
2004-07 Minister of Environment
Connie Hedegaard
2005-07 Minister of Nordic Cooperation
2007-09 Minister of Climate and Energy
2009 Minister for the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference
2010-
European Union Commissioner for Climate
Political Spokesperson of Det
Konservative Folkeparti 1989-90. (b. 1961-).
2005-07 Minister
for Refugee, Immigration and
Integration Affairs Rikke Hvilshøj
Deputy Chairperson of the Group of Venstre
2001-05 and Acting Group Chairperson in 2005. (b. 1970-)
2006- State Secretary
in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anne
Hedensted
Steffensen
Head of the Danish Trade Council
and
part of the management group of the Ministry.
From 2004 Ambassador in the Trade Council. (b. 1963-).
2006- State Secretary
in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anne Dorthe Riggelsen
Head of the Administration
and Services Secretariat and part of the management group of the Ministry.
2006-07 Minister of Family
and Consumer Affairs Carina Christensen
2007-08 Minister of Transport
2008-10 Minister of Culture
Deputy Chairperson of the Conservative Parliamentary Group 2005-06 and Politican
Spokesperson in 2011. (b. 1972-)
2007-11
Minister
for Refugee, Immigration and
Integration Affairs
and Minister of Church Affairs
Birthe Rønn Hornbech
MP for the Rightwing Liberals from 1987. (b. 1943-).
2007- State Secretary of the Ministry of
Environment Marianne Thyrring
Former diplomat and civil servant. (b. 1959-).
2009-10 Minister of Interior and Social Affairs Karen Ellemann
2010-11 Minister
of Environment and Minister of Nordic Cooperation
MP for the
Rightwing Liberals from 2009. (b. 1969-)
2009-11 Minister of Employment Inger Støjberg
2009-10 Minister of Equality
MP for
the Rightwing Liberals (b. 1973-).
2009-11 Minister for Climate and Energy Lykke Friis
2010-11 Minister of Equality
MP for Rightwing Liberals from 2011 (b. 1969-).
2010-11 Minister of Defence Gitte Lillelund Bech
MP for the Rightwing Liberals since 1999 and Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committe
2006-10. (b. 1969-).
2010-11 Minister of Social Affairs Benedikte Kiær
First Vice-Chairperson of the Capital Region 2005-09, Vice-Chairperson of Det Konservative Folkeparti
2009-11, MP and Political Spokesperson from 2011. (1970-).
2010-11 Minister of Education
Tina Nedergaard
Rightwing Liberal
MP from 2003. (b. 1969-)
2010-11 Minister of
Science, Technology and Innovation Charlotte Sahl-Madsen
Member of the Conservative People's Party. (b.
1964).
2011- State Minister Helle
Thorning-Schmidt
Social Democrat Member of the European Parliament 1999-2004
and Member of the Parliament and Party Chairperson from 2005. Married to Stephen
Kinnock and mother of two daughters. (b. 1966-)
2011- Minister of Employment Mette Frederiksen
Social
Democrat MP from 2001. (b. 1977-)
2011- Minister of Enviroment
Ida Auken
MP for the Socialist
People's Party from 2007. (b. 1978-)
2011- Minister of Health and Prevention Astrid Krag
MP from 2007 and
Vice-Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group of the Socialist People's Party. (b.
1982-)
2011- Minister of Foreign Trade and
Investments Pia Olsen Dyhr
2012- Acting Minister of Health and Prevention
MP for the Socialist People's Party from 2007. (b. 1971-)
2011- Minister of Social Affairs and Integration Karen
Hækkerup
Social Democrat Member of the City Council of Copenhagen 1998-2005
and MP from 2005. Married to MP Ole Hækkerup and mother of 3 children. Her
brother-in-law Nick Hækkerup is Minister of Defence in the government. (b.
1974-)
2011- Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Mette
Gjerskov
Social Democrat MP from 2005. (b. 1966-)
2011- Minister of
Children and Education Christine Antorini
Vice-Chairperson of the
Socialist People's Party 1991-98, MP for the Socialist People's Party 1998-99
and MP for the Social Democrats since 2005.
Last update 12.01.12