Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
Republic of Iceland/ Lyðvelelið Ísland (Female suffrage: 1882 Municipal vote, women were allowed to hold public office 1902, unrestricted local suffrage 1908 and universal suffrage 1915) 1918-1944 Internal Self Government in Personal Union with Denmark and the Danish King, declared its independence 1944

Also see Iceland Heads and Iceland Parliament

1970-72 Minister of Justice and Church Affairs Auður Auðens
Substitute MP 1947-48 and MP for the Independence Party 1959-74, Joint Acting Mayor of Reykjavik 1959-60. (b. 1911-)

1983-85 Minister of Education Ragnhilður Helgadóttir
1985-87 Minister of Health, Social Affairs and Communication
In 1959 2. Vice-President of the United Alþing, 1959-60 and 1962-63 Vice-President of the Lower Chamber, 1961-62 and 1974-78 President of the Lower Chamber of the Alþing, 1975-76 President of the Nordic Council. (b. 1930-).

1980-96 President Vigdis Finnbogadóttir (1.8.-30.7)
In 1972-80 Director of Iceland’s National Theater was the world’s first democratically elected female President. She was a divorcee as she adopted a daughter. (b. 1930-).

1987-91 Minister of Social Affairs And Health Jóhanna Sigurðarsdóttir
1991-94 Minister of Social Affairs (3. in Cabinet)
2007- Minister of Social Affairs
Vice-President of the Lower Chamber 1979 and 1983-84 and from 2003 Vice-Chairperson of the the Alþing,  1978-94 Deputy Chairperson and 1983-86 Deputy Parliamentary Leader of Alþýðurflokkin, the Social Democrats, 1994-99 Founder and Chairperson, 1995-96 Parliamentary Leader of the National Revival Party, Thjóðvarki, but later rejoined the Social Democrats as member of the Althing and was Vice-Chairperson of the Alþing 2004-07 and President-by-Age from 2007. (b. 1942-).

1994-95 Minister of Social Affairs Rannveig Guðmundsdóttir
Parliamentary Leader of Alþýðurflokkurin, the Social Democrats 1993-94 and 1995-99, Vice-President of the Nordic Council 1998-2005 and President for 2005. Parliamentary Leader of Samfylkingarinnar, the United Left 1999-2003 and from 2005 1. Vice-Chairperson of the Althing. (b. 1940-).

1995-2001 Minister of Health and Social Welfare Ingibjörg Pálmadóttir
Deputy Mayor of Akranes 1984-91, Deputy Parliamentary Leader 1991-94 and 1994 Party Secretary of the Progress Party (Framsóknaflokkns). (b. 1949-).

1999-2003 Minister of Justice and Church Affairs Solveig Petúrsdóttir
Vice-Chairperson of the Althing 2003-05 until she took over as its chairperson. (b. 1954-).

1999-2004 Minister of Environment and Nordic Cooperation Siv Freðleifsdóttir
2006-07 Minister of Health and Social Security
MP for the Framsóknarflokkur (Progress Party) since 1995 and from 2005 Party Secretary, 2006 candidate for the post of Party Chairperson and from 2007 Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group. Her full name is Björg Siv Juhlin Fredleifsdottir. (b. 1961-).

1999-2006 Minister of Trade and Industry Valgerður Sverrísdóttir
2004-05 Minister of Nordic Cooperation
2006-07 Minister of Foreign Affairs
Valgerdur Sverrisdottir was Secretary of Upper Chamber 1987-88, 2. Vice-Chairperson 1988-89, 1. Vice-Chairperson of the Alþing 1990-91 and 1992-95, Parliamentary Leader of the Progress Party (Framsóknaflokkns) 1995-99, Party Vice-Chairperson from 2007 and Vice-President of the Nordic Council 1996-99 (b. 1953-).

2004- Minister of Education, Science and Culture Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir 
Thorgredur was a MP for the Sjálfstæðisflokkur (Indepencence Party) 1999-2003 and Party Vice-Chairperson from 2006 and was named Designate Minister in the begining of 2003 with the provision that she would take office when her predecessor became Ambassador to France. The change took place at 01.01.04. (b. 1965-).

2004-06 Minister of Environment Sigríður Anna Þórðardóttir
2005-06 Minister of Nordic Cooperation
As part of the coalition-agreement in 2003 it was desided that she would take over as Minister on 15th september 2004, but had to leave the post again as part of another agreement. She has was Chairperson of the Parliament Group of the Independence Party 1998-2003 and Vice-Chairperson 2003-04, and President of the Nordic Council 2000-01. From 2006 Vice-Chairperson of the Althing. (b. 1946-).

2006-07 Minister of Environment and Nordic Cooperation Jónína Bjartmarz
Second Vice-Chairperson of the Alþing 2003-06 and and unsucessful candidate for the post of Vice-Chairperson of the Progress Party, Framsóknarflokkurinn in 2006. Not reelected to the parliament in 2007. (b. 1952-).

2007- Minister of Foreign Affairs Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir
Former member of the Althing, Mayor of Reykjavik 1994-2003, Deputy Leader of Samfylkingin (The Alliance) 2003, Party Leader 2003-05 and Leader of the Social Democratic Party from 2005. (b. 1954-).

2007- Minister of Environment Þórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir