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 Auðuns
Substitute MP 1947-48 and MP for the Independence Party 1959-74, Joint Acting Mayor of Reykjavik 1959-60. She lived (1911-99)

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 is divorced and mother of an adopted daughter. (b. 1930-).

1987-91 Minister of Social Affairs And Health Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
1991-94 Minister of Social Affairs (3. in Cabinet)
2007-09 Minister of Social Affairs and Social Security
2009- Prime Minister (forsætisráðherra)
Deputy Chairperson of Alþýðurflokkin (Social Democrats) 1984-93, Chairperson 1994-99 and Parliamentary Leader of Thjóðvarki (National Revival Party) 1995-96 until she rejoined the Social Democrats and became its Leader in 2009. Vice-President of the Lower Chamber 1979 and 1983-84 and Vice-Chairperson of the the Alþing 2003-07 and its President-by-Age from 2007. As Prime Minister she is also member of the Collective Vice-Presidency of the Republic. First married to Þorvaldur Steinar Jóhannesson with whom she has 2 sons and first lived in a registered partnership 2002-10 until she married the author Jónína Leósdóttir, who is mother of 1 son. (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, candidate for the post of Party Chairperson 2006, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group 2006-09 and Vice-Chairperson of the Althing from 2009. 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-).

2004-09 Minister of Education, Science and Culture Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir 
Thorgredur was a MP for the Sjálfstæðisflokkur (Indepencence Party) since 1999 and Party Vice-Chairperson 2005-10 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 following year. Acting Premier on a number of occations when both the Premier and Foreign Minister were absent from the country. During the crisis-negotiations with the Social-Democrat Coalition Partner on 26. January, the Premier (from her party) offered to resign in her favour, but instead the government broke down. Her last stint as Acting Premier was on 01.02 as the dimissionary Premier went abroad for cancer-treatmend, and it was she who handed over the keys to the Office of the Prime Minister to Johanna Sigurdardottir. (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-).

2007-09 Minister of Foreign Affairs Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir
2009 Chairperson of the Government Coalition Formation Negotiations
Member of the Althing, Mayor of Reykjavik 1994-2003, Deputy Leader of Samfylkingin (The Social Democratic Alliance) 2003-05 and Party Leader 2005-09, lead the coalition negotiations in January 2009, but left the post of Prime Minister to Jóhanna Sigurdardsdottir because of her own bad health and resigned as party chair and did not run for elections later in the year. (b. 1954-).

2007-09 Minister of Environment Þórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir
Social Democrat MP since 1999 and Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group 2010-11. (b. 1965-).

2009- Minister Education, Science and Culture and Minister of Nordic Cooperation Katrin Jakobsdóttir
Vice-Chairperson of the Left-Green Alliance from 2006 and Deputy Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group 2007-09. (b. 1976-).

2009 Minister of Environment and Nordic Cooperation Kolbrún Haldórsdóttir
Left-Green MP from 1999. (b. 1955-).

2009- Minister of Justice and Church Affairs Ragna Árnadóttir
Docent of Law at the University of Iceland.

2009 Minister of Social Affairs and Social Security Ásta Ragnheiður Jóhannesdóttir
Social Democratic MP from 1995 and 1. Vice-Chairperson the Althing 2007-09 and its Chairperson from 2009. (b. 1949-)

2009- Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism Katrín Júlíusdóttir
Social Democratic MP from 2003. A son born in 1999 and she will be on maternity leave in 2012 (1974-)

2009- Minister of the Environment Svandís Svavarsdóttir
Member of the Reykjavík City Council Executive Board 2007-2009 and MP for the Left-Green Movement from 2009. (b. 1964-)

2009-10 Minister of Health Álfheidur Ingadóttir
Left-Green Party MP since 2007, Deputy Speaker of the Althing in 2009 and since 2010, Vice-Chairperson of the Parliament Group of the Left-Green Party in 2009 and since 2011. (1951-)

2011- Minister of Finance Oddný G. Hardardóttir
Social Democrat MP from 2009 and Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group in 2011. (b. 1957-)