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Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
CURRENT
FEMALE PRESIDENTS
OF PARLIAMENTS
AND
PARLIAMENTARY BODIES
Also see
Female Presidents of Parliaments 1920-2007
Female Heads of Assembly prior to the 20th Century
Female Heads of Parliamentary Bodies
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1999-
Speaker of the National Assembly Ntlhoi Motsamai, Lesotho
2002- Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community
Parliamentary Forum
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She
was Deputy Speaker 1996-99. |
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1999-
President of the Asembleia Legislativa Susana Chou Lei, The Special
Administrative Region of Macau (China) |
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Member of the Legislative Assembly since 1976.
(b. 1941-) |
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2000-
Speaker of the House of Representatives Alix Boyd Knights, Dominica
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Former human Right's Advocate |
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Around 2000- President of the Kotu Nui The Tika Mataiapo Dorice
Reid, Cook Islands (In Free Association with New Zealand) |
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The
Kotu Nui or Council of Chiefs is a council consisting of sub-chiefs.
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2001-
Presiding Officer of the House of Assembly Anne Mitchell-Gift, Tobago
(Trinidad and Tobago) |
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Head
Librarian of Tobago, a self-ruling island. |
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2002-
Speaker of The Országgyülés Dr. Szili Katalin, Hungary |
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Dr.
Szili was Political State Secretary of Environmental Protection 1994-98
and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly 1998-2002. Unsuccessful
Presidential Candidate in 2005. As Speaker she is Deputy Head of state.
(b. 1956-). |
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2003- Co-President of the Polish-Ukrainian Parliamentary Assembly
Jolanta Danielak (Poland) |
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From 2001 Vice-Marshall of the Polish Senate. (b. 1954-). |
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2004- Speaker of the House of Representatives D. Gisele Isaac-Arrindell,
Antigua and Barbuda |
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Giselle Isaac is
the
country's third Speaker, she was the second woman to be appointed
Speaker of the House - but the first woman was not elected to the
House until 2004. She is a social activist and novelist. |
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2004-
President of the General Council Nassimah Magnolia Dindar, Réunion
(French Oversea's Territory) |
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As
President of the General Council she is also Head of the Government. She
was Vice-President of the Regional Council 2001-04 (b. 1960-). |
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2004- President of the Parliament of the African Union Gertrude
Ibengwe Mongolla (Tanzania) |
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Tanzanian Minister of State by the Prime Minister 1982-86, 1986-89
Minister of National Resources and Tourism, 1989-90 Minister without
Portfolio by Premier Minister
Between 1990-93 Ambassador to India, 1993-95 Secretary General for
United Nations-Women's Conference, 1996-2004 Special Representative of
the Secretary General of the United Nations on Women’s Development.
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2005- President the Senate Hazelyn Francis, Antigua and Barbuda |
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A
retired educator, she was Senate Vice-President 2004-05. |
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2005-
Speaker of the
Legislative Assembly
Edna Moyle, Cayman Islands (British External Territory) |
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She
has been Secretary to the Governor, Deputy Clerk of the Legislative
Assembly and Member of the Assembly since 1992, 1996-2000 as Deputy
Speaker and Minister of Community Development, Sports, Youth Affairs
and Culture 2000-01. |
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2005- President of the Kuvendi i Shqipërisë Jozefina Topalli, Albania |
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She
was Deputy President of the Assembly of Albania 1997-2005 and is also
Vice-President of the Democratic Party. (b. 1963-). |
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2006-
President of the Senate Chief Gelane Zwane, Swaziland |
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The Deputy President of the Senate since 2003, she became bcting
President of the Senate when the former President became Foreign
Minister on 24 February and was elected to the post and later elected to
the post. on 31. March. She was Acting Chief of koNtjingila in the
Shiselweni region in 2004. |
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2006- President of the
Indigenous Parliament of America Isabel Ortega (Bolivia) |
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2005-06 2. Vice-president of the Indigenous Parliament of America and
2005 2. Vice-president of the Cámera de Diputados in Bolivia.
(1959-) |
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2006-
Lord Speaker of the House of Lords Baroness Hayman, The United
Kingdom of Great Britain |
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Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of Environment, Transport and The
Regions 1997-98, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of Health
1998-99, Minister of State of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
1999-2001 and Privy Councillor since 2001. Helen Hayman was
created Baroness Hayman, of Darmunt Park in 1996.
(b. 1949-). |
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2006- President of
the
Asamblea Nacional
Cilia Flores,
Venezuela |
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Human Rights Lawyer,
Co-founder and member of the Executive Commitee of
Movimiento Quinta República, MP from 2000, and Coordinator of the MVR
Group 2003-04. She is married to Foreign Minister Nicolás Maduro, Former President of the Assembly. |
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2006- President of
the Nationalrat
Barbara Prammer,
Austria |
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As Vice-President of the National Assembly she assumed the
Presidential duties together with the two other members of the
Presidium, when the outgoing President died two days before his
successor was to take office in July 2004. She is a former Federal
Minister and leading member of the Social Democrats of Austria, SPÖ.
(b.
1954-). |
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2006- Chairperson of the Tweede
Kamer
Gerdi Verbeet, The Netherlands |
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Social Democrat MP from 2001, she was
Member of the Presidium 2005-06. (b. 1951-).
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2006- President of the House of Ariki Ada Rongomatane Ariki,
Cook Islands (Free Association with New Zealand) |
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Her full name is
Rongomatane Ada Teaupurepure
Tetupu Ariki and she is the Rongomatane Ariki of the Ngati
Paruarangi Tribe in Atiu |
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2006- Chairperson of the Mejlis
Akja
Nurberdiyeva, Turkmenistan |
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Also known as Akja
Tajiyevna, Akdja,
Akça and Nurberdyyeva.
When the eccentric authoritarian President Saparmurat
Niyazov the Chairman of the Mejlis should have become acting
president in accordance with the constitution, but he was removed
from office and instead a Vice-Premier became Interim Head of State
and she took over the Chairmanship of the Parliament and in February
the following year she was elected to the post on a permanent basis. She has been
the Vice-Chair since 2003. |
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2006-
Chairperson of the Inuit Circumpolar
Council Patricia A. Cochran (Alaska) |
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In 2006 the Inuit Circumpolar Conference changed its
name to Council. |
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2007-
Speaker of the House of Represenatives
Nancy Pelosi, United States of America |
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Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi has
been an
MP since 1987, she was Whip of the Democratic Party
2001-02 before becoming Minority Leader in 2002. As Speaker of the
House she is the Presiding Officer but also have great influence
over the committee process, and the Head of the House Majority
Party. Mother of 4 daughters and 1 son. (b. 1940-).
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2007-08 President of the Senate Dr Rosemarie Husbands Mathurin, St. Lucia
2008- Speaker of the House of Assembly |
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Independent Senator from 2007. |
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2007- Chairperson of the Riigikogu Ene Ergma, Estonia |
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She
is D.Sc. in physics and mathematics, Professor since 1988 and
Vice-President of the Estonian Academy of Sciences 1999-2003. Parliament
Chair 2003-07 and Vice-Chair 2006-07 and Presidential Candidate in 2006. As
Parliament Chair she was also Deputy Head of State. (b. 1944-).
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2007- Chairperson of Folktinget Ulla-Maj Wideroos in Finland |
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Group Secretary of Swedish People's Party 1995-99, Deputy Group
Chairperson 1999 and Parliamentary Leader, Group Chairperson
1999-2003 and again from 2007. Second Minister of Finance and Minister of Nordic Cooperation 2003-07. The two other candidates for the post of Chair of the Assembly of the Finish speaking people in Finland were also women. |
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2007- President of the Senate Lynn Holowesko, Bahamas |
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Lawyer, Ambassador for the Environment 1995-2000,
Senator 2000-2002 and from 2007. (b. in USA 1935-). |
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2007-
President of the Andean Parliament Ivonne Juez de Abdel-Baki (Ecuador) |
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Ivonne Leyla Juez Abuchakra de Abdel-Baki is also known as Ivonne Juez
Abuchakra de Abdel-Baki or Ivonne A-Baki, as she is normally known, was
ambassador to USA 1999-2002, Presidential Candidate 2002 and Minister of External Commerce
2003-05. |
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2008- Speaker
of the Legislature Judith Won Pat, Guam (United States External
Territory) |
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The Democratic majority took control of the legislature, as the
Republican minority refused to give up their leadership-positions,
about one year before the new legislature takes office. |
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2008-
President of the Senate
Andrea Gill, Belize |
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No information about her background has been provided
about her. The Senate Vice-President is Dr. Deborah Mencias McMillan
and 3 other of the 12 Senators are women, but there are no female
members of the House of Representatives and no women in the
government. |
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2008- Speaker of the National Assembly Dr. Fahmida Mirza, Pakistan |
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Also known as Fehmida, she is a medical doctor, and has been MP for Pakistan People's Party
since 1997. (b. 1956-).
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2008- Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of
the Oliy
Majlis Diloram Gafurjanovna Tashmukhamedova, Uzbekistan |
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Her name is also
transcribed as Dilorom Tashmukhamedova. She was
First Secretary of the Political Council of Social and Democratic Party of
Uzbekistan “Adolat” (“Justice”), Head of the Parliamentary Faction and Presidential Candidate in 2007
and received 2,9% of the vote.
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2008- President
of the
Skupština
Slavica Đukić-Dejanović, Serbia |
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Dukic-Dejanovic is Vice-President of the
Socijalističke partije Srbije |
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2008- President of the Senate Joan Purcell, Grenada |
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Minister of Labour and Women 1984-85, Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Women's Affairs
1990-93,
Minister of Works, Community Development, Public Utilities and Women
1993-95 and Minister of Information,
Carriacou and Petit Martinique Affairs
1995
Twice Acting Prime Minister and from around 1996 Deputy Leader and 1998-99 acting Leader of the National Democratic
Congress and Candidate for the post of Prime Minister, MP for
Carriacou and Petit
Martinique till 1999, when The New National Party won all 15 seats in the House
of Representatives.
Appointed Senator in 2008. As Senate President she is also Deputy to the
Governor General.
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2008- President of the Umutwe w'Abadepite Rose Mukantabana,
Rwanda |
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Member of the
/La Chambre des Députés/Chamber of Deputies from 2008, which has 56%
female members, the highest number in the world. Before the elections
the number was
48,8%. Second is Sweden with
45,3. |
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2008-09 President
of the National Council Chiara Simoneschi-Cortesi, Switzerland |
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Former Member
of the Grand Council of Ticino and it's President 1998-99, Member of the
National Council from 1999, it's Second
Vice-President 2006-07
and First Vice-President
2007-08.
(b. 1946-) |
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2008- President of the
Camera
Deputaţilor Roberta Anastase, Romania |
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MP for the Democratic Party
2004-07 and from 2008 and Secretary of the Parliamentary Group 2004-05,
Observer to European Parliament 2005-06 and elected member 2007-08. (b.
1976-). |
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2009- Speaker of the Parliament
Joyce Bamford-Addo, Ghana |
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Retired Supreme Court Judge in 2003. (b. 1941-). |
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2009- Speaker of the House of Representatives
Jennifer Gonzáles Colón, Puerto Rico (USA External Territory) |
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MP from 2002. Vice-Chairperson of the Republican
Party. (b. 1976-). |
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2009 President
of the Nordic Council Sinikka Bohlin (Sweden) |
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Swedish Social Democrat MP
from 1988 and Vice-President of the Nordic Council 2006-09. (b. 1947-). |
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2009
President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council
Sylvie Lucas (Luxembourg) |
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Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations 1995-2003,
Ambassador to Portugal and Cape Verde 2003-04 and worked in the Foreign
Ministry until she became UN Ambassador in 2008.
(b. 1965-). |
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2009-
Chairperson
of
the Alþing
Ásta R. Jóhannesdóttir, Iceland |
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Social Democratic MP from
2000, Vice-Chairperson
of the Alþing 2007-09
and Minister of Social Affairs in 2009. (b. 1949-). |
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2009- Speaker of the Lok SabhaMeira Kumar,
India |
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Former
diplomat,
MP from 1985, General-Secretary, All India
Congress Committee 1990-1992 and 1996-1999,
Union Minister of Social Justice and
Empowerment 2004-09
and
Union
Minister for Water Resources in 2009. She is a
Dalit, a member of India’s lowest caste and married to a Supreme
Court Lawyer. (b. 1945-). |
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2009-
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Mary Lawrence, Cayman Islands
(United Kingdom External Territory) |
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Independent politician since 1968, teacher and
community worker. |
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2009-
Speaker
Elizabeth Yaminde Renner, Malawi |
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Teacher, School Principal, Nominated Member of
Parliament 1990-04 and from 2009, Deputy Ombudsman 2007-09. (b. ca.
1950-). |
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2009-
President of the National Assembly Tsetska Tsacheva, Bulgaria |
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Former
Vice-President of the World Bank and MP from 2009. |
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2009- Speaker of
the Seimas
Irena Degutiené, Lithuania |
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Medical Doctor, 1994-97 Vice-Minister of Health, Minister of
Labour and Social Affairs 1997-2000, Acting Prime Minister twice in
1999 and Deputy Speaker of the Seimas.(b. 1949-). |
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2009-
President of the Dom Naroda
Dušanka Majkić, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
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Former Chairperson of the Serbian Caucus in the House of Peoples of the
Federation. |
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2009-
Speaker of the National Assembly Margaret Nasha,
Botswana |
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Former TV-journalist and Civil
Servant, 1991-94 Ambassador to United Kingdom,
1994-97 Assistant Minister and
1997-98 Minister of Local Government, Lands and Housing,
1998-99 Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Affairs and
1999-2009 Minister of Local Government. |
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2009-10 President of the National Council Pascale Bruderer
Wyss, Switzerland |
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Socialist MP, she was 2. Vice-President 2007-08 and 1. Vice-President
2008-09. |
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2009-10 President of the Council of Estates Erika Forster-Vannini,
Switzerland |
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Liberal Councillor,
she was 2. Vice-President 2007-08 and 1. Vice-President 2008-09. |
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2010- President of Assembleia da República
Veronica
Nataniel
Macamo, Mozambique |
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Veronica Macamo was Vice-President of the Assembly from 1999, the last
years as the First Deputy. Also member of the Pan African Parliament. |
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2010- President of the Senado Ana
María Romero
de Campero,
Bolivia |
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Minister of Information in 1979 and
Later Public Defender or Ombudsperson. |
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2010-
President of the National
Transition Council Rabiatou Serah Diallo, Guinea |
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The Secretary General of the
Workers Confederation, she was one of the two candidates
which received the same number of votes when the
opposition decided on who to nominate as Prime Minister.
The Military Junta nominated the man and instead she
became head of the interim
legislative body composed of 101 Guineans from civil
society, political parties, religious groups as well as
members of the ruling junta's council during the period
of transition until the first democratic elections since
1958. (b. 1949-). |
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2010- President of the Cámera de
Representantes Ivonne
Passada, Uruguay |
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Member of the House from 2005. (b. 1956-). |
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2010- Speaker of the House of Assembly Barbara Webster-Bourne,
Anguilla (UK External Territory)
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An educator, she was appointed to the position after the elections in
which no women were elected. |
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2010-11 President of the Cámera de Diputados Alejandra
Sepúlveda
Orbenes, Chile |
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In 2006 her party, the
Partido Demócrata Cristiano, DC,
had chosen her to take over the presidency of the Chamber of Deputies in 2008, but
she left the party in January 2008. Vice-President of DC 2001-03 and MP
from 2002. (b. 1965-). |
Last
update 11.03.10
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