Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
Female Belgium Local Leaders
In Belgium women were granted the right to be elected in 1918 but did not get the right to vote until 1945. In 1920 there were 4 female mayors and about 75 female members of local councils. 

In 1970 three Cultural Communities was established. In 1971 the Cultural Community of the French Community and the Dutch Community got autonomy. In 1973 the German Community got the same status. In 1974 the communities got ministerial committees. In 1980 three regions were established and since 1993 Belgium has been a federal state. The four areas are divided into governorates

Also see Belgium Ministers

Governors

1995-2005 Hilde Houben-Bertrand, Limburg

1998   Raymonde Dury, Administrative Arrondissement of Bruxelles-Capital

1998- Véronique Paulus de Châtelet, Administrative Arrondissement of Bruxelles-Capital

2007- Marie-Josée Laloy, Walloon Brabant
A francophone socialist PS (b. 1950-).

2008- Cathy Berx, Antwerpen

Premiers and Vice-Premiers

1974-81 Chairperson of the Executive Rika De Backer-Van Ocken, Flemish Community
She lived (1923-2002).

1981-83 Chief of the Government Cecile Goor-Eyben, Bruxelles
Former Federal Secretary of State.

1992-95 Vice-Minister President Wivina Demeester De Meyer, Flanders
Former Federal Minister and 1991-99 various portfolios in Flanders and Minister of Well-Being and Equality

1994-99 Premier Ministre Laurette Laurette Onkelinx, French Community
Later Federal Vice-Premier.

2004-08 Premier Ministre Marie Arena, French Community
Minister of the Employment and Professional Training in Walonia 2000-03 for the Francophone Socialist Party. 2003-04 Minister for the Public Services, Social Integration and Urban Development, charged with Equality and Intercultural Dialouge and Minister of Pensions and Integration from 2008. She is of Italian origin.(b. 1966-).

2004-07 Vice-Minister-President Fientje Moorman, Flanders
Also Regional Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade. She was Federal Minister of Economy, Energy, Foreign Trade and Scientific Politics 2003-04.

2004-  Vice-President of the Government Marie-Dominique Simonet, French Community
Minister of International Relations, New Technologies, Research and Higher Education in both the French Community and the Regional Government of Wallonia.

Presidents of Parliaments

1981-84 President Irene Pétry, Parlement de la Communauté Française (French Community)
Former Federal Secretary of State.

1988-92 President Antoniette Spaak, Parlement de la Communauté Française (French Community)
Former Federal Secretary of State.

1992-99 President Anne-Marie Corbisier-Hagon, Parlement de la Communauté Française (French Community)
From 2004 3. Vice-President of the Parlement de la Communauté Française de Belgique

1999-2004 President of the Parliament Magda De Galan, Conseil de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale/Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Parlement (Council of the Region of Brussels-Capital)
Former Federal Minister and Minister in the French Community

1999-2003 President of the Parliament Martine Payfa, Présidente de l’Assemblée de la Commission communautaire française  (President of the Assembly of the Commission of the French Community)

1999-2004 4th Vice-President Dorothea Schwall, Rat der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft (German Community)
She was the first woman to hold elective office in administration of the German Community.

2001-04 President Françoise Schepmans, Parlement de la Communauté Française Wallonie-Bruxelles (French Community, Wallonia-Brussels)
From 2004 1. VicePresident of the Parlement de la Communauté Française de Belgique.
(b.1960).

2004- President Isabelle Simonis, Parlement de la Communauté Française (French Community)

2006- President Marleen Vanderpoorten, Vlaams Parlement
Minister of Education 1999-2004

The Brussel Area (Bruxelles) (Since 1995 officially the Government of the Region of the Capital of Brussels (Brusselse Hoofdstedlijke Regering/Gouvernment de la Region de Bruxelles-Capitale))

1979-80 Federal Secretary and Member of the Government Council Lydia De Pauw-Deven
1980-01 Member of the Government

1980-83 Premier of the Brussel Area Cecile Goor-Eyben
1980 Federal Minister of the Region
1980-85 Federal Secretary of State of the Region

1981-85 Federal Secretary of State for Brussel Annemie Neyts-Uijtenbroeck
1999-2000 Minister of Finance and External Relations

1980-81 Federal Secretary of State in charge of and Member of the Government Council  Rika Steyaert
Same position in The Flemish Community 1979

2004- Minister of Environment and Energy Evelyne Huytebroeck
Federal Secretary of Ecolo 2002-04.

2004- Minister Brigitte Grouwels 
Minister of Brussel Affairs and Equality in the Government of Flanders 1997-99, Parliamentary Leader of CD&V in the Council of Bruxelles-Capital 1999-2004 and from 2004 Minister in the government of Bruxelles.

2004- Secretary of State of Housing and Education Françoise Dupuis
From Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the French Community 1999-2004.

The Flemish Community (Later incorporated into Vlanderen)

1974-81 Premier Rika de Backer-Van Ocken
1982-83 Federal Secretary of State in charge of and Member of the Government Council in Vlaanderen

1979 Federal Secretary of State in charge of and Member of the Government Council  of the Flemish Community Rika Steyaert
1980-81 Same position in Brussel

1980-81 Federal Secretary of State in charge of and Member of the Government Council Lucienne Herman-Michielsen

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The State and Community of Vlaanderen (Flanders)

1980-81 Federal Secretary of State and Member of the Government Council Rika Steyaert
1981 and 1985-88 Minister of Social Affairs and Health

1982-83 Secretary of State and Member of the Government Council Rika De Baker-Van Ocken

1991-99 Minister of Finance and Taxes  Wivina Demeester De Meyer
1991-92 Minister of Science
1992-99 Minister of Health
1992-95 Vice-Premier and Minister of Well-Being and Equality

1995-95 Minister of Brussel Affairs and Equality Anne Van Asbroeck

1997-99 Minister of Brussel Affairs and Equality Brigitte Grouwels 
Parliamentary Leader of CD&V in the Council of Bruxelles-Capital 1999-2004 and from 2004 Minister in the government of Bruxelles.

1999-2004 Minister of Education Marleen Vanderpoorten
President of the Flemish Parliament from 2006.
Designated to take over as President of the Parliament of Flanders in 2006.

1999-03 Minister of Public Health, Welfare and Equal Opportunities Mieke Vogels
2002-03 Minister of International Cooperation

1999-2003 Minister of Agriculture and Environment Vera Duda

2003-04 Minister of Welfare, Health, Equal Opportunities and Development Cooperation Adelheid Byttebier  
Parliamentary Leader of the Green Party in the Assembly of Bruxelles 1999-2003.

2003-04 Minister of Foreign Policy Patricia Ceysens
2003-04 and 2007- Minister of Economy, Foreign Policy and Foreign Trade
2007- Minister of Energy and Science
She was candidate for a federal ministerial post in 2004, but her party dropped her, prefering a man. ILeader of the Parliamentary Faction of the liberal VLD in the Assembly of Flanders 2004-07.

2004-07 Vice-Minister-President and Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade Fientje Moorman
Federal Minister of Economy, Energy, Foreign Trade and Scientific Politics 2003-04. She is the only female liberal minister of a total of 10 liberal ministers in all the Belgian governments.

2004- Minister of Mobility, Social Economy and Equal Opportunities Kathleen Van Brempt
Until 2003 SP.a member of European Parliament and 2003-04 Federal Secretary of State for Organisation of the Labour and for Welfare at Work attached to the minister of Labour and Pensions. Mother of a daughter in 2007. (b. 1969-).

2004-07 Minister Welfare, Health and Family Inge Vervotte
Member of the federal parliament from 2007 and Federal Minister of Civil Service and State Entreprizes from 2007. (b. 1977-).

2007- Minister of Public Works, Energy and Environment Hilde Crevits
(b. 1967-).

Region of Wallonie

1983-85 Minister of Housing and Computing Jacqueline Mayance-Goossens

2000-03 Minister of Employment Marie Arena
2004-08 Minister of Education
Federal Minister from 2003-04 and Minister-President of the French Community from 2004 concurrently with the position as Minister of Education of Wallonia.

2004-07 Minister of Health and Social Action Christianne Vienne

2004- Minister of International Relations, New Technologies, Research and Higher Education Marie-Dominique Simonet
She concurrently holds the same portfolio and is also Vice-President of the government of the French Community.

The French Community

1991-93 Minister of Social Affairs and Health Magda De Galen
She was Federal Minister 1993-99 and Chairperson of the Parliament of Bruxelles since 1999. 

1994-99 Minister-President Laurette Onckelinx, French Community
Also in charge of Public Works and Civil Service, Childhood and Health, Education, Adio-Visuality and Youth

1999-2004 Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Françoise Dupuis
She was President of the Conseil Provincial du Brabant de 1991-94, was Secretary of the Community Parliament 1995-99.

1999-2004 Minister of Health and Youth Nicole Marechal
She was Secretary of the Community Parliament 1995-99

1999-2000 Minister of Audio-Visual Affairs Corinne De Permentier
Vice-President of the Chamber of Representatives since 2004.

2004-08 Minister-President and Minister of Education Marie Arena
Concurrently Minister of Education in the Region of Wallonia. She was Regional Minister of the Employment and Professional Training in Walonia 2000-03 and 2003-04 Federal Minister for the Public Services, Social Integration and Urban Development, charged with Equality and Intercultural Dialouge and Federal Minister of Pensions and Integration from 2008. She is of Italian origin. (b. 1966-).

2004-  Vice-President and Minister of International Relations, New Technologies, Research and Higher Education Marie-Dominique Simonet
She holds the same portfolio in the government of Wallonia, though she is not vice-president here.

2004- Minister of Health, Children and Youth Support Catherine Doyen-Fonck
Federal Deputy from 2003. (b. 1968-).

2004- Minister of Culture, Audiovisuel Affairs and Youth Fadila Laanan
Also Member of the Collège de la Commission communautaire française (Cocof). Of Morrocan origin. From 2004 there are two male ministers in the government. (b. 1967-).

German Community (Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft und Freistaat)

2004- Minister of Cultural, Media, Youth, Protection of Sights, Youth- and Adult Aducation Isabelle Weykmans
Former Political Advisor of the Regional Minister of Education. (b. 1989-).

Parliaments in Provinces

..........

1991-94 President of the Provincial Council  Françoise Dupuis, Province of Brabant
Secretary of the Community Parliament 1995-99, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the French Community 2000-04 and Secretary of State of Housing in Bruxelles from 2004.

2000- President of the Provincial Council Marcelle Charlier-Guillaume, Province de Luxembourg belge

2000-04 President of the Provincial Council Maryse Declercq-Robert, Province de Namur
From 2004 Member of the Permanent Deputation - the Provincial Government.
 

Last update 28.04.08