Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
FEMALE HEADS OF
PARLIAMENTARY BODIES
BEFORE 1945
This is a list of the first
women to preside over parliamentary bodies - mainly in their capacity as
vice-chairpersons.
Also see Women
Chairs of Parliaments
1913-21 Vice-Chairperson of the Citizen's Representation Avilda Harboe Hoff, Copenhagen, Denmark
1917-18
Member of the Presidium of the 4th Extraordinary Soviet Congress,
USSR
1920-21 Member of the Executive Committee of the 8th and 9th All-Russian Soviet
Congress Aleksandra Nikolaevna Kollontaj
In 1917 Peoples' Commissioner of Social Affairs, 1923-24, 1927-30 Ambassador to
Norway, 1926-27 to Mexico, 1930-40 to Sweden.
1919-23 Chairperson Substitute of the Presidium of
the City Council of Vienna Amalie Seichel, Austria
She lived (1876-1952)
1920
Chairperson of the Constituting Session of the Constituent Seimas Gabriele Petkevièaietė,
Lithuania (15.5.20)
Possibly
in the capacity of the oldest member, she chaired the first sitting of the
Constituent Assembly pending Possibly in the capacity of the oldest
member, she chaired the first sitting of the Constituent Assembly pending the
election of a President the same day. 5 of the 149 members of the Assembly were
women
1922 President of Municipal Council Rosa Torres,
Merida, Mexico
In Yucatan women had suffrage 1922-24.
1922-28 Vice-President of the Legislature Mary
Ellen Spear Smith, British Columbia, Canada
1928 Acting President
1923 Acting Speaker Sarah Lucille Turner, Missouri, USA
1923-28 Secretary of the Burgerschaft Adele Reiche geb. Cordes, Hamburg, Germany
1925-33
Secretary of the Presidium of the Reichstag Christine Teusch, Germany
In 1919 she was member of the Nationalversamlung, 1920-33 of the Reichstag for
Zentrum, 1946-66 member of the Landtag (Assembly) and 1947-54 Minister of
Culture in the State of Nordrhein-Westphalen. She lived (1888-1968)
1927-33 Secretary of the Burgerschaft Paula Henningsen geb. Kuntze, Hamburg, Germany
1929-39 Deputy Chairperson Eveline Lowe,
London City Council, United Kingdom
1939-49 Chairperson
1929-33 2. Vice-Chairperson of Borgerrepræsentationen Karen Braae, Copenhagen, Denmark
1929-33 Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Dr. Muthulakhimi Reddi, Madras, India
1930 and 1935-37
Vice-President of the Assembly of the Leauge of Nations
Clotilde Apponyi (Hungary)
Ex Officio as Chairmen of Committees
1932-33
President-by-Age of the Reichstag Clara Zetkin, Germany
Communist, 1918-20 Member of the Landrat of Würtemberg, Member of the Reichstag
1920-33. She lived (1857-1933)
1933 Vice-President of the
Assembly of the Leauge of Nations Kerstin Hesselgren (Sweden)
Ex Officio as Chairmen of Committees
1937-39
Vice-President of the Cortes Dolores Ibuérra Gomez, Spain
1977 President-by-Age
For many years leader of the communist party in exile. She lived (1899-1982)
1933 Speaker of the Legislature Ivy Maude Baker Priest, Utha, USA
1937-40 Deputy Speaker Begum Aziza Rasul, ...., India
1937-41 Deputy Speaker Anasuybai Kale, CP and Bavar Assembly, India
1940 President of the Senate, Lt. Governor Mathilda R. Wilson, Michigan, USA
1943-45 2. Vice-Chairperson of Folketinget
Inger Gautier Schmidt, Denmark
1947-50 1. Vice-Chairperson and President-by-Age
Last update 17.11.04