Women In Politics Essay, Research Paper
Here are some facts about women who have served
or are currently serving in the U.S. Congress.
There have been 200 women elected or
appointed to the U.S. Congress. Jeannette
Rankin, Republican from Montana, was the
first woman elected to serve in Congress. On
November 9, 1916, she was elected to the
House of Representatives as Montana’s
Representative-at-Large to the 65th Congress; she served from
1917-1919. Since that time 199 other women have served in
Congress.
There are a record number of women serving in the 106th
Congress: 58 in the House and 9 in the Senate.
There have been 178 women elected to the House of
Representatives. Of these, 37 were elected to fill vacancies caused
by their husbands’ deaths.
There have been 27 women elected to the Senate. Of these, 7 were
elected to fill vacancies caused by their husbands’ deaths. Five
women went from the House to the Senate.
Edith Nourse Rogers, Republican from
Massachusetts, holds the record for the
longest service by a woman in the House of
Representatives. Originally elected to fill the
vacancy caused by her husband’s death, she
served from June 25, 1925, until her death on
September 10, 1960.
Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtineor, a
Republican from Florida, was first elected in
1989. She is the first Hispanic woman and
first Cuban American to serve in Congress.
Representative Nydia Velazquez, a
Democrat from New York, was elected in
1992 and became the first Puerto Rican
woman to serve in Congress.
Women Political Leaders -Historical and
Current
Country
Name
Reign
Argentina
President Isabel Per?n
1974-1976
Lesser Armenia
Queen Zabel
1219-1226
Bangladesh
Prime Minister Khaleda
Zia
1991-1996
Bangladesh
Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina Wajed
1996-present
Bermuda
Premier Pamela Gordon
1997-1998
Bermuda
Premier Jennifer Smith
1998-present
Bolivia
Prime Minister Lidia
Gueiler
1979-1980
Burundi
Prime Minister Sylvie
Kinigi
1993-1994
Byzantium
(Roman Empire)
Empress Theodora
1055-1056
Cambodia
Queen Kossamak (joint
ruler)
1955-1960
Canada
Prime Minister Kim
Campbell
1993 (4 months)
Central African
Republic
Prime Minister Elizabeth
Domitien
1974-1976
China
Empress Wu Chao
655-705
China
Dowager Empress Tsu-Hsi
1861-1908
Denmark
Queen Margaret I
1387-1412
Denmark
Queen Margrethe II
1972-present
Dominica
Prime Minister Mary
Eugenia Charles
1980-1995
Egypt
Queen Hatshepsut
1501-1498 B.C.
Egypt
Queen Eje
1351-1350 B.C.
Egypt
Queen Arsinoe II (joint
ruler)
279-270 B.C.
Egypt
Queen Berenice
81-80 B.C.
Egypt
Queen Cleopatra VII
51-50 B.C.
Ethiopia
Empress Waizero
1916-1930
Finland
President Tarja Halonen
2000-present
France
Prime Minister Edith
Cresson
1991-1992
Great Britain
Queen Jane (Lady Jane
Grey)
1553 (9 days)
Great Britain
Queen Mary I
1553-1558
Great Britain
Queen Elizabeth I
1558-1603
Great Britain
Queen Mary II (joint ruler)
1689-1702
Great Britain
Queen Anne
1702-1714
Great Britain
Queen Victoria
1837-1901
Great Britain
Queen Elizabeth II
1952-present
Great Britain
Prime Minister Margaret
Thatcher
1979-1990
Guyana
President Janet Jagan
1997-1999
Haiti
Provisional President Erita
Pascal-Trouillot
1990
Haiti
Prime Minister Claudette
Werleigh
1995-1996
Hungary
Queen Mary
1382-1387
Hungary
Queen Elizabeth
1439-1440
Hungary
Queen Maria Theresa
1740-1780
Iceland
President Vigdis
Finnbogad?ttir
1980-1996
India
Prime Minister Indira
Gandhi
1966-1977,
1980-1984
Ireland
President Mary Robinson
1990-1997
Ireland
President Mary McAleese
1997-present
Israel and Judah
Queen Athaliah
842-837 B.C.
Israel
Prime Minister Golda Meir
1969-1974
Italy
Queen Theodelinda
590
Italy
Queen Joanna I of Naples
1343-1381
Italy
Queen Maria of Sicily
1377-1402
Italy
Queen Joanna II of Naples
1414-1435
Japan
Empress Suiko Tenno
593-628
Japan
Empress Kogyoku
642-645
Japan
Empress Jito
686-697
Japan
Empress Gemmyo
703-724
Japan
Empress Koken
(abdicated)
749-758
Japan
Empress Shotuku-Koken
764-770
Latvia
President Vaira
Vike-Freiberga
1999-present
Lithuania
Prime Minister Kazimicra
Prunskiene
1990-1992
Madagascar
Queen Ranavalona I
1828-1861
Madagascar
Queen Rasoaherina
1863-1868
Madagascar
Queen Ranavalona II
1868-1883
Madagascar
Queen Ranavalona III
(deposed)
1883-1896
Netherlands
Queen Wilhelmina
(abdicated)
1890-1948
Netherlands
Queen Juliana
1948-1980
Netherlands
Queen Beatrix
1980-present
Netherlands
Antilles
Prime Minister Maria
Liberia-Peters
1984-1986,
1988-1993
Netherlands
Antilles
Prime Minister Susanne
Camelia-Romer
1993, 1998-present
New Zealand
Prime Minister Jenny
Shipley
1997-1999
New Zealand
Prime Minister Helen
Clark
1999-present
Nicaragua
President Maria Liberia
Peres
1984-1985
Nicaragua
President Violeta
Barriosde Chamorro
1990-1997
Norway
Queen Margaret
1387-1412
Norway
Prime Minister Gro Harlem
Brundtlandt
1981 and 1986
Pakistan
Prime Minister Benazir
Bhutto
1988-1990,
1993-1996
Panama
President Mireya Moscoso
1999-present
Philippines
President Maria Corazon
Aquino
1986-1992
Poland
Queen Hedwige
1384-1399
Poland
Prime Minister Hanna
Suchocka
1992-1993
Portugal
Queen Maria I
1777-1816
Portugal
Queen Maria II
1826-1828
Portugal
Queen Maria III
1834-1853
Portugal
Prime Minister Maria de
Lourdes Pintasilgo
1979 (149 days)
Roman Empire
Empress Irene
797-802
Russia
Queen Tamara
1184-1212
Russia
Empress Catherine I
1725-1727
Russia
Empress Anna Ivanovna
1730-1740
Russia
Empress Elizabeth
Petrovna
1741-1762
Russia
Empress Catherine II (The
Great)
1762-1796
Rwanda
Prime Minister Agathe
Uwilingiyimana
1993-1994
St. Lucia
Governor-General
Pearlette Louisy
1997-present
Scotland
Queen Mary Stuart
(executed)
1542-1567
Seminole Nation
Betty Mae Jumper
1960-1969
Spain
Queen Dona Urraca
1109-1126
Spain
Queen Juana I
1274-1307
Spain
Queen Juana II
1328-1349
Spain
Queen Dona Blanca
1425-1441
Spain
Queen Isabella I (joint
ruler)
1474-1504
Spain
Queen Catalina de Albret
1481-1512
Spain
Queen Isabella II
1833-1868
Sri Lanka
Queen Anula
47-42 B.C.
Sri Lanka
Queen Sivali
35 B.C.
Sri Lanka
Queen Lilavati
1197-1200,
1209-1212
Sri Lanka
Queen Kalyanavati
1202-1208
Sri Lanka
Prime Minister Sirimavo
Bandaranaike
1960-1965,
1970-1977,
1994-present
Sri Lanka
President Chandrika
Kumaratunga
1994-present
Sweden
Queen Christina
(abdicated)
1632-1654
Sweden
Queen Ulrica Eleonora
(abdicated)
1718-1720
Tonga
Queen Salote Tubou III
1918-1965
Turkey
Prime Minister Tansu ?iller
1993-1996