List of female defence ministers
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|
A Ministry of Defence or Defense (see
Prime Minister of Ceylon, Sirimavo Bandaranaike
, back in 1960s.
List
Denotes incumbent defence minister
- Italics denotes an acting defence minister and minister of non-sovereign state
| Name | Image | Country | Continent | Mandate start | Mandate end | Term length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sirimavo Bandaranaike | _(Hon.Sirimavo_Bandaranaike_with_Hon.Lalith_Athulathmudali_Crop).jpg)
|
 Ceylon/ Sri Lanka
|
Asia | 21 July 1960 | 25 March 1965 | 4 years, 247 days |
| 29 May 1970 | 23 July 1977 | 7 years, 55 days | ||||
| Indira Gandhi | 
|
 India
|
Asia | 30 November 1975 | 20 December 1975 | 20 days |
| 14 January 1980 | 15 January 1982 | 2 years, 1 day | ||||
| Dame Eugenia Charles | 
|
 Dominica
|
North America | 1985 | 1990 | 5 years, 0 days |
| Benazir Bhutto | 
|
 Pakistan
|
Asia | 4 December 1988 | 6 August 1990 | 1 year, 245 days |
| Violeta Chamorro | 
|
 Nicaragua
|
North America | 25 April 1990 | 10 January 1997 | 6 years, 260 days |
| Elisabeth Rehn | 
|
 Finland
|
Europe | 13 June 1990 | 1 January 1995 | 4 years, 202 days |
| Khaleda Zia | 
|
 Bangladesh
|
Asia | 27 February 1991 | 30 March 1996 | 5 years, 32 days |
| 1 October 2001 | 29 October 2006 | 5 years, 28 days | ||||
| Kim Campbell | 
|
 Canada
|
North America | 4 January 1993 | 25 June 1993 | 172 days |
| Chandrika Kumaratunga | .jpg)
|
Sri Lanka
|
Asia | 14 November 1994 | 12 December 2001 | 7 years, 28 days |
| Anneli Taina | 
|
Finland
|
Europe | 13 April 1995 | 15 April 1999 | 4 years, 2 days |
| Sheikh Hasina | .jpg)
|
Bangladesh
|
Asia | 12 June 1996 | 15 July 2001 | 5 years, 33 days |
| 6 January 2009 | Incumbent | 15 years, 99 days | ||||
Laura Chinchilla Miranda
|
.jpg)
|
 Costa Rica[nb 1]
|
North America | 12 November 1996 | 8 May 1998 | 1 year, 175 days |
| 30 March 2008 | 14 April 2008 | 15 days | ||||
| Regina Ip | 
|
 Hong Kong
|
Asia | 31 August 1998 | 25 July 2003 | 4 years, 328 days |
| Eldbjørg Løwer | 
|
 Norway
|
Europe | 15 March 1999 | 10 March 2000 | 361 days |
| Joice Mujuru | 
|
 Zimbabwe
|
Africa | 8 June 2001 | 8 August 2001 | 61 days |
| Kristin Krohn Devold | 
|
Norway
|
Europe | 19 October 2001 | 17 October 2005 | 3 years, 363 days |
| Michelle Bachelet | 
|
 Chile
|
South America | 7 January 2002 | 1 October 2004 | 2 years, 268 days |
Cynthia Pratt
|
|
 Bahamas
|
North America | 7 May 2002 | 4 May 2007 | 4 years, 362 days |
| Michèle Alliot-Marie | 
|
 France
|
Europe | 7 May 2002 | 18 May 2007 | 5 years, 11 days |
| Željka Antunović | 
|
 Croatia
|
Europe | 30 July 2002 | 23 December 2003 | 1 year, 146 days |
| Marta Lucía Ramírez | 
|
 Colombia
|
South America | 7 August 2002 | 9 November 2003 | 1 year, 94 days |
| Lena Hjelm-Wallén |
|
 Sweden
|
Europe | 30 September 2002 | 22 October 2002 | 22 days |
| Mame Madior Boye |
|
 Senegal
|
Africa | 2 October 2002 | 4 November 2002 | 33 days |
| Leni Björklund | 
|
Sweden
|
Europe | 4 November 2002 | 6 October 2006 | 3 years, 336 days |
| Sylvia Flores |
|
 Belize
|
North America | 5 March 2003 | 5 January 2004 | 306 days |
| Filomena Mascarenhas Tipote |
|
 Guinea-Bissau
|
Africa | 23 April 2003 | 12 May 2004 | 1 year, 19 days |
| Gloria Macapagal Arroyo | 
|
 Philippines
|
Asia | 1 September 2003 | 2 October 2003 | 31 days |
| 30 November 2006 | 1 February 2007 | 63 days | ||||
| Azucena Berrutti | 
|
 Uruguay
|
South America | 1 March 2005 | 3 March 2008 | 3 years, 2 days |
| Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen | .JPG)
|
Norway
|
Europe | 17 October 2005 | 20 October 2009 | 4 years, 3 days |
| 21 September 2012 | 16 October 2013 | 1 year, 25 days | ||||
| Nilda Garré | 
|
 Argentina
|
South America | 28 November 2005 | 15 December 2010 | 5 years, 17 days |
| Solvita Āboltiņa | 
|
 Latvia
|
Europe | 23 December 2005 | 5 January 2006 | 13 days |
Linda Abu Meri
|
|
Latvia
|
Europe | 5 January 2006 | 7 April 2006 | 92 days |
| Cristina Fontes Lima |
|
 Cape Verde
|
Africa | 8 March 2006 | 21 March 2011 | 5 years, 13 days |
| Vivianne Blanlot | 
|
Chile
|
South America | 11 March 2006 | 27 March 2007 | 1 year, 16 days |
| Portia Simpson-Miller | 
|
 Jamaica
|
North America | 30 March 2006 | 11 September 2007 | 1 year, 165 days |
| 5 January 2012 | 3 March 2016 | 4 years, 58 days | ||||
| Valgerður Sverrisdóttir | 
|
 Iceland[nb 2]
|
Europe | 15 June 2006 | 24 May 2007 | 343 days |
| Vlasta Parkanová | 
|
 Czech Republic
|
Europe | 9 January 2007 | 8 May 2009 | 2 years, 119 days |
| Guadalupe Larriva | 
|
 Ecuador
|
South America | 15 January 2007 | 24 January 2007 | 9 days |
| Lorena Escudero | _(cropped).jpg)
|
Ecuador
|
South America | 2 February 2007 | 30 August 2007 | 209 days |
| Ruth Tapia Roa |
|
Nicaragua
|
North America | 16 May 2007 | 14 May 2012 | 4 years, 364 days |
| Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir | 
|
Iceland[nb 2]
|
Europe | 24 May 2007 | 1 February 2009 | 1 year, 253 days |
| Yuriko Koike | 
|
 Japan
|
Asia | 4 July 2007 | 27 August 2007 | 54 days |
| Cécile Manorohanta | 
|
 Madagascar
|
Africa | 27 October 2007 | 9 February 2009 | 1 year, 105 days |
| Carme Chacón | .jpg)
|
 Spain
|
Europe | 14 April 2008 | 22 December 2011 | 3 years, 252 days |
| Janina del Vecchio Ugalde |
|
Costa Rica[nb 1]
|
North America | 14 April 2008 | 8 May 2010 | 1 year, 177 days |
| Elsa Teixeira Pinto | .jpg)
|
 São Tomé and Príncipe
|
Africa | 22 June 2008 | 14 August 2010 | 2 years, 53 days |
| Ljubica Jelušič | 
|
 Slovenia
|
Europe | 21 November 2008 | 10 February 2012 | 3 years, 81 days |
| Rasa Juknevičienė | 
|
 Lithuania
|
Europe | 9 December 2008 | 13 December 2012 | 4 years, 4 days |
| Lindiwe Sisulu | 
|
 South Africa
|
Africa | 10 May 2009 | 12 June 2012 | 3 years, 33 days |
Bidhya Devi Bhandari
|
|
 Nepal
|
Asia | 25 May 2009 | 6 February 2011 | 1 year, 257 days |
| Angélique Ngoma |
|
 Gabon
|
Africa | 17 October 2009 | 14 January 2011 | 1 year, 89 days |
| Grete Faremo | 
|
Norway
|
Europe | 20 October 2009 | 11 November 2011 | 2 years, 22 days |
| Gitte Lillelund Bech | 
|
 Denmark
|
Europe | 23 February 2010 | 3 October 2011 | 1 year, 222 days |
| Lesego Motsumi |
|
 Botswana
|
Africa | 30 August 2010 | 7 February 2011 | 161 days |
| María Cecilia Chacón | 
|
 Bolivia
|
South America | 6 April 2011 | 26 September 2011 | 173 days |
| Iveta Radičová | .jpg)
|
 Slovakia
|
Europe | 28 November 2011 | 4 April 2012 | 128 days |
| Milica Pejanović-Đurišić | 
|
 Montenegro
|
Europe | 13 March 2012 | 28 November 2016 | 4 years, 260 days |
| Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd | 
|
Sweden
|
Europe | 29 March 2012 | 18 April 2012 | 20 days |
| Karin Enström | 
|
Sweden
|
Europe | 18 April 2012 | 3 October 2014 | 2 years, 168 days |
| Maritza Pastora Membreño Morales |
|
Nicaragua
|
North America | 14 May 2012 | 4 March 2013 | 294 days |
| Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula | .jpg)
|
South Africa
|
Africa | 12 June 2012 | 5 August 2021 | 9 years, 54 days |
| María Liz García de Arnold |
|
 Paraguay
|
South America | 25 June 2012 | 15 August 2013 | 1 year, 51 days |
| Olusola Obada | 
|
 Nigeria
|
Africa | 22 June 2012 | 11 September 2013 | 1 year, 81 days |
| Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert | .jpg)
|
 Netherlands
|
Europe | 5 November 2012 | 3 October 2017 | 4 years, 332 days |
| María Fernanda Espinosa | 
|
Ecuador
|
South America | 28 November 2012 | 23 September 2014 | 1 year, 299 days |
| Karolína Peake | 
|
Czech Republic
|
Europe | 12 December 2012 | 20 December 2012 | 8 days |
| Martha Elena Ruiz Sevilla |
|
Nicaragua
|
North America | 4 March 2013 | 19 August 2019 | 6 years, 168 days |
| Raychelle Omamo | .jpg)
|
 Kenya
|
Africa | 15 May 2013 | 14 January 2020 | 6 years, 244 days |
| Yingluck Shinawatra | 
|
 Thailand
|
Asia | 30 June 2013 | 7 May 2014 | 311 days |
| Carmen Meléndez | 
|
 Venezuela
|
South America | 5 July 2013 | 25 October 2014 | 1 year, 112 days |
| Mimi Kodheli | .jpg)
|
 Albania
|
Europe | 15 September 2013 | 11 September 2017 | 3 years, 361 days |
Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide
|
_(cropped).jpg)
|
Norway
|
Europe | 16 October 2013 | 20 October 2017 | 4 years, 4 days |
| Ursula von der Leyen | _(cropped).jpg)
|
 Germany
|
Europe | 17 December 2013 | 17 July 2019 | 5 years, 212 days |
| Roberta Pinotti | 
|
 Italy
|
Europe | 22 February 2014 | 1 June 2018 | 4 years, 99 days |
| Cadi Mané |
|
Guinea-Bissau
|
Africa | 4 July 2014 | 13 October 2015 | 1 year, 101 days |
| Marie-Noëlle Koyara | 
|
 Central African Republic
|
Africa | 17 January 2015 | 29 October 2015 | 286 days |
| 12 September 2017 | 10 June 2021 | 3 years, 271 days | ||||
| Marina Pendeš | 
|
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
Europe | 31 March 2015 | 23 December 2019 | 4 years, 315 days |
| Tina Khidasheli | .jpg)
|
 Georgia
|
Asia/Europe | 1 May 2015 | 30 July 2016 | 1 year, 90 days |
| Andreja Katič | .jpg)
|
Slovenia
|
Europe | 13 May 2015 | 13 September 2018 | 3 years, 123 days |
| Marise Payne | 
|
 Australia
|
Oceania | 21 September 2015 | 26 August 2018 | 2 years, 339 days |
| Adiato Djaló Nandigna |
|
Guinea-Bissau
|
Africa | 13 October 2015 | 2 June 2016 | 233 days |
| Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir | 
|
Iceland[nb 2]
|
Europe | 7 April 2016 | 11 January 2017 | 279 days |
| Tomomi Inada | 
|
Japan
|
Asia | 3 August 2016 | 28 July 2017 | 359 days |
| María Dolores de Cospedal | _(cropped).jpg)
|
Spain
|
Europe | 4 November 2016 | 1 June 2018 | 1 year, 209 days |
| Sylvie Goulard | _,_candidate_commissioner_for_internal_market_(48832160786)_(cropped).jpg)
|
France
|
Europe | 17 May 2017 | 19 June 2017 | 33 days |
| Radmila Šekerinska | _(cropped).jpg)
|
 North Macedonia
|
Europe | 1 June 2017 | 16 January 2022 | 4 years, 229 days |
| Florence Parly | _190907-D-BN624-0170_(48694393657)_(cropped).jpg)
|
France
|
Europe | 21 June 2017 | 20 May 2022 | 4 years, 333 days |
| Nirmala Sitharaman | _(cropped).jpg)
|
India
|
Asia | 3 September 2017 | 31 May 2019 | 1 year, 270 days |
| Olta Xhaçka | 
|
Albania
|
Europe | 11 September 2017 | 31 December 2020 | 3 years, 111 days |
| Ank Bijleveld | 
|
Netherlands
|
Europe | 26 October 2017 | 17 September 2021 | 3 years, 326 days |
| Karla Šlechtová | 
|
Czech Republic
|
Europe | 13 December 2017 | 28 June 2018 | 197 days |
| Elisabetta Trenta | .jpg)
|
Italy
|
Europe | 1 June 2018 | 5 September 2019 | 1 year, 96 days |
| Margarita Robles | .jpg)
|
Spain
|
Europe | 7 June 2018 | Incumbent | 5 years, 312 days |
| Oppah Muchinguri |
|
Zimbabwe
|
Africa | 11 September 2018 | Incumbent | 5 years, 216 days |
| Aisha Mohammed Mussa | 
|
 Ethiopia
|
Africa | 16 October 2018 | 18 April 2019 | 184 days |
| Mariya Ahmed Didi | .jpg)
|
 Maldives
|
Asia | 17 November 2018 | Incumbent | 5 years, 149 days |
| Viola Amherd | .jpg)
|
 Switzerland
|
Europe | 1 January 2019 | Incumbent | 5 years, 104 days |
| Rose Christiane Raponda | 
|
Gabon
|
Africa | 12 February 2019 | 16 July 2020 | 1 year, 155 days |
| Lanelle Tanangada |
|
 Solomon Islands
|
Oceania | 25 April 2019 | 10 October 2019 | 159 days |
| Penny Mordaunt | .jpg)
|
 United Kingdom
|
Europe | 1 May 2019 | 24 July 2019 | 84 days |
| Linda Reynolds | 
|
Australia
|
Oceania | 29 May 2019 | 25 March 2021 | 1 year, 300 days |
| Trine Bramsen | 
|
Denmark
|
Europe | 27 June 2019 | 4 February 2022 | 2 years, 222 days |
| Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer | .jpg)
|
Germany
|
Europe | 17 July 2019 | 8 December 2021 | 2 years, 144 days |
| Rosa Adelina Barahona Castro |
|
Nicaragua
|
North America | 21 August 2019 | Incumbent | 4 years, 237 days |
| Klaudia Tanner | _(cropped)_(cropped).jpg)
|
 Austria
|
Europe | 7 January 2020 | Incumbent | 4 years, 98 days |
| Monica Juma | 
|
Kenya
|
Africa | 14 January 2020 | 30 September 2021 | 1 year, 259 days |
| Zeina Akar | .jpg)
|
 Lebanon
|
Asia | 22 January 2020 | 10 September 2021 | 1 year, 231 days |
| Angelina Teny |
|
 South Sudan
|
Africa | 12 March 2020 | Incumbent | 4 years, 33 days |
| Krishna Mathoera | 
|
 Suriname
|
South America | 16 July 2020 | Incumbent | 3 years, 273 days |
| Ludivine Dedonder | 
|
 Belgium
|
Europe | 1 October 2020 | Incumbent | 3 years, 196 days |
| Essozimna Marguerite Gnakade |
|
 Togo
|
Africa | 1 October 2020[1] | Incumbent | 3 years, 196 days |
| Nuria Esparch | .jpg)
|
 Peru
|
South America | 18 November 2020 | 29 July 2021 | 253 days |
| Olivera Injac | 
|
Montenegro
|
Europe | 4 December 2020 | 28 April 2022 | 1 year, 145 days |
| Thandi Modise | .jpg)
|
South Africa
|
Africa | 6 August 2021 | Incumbent | 2 years, 252 days |
| Stergomena Tax | 
|
 Tanzania
|
Africa | 13 September 2021 | 3 October 2022 | 1 year, 20 days |
| 1 September 2023 | Incumbent | 226 days | ||||
| Anita Anand | .jpg)
|
Canada
|
North America | 26 October 2021 | 26 July 2023 | 1 year, 273 days |
| Þórdís Kolbrún R. Gylfadóttir | 
|
Iceland[nb 2]
|
Europe | 28 November 2021 | Incumbent | 2 years, 138 days |
| Christine Lambrecht | 
|
Germany
|
Europe | 8 December 2021 | 19 January 2023 | 1 year, 42 days |
| Jana Černochová | _during_a_bilateral_exchange_meeting_at_the_Pentagon_on_May_23,_2023_-_230523-D-XI929-1010_(cropped).jpg)
|
Czech Republic
|
Europe | 17 December 2021 | Incumbent | 2 years, 119 days |
| Kajsa Ollongren | .jpg)
|
Netherlands
|
Europe | 10 January 2022 | Incumbent | 2 years, 95 days |
| Slavjanka Petrovska | North Macedonia
|
Europe | 17 January 2022 | Incumbent | 2 years, 88 days | |
| Maya Fernández | .jpg)
|
Chile
|
America | 11 March 2022 | Incumbent | 2 years, 34 days |
| Helena Carreiras | .png)
|
 Portugal
|
Europe | 30 March 2022 | Incumbent | 2 years, 15 days |
| Ināra Mūrniece | 
|
Latvia
|
Europe | 14 December 2022 | Incumbent | 1 year, 122 days |
| Yuriko Backes | _09-2023_(better_crop).jpg)
|
 Luxembourg
|
Europe | 17 November 2023 | Incumbent | 149 days |
| Judith Collins | .png)
|
 New Zealand
|
Oceania | 27 November 2023 | Incumbent | 139 days |
Notes
See also
References
- ^ "Togo names new government with record number of women ministers". 2 October 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
External links
- Female Defence Ministers
- Rulers.org List of rulers throughout time and places
- Female Defense Ministers from Georgia and Norway discuss NATO, gender, civil society: interview for Caucasian Journal (2021)