List of first women governors and chief ministers

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This is a list of reportedly first women who have been elected or appointed governor and/or chief minister of their respective states, provinces or dependent territories. It may or may not be accurate, given that in some countries the first woman governor may not be in reliable sources, specially ancient times female governors.

List

  Denotes incumbent governors and/or chief ministers
  • Italics denotes acting governors and/or chief ministers that are either de facto (with limited to no international recognition) or defunct.
Name Image Country Continent Office Mandate start Mandate end Term length
Sigrid Sture  Sweden Europe Governor of
Stranda Hundred
 1577 1613 36 years
Ebba Lodden  Norway Europe Governor of Aust-Agder 1974 1983 9 years
Agnes Lukudi[1]  Sudan Africa Governor of Bahr-al-Jabal 1994 1998 4 years
Gu Xiulian  China Asia Governor of Jiangsu 1983 1989 6 years
Sarojini Naidu  India Asia Governor of United Provinces 15 August 1947 2 March 1949 1 year, 199 days
Elmira Minita Gordon  Belize North America Governor-General of Belize 21 September 1981 17 November 1993 12 years, 57 days
Louise Lake-Tack  Antigua and Barbuda North America Governor of Antigua and Barbuda 17 July 2007 14 August 2014 7 years, 28 days
Christina Scott  United Kingdom North America Governor of Anguilla 2013 2017 4 years
Hannele Pokka  Finland Europe Governor of Lapland 1994 2008 14 years
Artemisia II of Caria  Achaemenid Empire Asia Governor of Caria 353 BC 351 BC 2 years
Ra'ana Liaquat Ali Khan  Pakistan Asia Governor of Sindh 15 February 1973 28 February 1976 3 years, 13 days
Olga Boettcher  Chile South America Governor of La Unión 1941 ?
Alicia Lemme  Argentina South America Governor of San Luis 23 December 2001 10 December 2003 1 year, 352 days
Ana Francisca de Borja y Doria

(First female governor in South America)

 Habsburg Spain South America Governor of Viceroyalty of Peru 7 June 1668 12 November 1668 158 days
Mirta Ramona Mendoza[2]  Paraguay South America Governor of Concepción 2003 2008 5 years
Josefina Valencia Muñoz  Colombia South America Governor of Valle del Cauca 21 September 1955 16 September 1956 361 days
Griselda Álvarez  Mexico North America Governor of Colima 1979 1985 6 years
Margaret of Austria  Burgundy Europe Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands March 18, 1507 December 1, 1530 23 years, 258 days
Beatriz de la Cueva
(First female governor of North America and all the Americas) 		 Castile North America Governor of the Captaincy General of Guatemala 9 September 1541 11 September 1541 2 days
Nellie Taylor Ross

(First female American governor) 		 United States North America
Governor
of
 Wyoming 		5 January 1925 3 January 1927 1 year, 363 days
Miriam A. Ferguson  United States North America Governor of
 Texas 		20 January 1925 17 January 1927 1 year, 362 days
Lurleen Wallace  United States North America
Governor
of
 Alabama 		16 January 1967 7 May 1968 1 year, 362 days
Elizabeth Marcos-Keon[3][citation needed]  Philippines Asia Governor of
Ilocos Norte 		30 December 1971 23 March 1983 11 years, 83 days
Ella T. Grasso (First female governor in the US who was elected on her own right)[a]
  United States North America
Governor
of
 Connecticut 		8 January 1975 31 December 1980 5 years, 358 days
Imelda Marcos  Philippines Asia Governor of
Metro Manila[b] 		27 February 1975 25 February 1986 10 years, 363 days
Dixy Lee Ray  United States North America
Governor
of
 Washington 		12 January 1977 14 January 1981 4 years, 2 days
Vesta M. Roy  United States North America Acting Governor of
 New Hampshire 		29 December 1982 6 January 1983 8 days
Martha Layne Collins  United States North America Governor of
 Kentucky 		13 December 1983 8 December 1987 3 years, 360 days
Madeleine Kunin  United States North America Governor of
 Vermont 		20 January 1985 20 January 1991 6 years, 0 days
Iolanda Fleming  Brazil South America
Governor
of
 Acre 		14 May 1986 15 March 1987 305 days
Kay A. Orr  United States North America
Governor
of
 Nebraska 		9 January 1987 9 January 1991 4 years, 0 days
Rose Mofford  United States North America
Governor
of
 Arizona 		4 April 1988 6 March 1991 2 years, 336 days
Rosemary Follett  Australia Oceania Chief Minister of the
 Australian Capital Territory 		11 May 1989 5 December 1989 208 days
6 June 1991 2 March 1995 3 years, 269 days
Carmen Lawrence  Australia Oceania Premier of
 Western Australia 		12 February 1990 16 February 1993 3 years, 4 days
Joan Kirner  Australia Oceania Premier of
 Victoria 		10 August 1990 6 October 1992 2 years, 57 days
Sharon Pratt  United States North America Mayor of the
 District of Columbia 		2 January 1991 2 January 1995 4 years, 0 days
Joan Finney  United States North America
Governor
of
 Kansas 		14 January 1991 9 January 1995 3 years, 360 days
Barbara Roberts  United States North America Governor of
 Oregon 		14 January 1991 9 January 1995 3 years, 360 days
Rita Johnston  Canada North America Premier of
 British Columbia 		2 April 1991 5 November 1991 217 days
Nellie Cournoyea  Canada North America Premier of
 Northwest Territories 		14 November 1991 22 November 1995 4 years, 8 days
Catherine Callbeck  Canada North America Premier of
 Prince Edward Island 		25 January 1993 9 October 1996 3 years, 258 days
María Antonia Martínez  Spain Europe President of the
 Region of Murcia 		28 April 1993 26 June 1995 2 years, 59 days
Laurette Onkelinx  Belgium Europe Minister-President of the
 French Community 		6 May 1993 13 July 1999 6 years, 68 days
Heide Simonis  Germany Europe
Minister-President
of
 Schleswig-Holstein 		19 May 1993 27 April 2005 11 years, 343 days
Christine Todd Whitman  United States North America Governor of
 New Jersey 		18 January 1994 16 January 2001 6 years, 364 days
Roseana Sarney  Brazil South America
Governor
of
 Maranhão 		1 January 1995 5 April 2002 7 years, 94 days
17 April 2009 10 December 2014 5 years, 237 days
Waltraud Klasnic  Austria Europe Governor of
 Styria 		23 January 1996 25 October 2005 9 years, 275 days
Valentina Bronevich  Russia Eurasia Governor of  Koryak Autonomous Okrug 17 November 1996 3 December 2000 4 years, 16 days
Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri  South Africa Africa Premier of
Free State 		18 December 1996 15 June 1999 2 years, 179 days
Jeanne Shaheen  United States North America Governor of
 New Hampshire 		9 January 1997 9 January 2003 6 years, 0 days
Dipuo Peters  South Africa Africa Premier of the
Northern Cape 		11 May 1998 6 May 2009 10 years, 360 days
Nancy Hollister  United States North America
Governor
of
 Ohio 		31 December 1998 11 January 1999 11 days
Fusae Ohta  Japan Asia Governor of
 Osaka 		5 February 2000 4 February 2008 7 years, 364 days
Yoshiko Shiotani  Japan Asia Governor of
 Kumamoto 		16 April 2000 15 April 2008 7 years, 365 days
Pat Duncan  Canada North America Premier of
 Yukon 		6 May 2000 30 November 2002 2 years, 208 days
Akiko Dōmoto  Japan Asia Governor of
 Chiba 		2001 2009 8 years, 0 days
Judy Martz  United States North America
Governor
of
 Montana 		1 January 2001 3 January 2005 4 years, 2 days
Sila María Calderón  United States North America Governor of
 Puerto Rico 		2 January 2001 2 January 2005 4 years, 0 days
Ruth Ann Minner  United States North America
Governor
of
 Delaware 		3 January 2001 20 January 2009 8 years, 17 days
Teresita S. Lazaro
  Philippines Asia Governor of
Laguna 		30 January 2001 30 June 2010 9 years, 151 days
Jane Swift  United States North America Governor of
 Massachusetts 		10 April 2001 2 January 2003 1 year, 267 days
Clare Martin  Australia Oceania Chief Minister of
 Northern Territory 		18 August 2001 26 November 2007 6 years, 100 days
Dalva Figueiredo  Brazil South America
Governor
of
 Amapá 		5 April 2002 1 January 2003 271 days
Benedita da Silva  Brazil South America
Governor
of
 Rio de Janeiro 		6 April 2002 1 January 2003 270 days
Linda Lingle  United States Oceania Governor of
 Hawaii 		2 December 2002 6 December 2010 8 years, 4 days
Wilma de Faria  Brazil South America
Governor
of
 Rio Grande do Norte 		1 January 2003 31 March 2010 7 years, 89 days
Jennifer Granholm  United States North America Governor of
 Michigan 		1 January 2003 1 January 2011 8 years, 0 days
Harumi Takahashi  Japan Asia
Governor
of
 Hokkaido 		23 April 2003 22 April 2019 15 years, 364 days
Valentina Matviyenko  Russia Eurasia Governor of  Saint Petersburg 15 October 2003 22 August 2011 7 years, 311 days
Olene Walker  United States North America
Governor
of
 Utah 		5 November 2003 3 January 2005 1 year, 59 days
Esperanza Aguirre  Spain Europe President of the
 Community of Madrid 		8 November 2003 26 September 2012 8 years, 323 days
Kathleen Blanco  United States North America Governor of
 Louisiana 		1 January 2004 1 January 2008 4 years, 2 days
Catherine Mabuza  South Africa Africa Acting Premier of
Limpopo 		22 April 2004 26 April 2004 4 days
Nosimo Balindlela  South Africa Africa Premier of
Eastern Cape 		26 April 2004 25 July 2008 4 years, 90 days
Gabi Burgstaller  Austria Europe Governor of
 Salzburg 		28 April 2004 19 June 2013 9 years, 52 days
Edna Molewa  South Africa Africa Premier of
North West 		30 April 2004 6 May 2009 5 years, 6 days
Gwendolyn Garcia  Philippines Asia Governor of
Cebu 		30 June 2004 30 June 2013 9 years, 0 days
Grace Padaca  Philippines Asia Governor of
Isabela 		30 June 2004 30 June 2010 6 years, 0 days
Iryna Syniavska  Ukraine Europe Governor of
 Zhytomyr Oblast 		3 February 2005 16 June 2006 1 year, 133 days
Ratu Atut Chosiyah  Indonesia Asia Governor of
 Banten 		20 October 2005 13 May 2014 8 years, 205 days[c]
Nadiia Dieieva  Ukraine Europe Governor of
 Dnipropetrovsk Oblast 		11 November 2005 3 September 2007 1 year, 296 days
Maria de Lourdes Abadia  Brazil South America Governor of the
 Brazilian Federal District 		31 March 2006 1 January 2007 276 days
Vira Ulianchenko  Ukraine Europe
Governor
of
 Kyiv Oblast 		16 June 2006 20 May 2009 2 years, 338 days
Yukiko Kada  Japan Asia Governor of
 Shiga 		20 July 2006 19 July 2014 7 years, 364 days
Sarah Palin  United States North America
Governor
of
 Alaska 		4 December 2006 26 July 2009 4 years, 2 days
Ana Júlia Carepa
  Brazil South America Governor of
 Pará 		1 January 2007 1 January 2011 4 years, 0 days
Yeda Crusius  Brazil South America
Governor
of
 Rio Grande do Sul 		1 January 2007 1 January 2011 4 years, 0 days
Jum Jainudin Akbar  Philippines Asia Governor of
Basilan 		30 June 2007 30 June 2016 9 years, 0 days
Vilma Santos  Philippines Asia Governor of
Batangas 		30 June 2007 30 June 2016 9 years, 0 days
Anna Bligh  Australia Oceania Premier of
 Queensland 		13 September 2007 26 March 2012 4 years, 195 days
Lynne Brown  South Africa Africa Premier of
Western Cape 		25 July 2008 6 May 2009 1 year, 11 days
Eva Aariak  Canada North America Premier of
 Nunavut 		19 November 2008 19 November 2013 5 years, 0 days
Bev Perdue  United States North America Governor of
 North Carolina 		10 January 2009 5 January 2013 3 years, 361 days
Mieko Yoshimura  Japan Asia Governor of
 Yamagata 		14 February 2009 Incumbent 15 years, 64 days
Nomvula Mokonyane  South Africa Africa Premier of
Gauteng 		6 May 2009 21 May 2014 5 years, 15 days
Christine Lieberknecht  Germany Europe
Minister-President
of
 Thuringia 		30 October 2009 5 December 2014 5 years, 36 days
Kristina Keneally  Australia Oceania Premier of
 New South Wales 		4 December 2009 28 March 2011 1 year, 114 days
Natalya Komarova  Russia Eurasia
Governor
of  Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug 		1 March 2010 Incumbent 14 years, 48 days
Carmencita Reyes  Philippines Asia Governor of
Marinduque 		30 June 2010 7 January 2019 8 years, 191 days
Lilia Pineda  Philippines Asia Governor of
Pampanga 		30 June 2010 30 June 2019 9 years, 0 days
Sharee Ann Tan  Philippines Asia Governor of
Samar 		30 June 2010 30 June 2019 9 years, 0 days
30 June 2022 Incumbent 1 year, 293 days
Total time in office 10 years, 293 days
Hannelore Kraft  Germany Europe
Minister-President
of
 North Rhine-Westphalia 		14 July 2010 27 June 2017 6 years, 348 days
Kathy Dunderdale  Canada North America Premier of
 Newfoundland and Labrador 		3 December 2010 24 January 2014 3 years, 52 days
Susana Martinez  United States North America Governor of
 New Mexico 		1 January 2011 1 January 2019 8 years, 0 days
Mary Fallin  United States North America Governor of
 Oklahoma 		10 January 2011 14 January 2019 8 years, 4 days
Nikki Haley  United States North America Governor of
 South Carolina 		12 January 2011 24 January 2017 6 years, 12 days
Lara Giddings  Australia Oceania Premier of
 Tasmania 		24 January 2011 31 March 2014 3 years, 66 days
María Dolores de Cospedal  Spain Europe President of the Government of
 Castilla–La Mancha 		22 June 2011 1 July 2015 4 years, 9 days
Yolanda Barcina  Spain Europe President of the Government of
 Navarre 		23 June 2011 20 July 2015 4 years, 27 days
Luisa Fernanda Rudi  Spain Europe President of the Government of
 Aragon 		13 July 2011 3 July 2015 3 years, 355 days
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer  Germany Europe
Minister-President
of
 Saarland 		10 August 2011 28 February 2018 6 years, 202 days
Alison Redford  Canada North America Premier of
 Alberta 		7 October 2011 23 March 2014 2 years, 167 days
Marina Kovtun  Russia Eurasia Governor of  Murmansk Oblast 13 April 2012 21 March 2019 7 years, 8 days
Pauline Marois  Canada North America Premier of
 Quebec 		19 September 2012 23 April 2014 1 year, 216 days
Malu Dreyer  Germany Europe
Minister-President
of
 Rhineland-Palatinate 		16 January 2013 Incumbent 11 years, 93 days
Kathleen Wynne  Canada North America Premier of
 Ontario 		11 February 2013 29 June 2018 5 years, 138 days
Angelica Amante  Philippines Asia Governor of
Agusan del Norte 		30 June 2013 30 June 2019 6 years, 0 days
Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza  Philippines Asia Governor of
Cotabato 		30 June 2013 30 June 2019 6 years, 0 days
Rebecca Ynares  Philippines Asia Governor of
Rizal 		30 June 2013 30 June 2022 9 years, 0 days
Daisy A. Fuentes  Philippines Asia Governor of
South Cotabato 		30 June 2013 30 June 2019 6 years, 0 days
Susana Díaz  Spain Europe President of the Government of
 Andalusia 		5 September 2013 18 January 2019 5 years, 135 days
Svetlana Orlova  Russia Eurasia Governor of  Vladimir Oblast 23 September 2013 8 October 2018 5 years, 15 days
Iryna Sekh  Ukraine Europe Governor of
 Lviv Oblast 		2 March 2014 14 August 2014 165 days
Nicola Sturgeon  United Kingdom Europe First Minister of
 Scotland 		20 November 2014 28 March 2023 8 years, 128 days
Suely Campos  Brazil South America
Governor
of
 Roraima 		1 January 2015 10 December 2018 3 years, 343 days
Gina Raimondo  United States North America Governor of
 Rhode Island 		6 January 2015 2 March 2021 6 years, 55 days
Rhodora Cadiao  Philippines Asia Governor of
Antique 		29 January 2015 Incumbent 9 years, 80 days
Francina Armengol  Spain Europe
President of the Government
of the
 Balearic Islands 		2 July 2015 Incumbent 8 years, 291 days
Arlene Foster  United Kingdom Europe First Minister of
 Northern Ireland 		11 January 2016 9 January 2017 364 days
11 January 2020 14 June 2021 1 year, 154 days
Natalia Zhdanova  Russia Eurasia Governor of  Zabaykalsky Krai 18 February 2016 11 October 2018 2 years, 235 days
Nang Khin Htwe Myint  Myanmar Asia
Chief Minister
of
 Kayin 		30 March 2016 1 February 2021 4 years, 308 days
Lae Lae Maw
  Myanmar Asia
Chief Minister
of
 Tanintharyi 		30 March 2016 11 March 2019 2 years, 346 days
Maria Jocelyn Bernos
  Philippines Asia Governor of
Abra 		30 June 2016 Incumbent 7 years, 293 days
Marilou Cayco  Philippines Asia Governor of
Batanes 		30 June 2016 Incumbent 7 years, 293 days
Maria Luisa Romualdo  Philippines Asia Governor of
Camiguin 		30 June 2016 Incumbent 7 years, 293 days
Imelda Dimaporo  Philippines Asia Governor of
Lanao del Norte 		30 June 2016 Incumbent 7 years, 293 days
Bedjoria Soraya Adiong  Philippines Asia Governor of
Lanao del Sur 		30 June 2016 Incumbent 7 years, 293 days
Czarina Umali  Philippines Asia Governor of
Nueva Ecija 		30 June 2016 30 June 2019 3 years, 0 days
Susan Yap
  Philippines Asia Governor of
Tarlac 		30 June 2016 Incumbent 7 years, 293 days
Yuriko Koike  Japan Asia Governor of
 Tokyo 		1 August 2016 Incumbent 7 years, 261 days
Yuliya Svitlychna  Ukraine Europe Governor of
 Kharkiv Oblast 		15 October 2016 5 November 2019 3 years, 21 days
Johanna Mikl-Leitner  Austria Europe Governor of
 Lower Austria 		19 April 2017 Incumbent 6 years, 365 days
Kim Reynolds  United States North America
Governor
of
 Iowa 		24 May 2017 Incumbent 6 years, 330 days
Manuela Schwesig  Germany Europe
Minister-President
of
 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 		4 July 2017 Incumbent 6 years, 289 days
Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane  South Africa Africa Premier of
 Mpumalanga 		20 March 2018 Incumbent 6 years, 29 days
Cida Borghetti  Brazil South America
Governor
of
 Paraná 		6 April 2018 1 January 2019 270 days
Janet Mills  United States North America Governor of
 Maine 		2 January 2019 Incumbent 5 years, 107 days
Kristi Noem  United States North America Governor of
 South Dakota[4] 		5 January 2019 Incumbent 5 years, 104 days
Lou Leon Guerrero  United States Oceania
Governor
of
 Guam 		7 January 2019 Incumbent 5 years, 102 days
Khofifah Indar Parawansa  Indonesia Asia Governor of
 East Java 		13 February 2019 Incumbent 5 years, 65 days
Bai Mariam Mangudadatu
  Philippines Asia Governor of
Maguindanao 		30 June 2019 13 October 2022 3 years, 105 days
Liesbeth Homans  Belgium Europe Minister-President of
 Flanders 		2 July 2019 1 October 2019 91 days
Concha Andreu  Spain Europe President of
 La Rioja 		29 August 2019 29 June 2023 3 years, 304 days
Anna Kovalenko  Ukraine Europe Governor of
 Chernihiv Oblast 		13 October 2020 4 August 2021 295 days
Mariya Chorna  Ukraine Europe Governor of
 Kirovohrad Oblast 		27 May 2021 7 March 2022 284 days
Svitlana Onyshchuk  Ukraine Europe Governor of
 Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast 		8 July 2021 Incumbent 2 years, 285 days
Kathy Hochul  United States North America Governor of
 New York[5] 		24 August 2021 Incumbent 2 years, 238 days
Julie Thomas  Saint Helena Africa Chief Minister 25 October 2021 Incumbent 2 years, 176 days
Kristina Moore  Jersey Europe Chief Minister 12 July 2022 Incumbent 1 year, 281 days
Maura Healey  United States North America Governor of
 Massachusetts[6] 		5 January 2023 Incumbent 1 year, 104 days
Maryam Nawaz  Pakistan Asia Chief Minister of
 Punjab 		26 February 2024 Incumbent 52 days

Notes

  1. ^ No special election, no due to husband, etc.
  2. ^ The only holder of the position.
  3. ^ Acting governor until 11 January 2007.

References

  1. ^ Hoile, David (19 July 2002). "Women in Sudan". Media Monitors Network. Retrieved 11 Dec 2023.
  2. ^ Rojas, Aldo (30 Apr 2023). "Colorados recuperan gobernación de Concepción" [Colorados win again governorship of Concepción]. ABC. Retrieved 14 Nov 2023.
  3. ^ "Marcos's mother, and her hospital bill, are left behind". New York Times. 30 Mar 1986. Section 1, p. 12.
  4. ^ Nord, James (January 5, 2019). "Kristi Noem sworn in as South Dakota's 1st female governor". AP.
  5. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  6. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived
    from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-07.

See also

References

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