List of the first women holders of political offices

This is a list of political offices which have been held by a woman, with details of the first woman holder of each office. It is ordered by country, by dates of appointment. Former countries, such as Yugoslavia, are also listed.

African Union

 * President of the Pan-African Parliament - Gertrude Mongella - 2004 (at its founding)
 * Vice President of the Pan-African Parliament - Elise Loum - 2004
 * Chairperson of the African Union Commission - Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma - 2012

European Union

 * President of the European Parliament – Simone Veil – 1979
 * President-in-Office of the European Council – Margaret Thatcher – 1981
 * European Commissioner – Christiane Scrivener / Vasso Papandreou – 1989
 * Leader of the Socialist Group and of any major party – Pauline Green – 1994
 * Co Vice-President of the European Commission – Loyola de Palacio – 1999
 * First Vice-President of the European Commission – Margot Wallström – 2004
 * High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy – Catherine Ashton – 2009
 * President of the European Commission – Ursula von der Leyen – 2019.

League of Nations

 * Substitute Delegate and Ambassador to the League of Nations – Elena Văcărescu – 1922
 * Permanent Delegate and Ambassador to the League of Nations – Elena Văcărescu – 1924

United Nations

 * Head of the section of Welfare Policy – Alva Myrdal – 1949
 * Chairman of UNESCO's social science section – Alva Myrdal – 1950
 * President of the United Nations General Assembly – Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit – 1953
 * Permanent Representative – Agda Rössel (Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations) – 1958
 * Head of the United Nations Children's Fund – Carol Bellamy – 1995
 * United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights – Mary Robinson – 1997
 * Deputy Secretary-General – Louise Fréchette – 1998
 * Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme – Anna Tibaijuka – 2000
 * Under-Secretary-General – Inga-Britt Ahlenius – 2005
 * Assistant-Secretary-General – Helvi Sipilä  – 1972
 * President of the International Court of Justice – Rosalyn Higgins – 2006
 * Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme – Helen Clark – 2009
 * Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund – Christine Lagarde – 2011