Denmark’s Woman Prime Minister Has Named A Government With More Women Than Men
Just last year women held only 30% of these leadership roles, but they now make up 52% of the cabinet.
For the first time in Denmark's history, women have outnumbered men in the cabinet with the government being led by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, who has also become the first woman to lead the country for three consecutive terms.
The results come after a general election called voters to the polls on March 24, but no single party or side won enough seats to govern alone.
The Social Democrats, led by Frederiksen, still won 38 seats overall and women won 48% of the 179 seats in Denmark’s parliament.
The new administration was presented on June 3rd and consists of 21 ministers made up of 11 women and 10 men.
“It is a government with 21 ministers, and for the first time in Denmark’s history there are now more female ministers than male ones,” Frederiksen said outside Denmark’s parliament.
With the new cabinet, Denmark moves ahead of Sweden and Norway in gender parity and female representation in the government.
Denmark has had a long journey with more women in power since 1924, when Nina Bang became the first woman minister in Denmark leading the Ministry of Education.
Nearly a century later, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, was appointed in 2011 as Denmark’s first woman Prime Minister.
Just last year women held only 30% of these leadership roles, but they now make up 52% of the cabinet.
Prominent women in the new cabinet lineup include Samira Nawa as the Minister for Climate and Energy, making her the first woman from an ethnic minority to hold a ministerial post in Denmark, Pia Olsen Dyhr for Minister of Economy and Interior, and Christina Egelund as the Minister of Research, Education and Digitalization.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen presented her new team to King Frederik X at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen on June 3rd.
You Might Also Be Interested In
Helena Lin
Kassy Cho
Kassy Cho
