Were there any prominent female politicians?

I'm just wondering, were there any prominent female politicians in any of the Warsaw Pact countries?

Was it commonplace to see women wth high ranking roles?

Nexhmije Hoxha? She wasn't from Warsaw Pact country, but ..

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In 1943 she was elected to the Secretariat of the (Communist) Albanian Women's League, and served as chairwoman from 1946 to 1952.

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After her husband died in 1985, Nexhmije Hoxha was elected Chairwoman of the Democratic Front (an umbrella association) and defended her husband's heritage during the period of reforms (1990-1991)

Both are taken from wiki, pardon for my mistakes .

Ceaucescu's wife I believe was pretty influential and was Deputy Prime Minister.
The role of women in politics in the Warsaw Pact is something that is not often explored, it seems like.

Not a Warsaw Pact state, but in China, due to there having been women who fought in the revolutionary wars, there were women who acquired prominent positions. The most famous ones that I know of were all married to some prominent Chinese political figures. Mao Zedong's wife Jiang Qing was very influential and there are claims that she and her clique within the Politburo contributed more to directing the Cultural Revolution than Mao. Also, Song Qingling, Sun Yat-sen's widow, held a position in the National People's Congress and also was Honorary President of the PRC for a brief period before her death. Both of those posts were largely ceremonial, but gave some degree of influence. Zhou Enlai's wife was also head of an advisory body in the PRC called the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which held meetings between the CCP and other smaller political parties in the PRC.

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Was it commonplace to see women wth high ranking roles?

Seems that it was common, comrade Szabo. I've found many women prominent from WP states and the USSR from link below:

http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/vice_premiers1920.htm

Here are some of the women figures:

1. Wanda Wasilewska ( Poland )- Vice chairperson of PKWN (The Temporary Polish Communist Government). Writer, communist activist and Stalin's favorite.

2. Ludmilla Jankovcova ( Czechoslovakia ) - Minister of Light Industry (1947-1948), Minister of Food (1948-1950) and Minister of Food Industry (1950-1954). Later became Vice-chair of the Council Ministers.

3. Anna Pauker ( Romania ) - Minister of Foreign Affairs (1947-1952) and vice-premier.

4. Dr. Margarethe 'Grete' Wittkowski ( DDR ) - Vice-chairperson of the Council of Ministers in charge of Trade, Supply, and Production of Consumer Goods (1961-1967). President of National Bank since 1967 to 1967.

I believe Honecker's wife was also quite influential. But apart from obvious corruption, I don't know of any women who had real power, like a politburo seat or even a position as secretary.

Kollontai was the first female government minister in Europe. She was also the Soviet ambassador to Norway.

The first female head of state in the world was a Tuvinian communist. Prominent? None that I can think of.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khertek_Anchimaa-Toka

proletarian wrote:

Kollontai was the first female government minister in Europe. She was also the Soviet ambassador to Norway.

I might be wrong, but wasn't Kollontai the first female government minister ever?

Mabool wrote:

I believe Honecker's wife was also quite influential.

She was Minister of Education from 1963 - 1989.

Milka Planinc was the Presdent of SIV(Federal executive council),essentially the Prime Minister,of Yugoslavia from 1982 to '86.
She was,from what i know,the first and only female prime-minister of some socialist country.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milka_Planinc

Haydee Tamara Bunke, spymaster par excellence who married a Bolivian engineer who was unaware that she is GDR Stasi spy for Honecker inside Cuban intelligence. If only I can raise her again from her grave! I would marry her and love her for the rest of eternity..Then a love triangle between the great Che and I.. My undying childhood crush.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamara_Bunke


http://www.google.ca/search?q=Haydee+Ta ... 80&bih=667

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