List of female cabinet ministers of Chile

Adriana Olguín was sworn in as Minister of Justice in 1952, becoming the first female cabinet minister in Latin America.

The executive power in Chile is exercised by the president, who serves as both head of state and head of government, along with their cabinet. In 1952, Adriana Olguín became the first female cabinet minister in Latin America.[1][2]

As of 2025, eighty-eight women have served as cabinet ministers in the governments of Chile. There has been at least one woman in every cabinet since March 2000, when Ricardo Lagos assumed the presidency.

Gabriel Boric's administration appointed Chile's first-ever majority-women cabinet upong taking office in 2022: fourteen women and ten men, with an average age of 49.[3] The cabinet lost its gender parity in April 2023[4] but regained it in January 2025.[5]

List of women ministers

Numerical order represents the order of first appointment to the cabinet.

  Denotes incumbent minister
# Name Office Appointed Left office President / Head of Executive Power
1 Adriana Olguín Minister of Justice 29 July 1952 3 November 1952 Gabriel González Videla
2 María Teresa del Canto Minister of Education 3 November 1952 1 April 1953
3 Mireya Baltra Minister of Labor and Social Welfare 17 June 1972 2 November 1972 Salvador Allende
4 Mónica Madariaga Minister of Justice and Human Rights 20 April 1977 14 February 1983 Augusto Pinochet
5 Mónica Madariaga Minister of Education 14 February 1983 19 October 1983
6 María Teresa Infante Barros Minister of Labor and Social Welfare 17 August 1989 11 March 1990
7 Soledad Alvear Minister of Justice and Human Rights 11 March 1994 16 December 1999 Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle
8 Adriana Delpiano Minister of National Assets 11 March 1994 13 April 1999
9 Michelle Bachelet Minister of Health 11 March 2000 7 February 2002 Ricardo Lagos
10 Mariana Aylwin Minister of Education 11 March 2000 3 March 2003
11 Alejandra Krauss Minister of Social Development and Family 11 March 2000 7 January 2002
12 Soledad Alvear Minister of Foreign Affairs 11 March 2000 29 September 2004
13 Michelle Bachelet Minister of National Defense 7 January 2002 29 September 2004
14 Cecilia Pérez Díaz Minister of Social Development and Family 7 January 2002 3 March 2003
15 Sonia Tschorne[a] Minister of Housing and Urbanism 29 September 2004 11 March 2006
15 Sonia Tschorne Minister of National Assets 29 September 2004 11 March 2006
16 Yasna Provoste Minister of Social Development and Family 1 October 2004 11 March 2006
17 Marigen Hornkohl Minister of Education 14 December 2005 11 March 2006
18 Vivianne Blanlot Minister of National Defense 11 March 2006 26 March 2007 Michelle Bachelet
19 Patricia Poblete Minister of Housing and Urbanism 11 March 2006 11 March 2010
20 Clarisa Hardy Minister of Social Development and Family 11 March 2006 8 January 2008
21 Karen Poniachik Minister of Mining 11 March 2006 8 January 2008
22 María Soledad Barría Minister of Health 11 March 2006 28 October 2008
23 Paulina Veloso Minister General Secretariat of the Presidency 11 March 2006 26 March 2007
24 Romy Schmidt Minister of National Assets 11 March 2006 6 January 2010
25 Íngrid Antonijevic Minister of Economy, Development, and Tourism 11 March 2006 14 July 2006
26 Yasna Provoste Minister of Education 14 June 2006 17 April 2008
27 Paula Quintana Minister of Social Development and Family 8 January 2008 11 March 2010
28 Marigen Hornkohl Minister of Agriculture 10 January 2008 11 March 2010
29 Mónica Jiménez Minister of Education 17 April 2008 11 March 2010
30 Claudia Serrano Minister of Labor and Social Welfare 15 December 2008 11 March 2010
31 Carolina Tohá Minister General Secretariat of Government 12 March 2009 14 December 2009
32 Pilar Armanet Minister General Secretariat of Government 14 December 2009 11 March 2010
33 Jacqueline Weinstein Minister of National Assets 6 January 2010 11 March 2010
34 Camila Merino Minister of Labor and Social Welfare 11 March 2010 14 January 2011 Sebastián Piñera
35 Magdalena Matte Minister of Housing and Urbanism 11 March 2010 19 April 2011
36 Ena von Baer Minister General Secretariat of Government 11 March 2010 18 July 2011
37 Catalina Parot Minister of National Assets 11 March 2010 5 November 2012
38 María Ignacia Benítez Minister for the Environment 1 October 2010 11 March 2014
39 Evelyn Matthei Minister of Labor and Social Welfare 16 January 2011 22 July 2013
40 Loreto Silva Minister of Public Works 5 November 2012 11 March 2014
41 Cecilia Pérez Minister General Secretariat of Government 5 November 2012 11 March 2014
42 Patricia Pérez Minister of Justice and Human Rights 17 December 2012 11 March 2014
43 Carolina Schmidt Minister of Education 22 April 2013 11 March 2014
44 Helia Molina Minister of Health 11 March 2014 23 January 2015 Michelle Bachelet
45 Paulina Saball Minister of Housing and Urbanism 11 March 2014 11 March 2018
46 Ximena Rincón Minister General Secretariat of the Presidency 11 March 2014 11 May 2015
47 Fernanda Villegas Minister of Social Development and Family 11 March 2014 11 May 2015
48 Javiera Blanco Minister of Labor and Social Welfare 11 March 2014 11 May 2015
49 Natalia Riffo Minister of Sports 11 March 2014 18 November 2016
50 Aurora Williams Minister of Mining 11 March 2014 11 March 2018
51 Carmen Castillo Minister of Health 23 January 2015 11 March 2018
52 Javiera Blanco Minister of Justice and Human Rights 11 May 2015 19 October 2016
53 Ximena Rincón Minister of Labor and Social Welfare 11 May 2015 18 November 2016
54 Patricia Silva[b] Minister General Secretariat of the Presidency 7 June 2015 27 June 2015
55 Adriana Delpiano Minister of Education 27 June 2015 11 March 2018
56 Claudia Pascual Minister of Women and Gender Equality 3 June 2016 11 March 2018
57 Nivia Palma Minister of National Assets 19 October 2016 11 March 2018
58 Alejandra Krauss Minister of Labor and Social Welfare 18 November 2016 11 March 2018
59 Paula Narváez Minister General Secretariat of Government 18 November 2016 11 March 2018
60 Paola Tapia Minister of Transport and Telecommunications 14 March 2017 11 March 2018
61 Gloria Hutt Minister of Transport and Telecommunications 11 March 2018 11 March 2022 Sebastián Piñera
62 Pauline Kantor Minister of Sports 11 March 2018 28 October 2019
63 Alejandra Pérez Minister of Cultures, Arts and Heritage 11 March 2018 9 August 2018
64 Marcela Cubillos Minister for the Environment 11 March 2018 9 August 2018
65 Cecilia Pérez Minister General Secretariat of Government 11 March 2018 28 October 2019
66 Susana Jiménez Minister of Energy 11 March 2018 12 June 2019
67 Isabel Plá Minister of Women and Gender Equality 11 March 2018 13 March 2020
68 Marcela Cubillos Minister of Education 9 August 2018 28 February 2020
69 Carolina Schmidt Minister for the Environment 9 August 2018 22 November 2021
70 Consuelo Valdés Minister of Cultures, Arts and Heritage 13 August 2018 11 March 2022
71 María José Zaldívar Minister of Labor and Social Welfare 28 October 2019 7 April 2021
72 Karla Rubilar Minister General Secretariat of Government 28 October 2019 28 July 2020
73 Cecilia Pérez Minister of Sports 28 October 2019 11 March 2022
74 Carolina Cuevas Merino Minister of Women and Gender Equality 13 March 2020 6 May 2020
75 Macarena Santelices Minister of Women and Gender Equality 6 May 2020 9 June 2020
76 Mónica Zalaquett Minister of Women and Gender Equality 9 June 2020 11 March 2022
77 Karla Rubilar Minister of Social Development and Family 28 July 2020 11 March 2022
78 María Emilia Undurraga Minister of Agriculture 6 January 2021 11 March 2022
79 Carolina Valdivia[c] Minister of Foreign Affairs 6 February 2022 11 March 2022
80 Maisa Rojas Minister for the Environment 11 March 2022 Incumbent Gabriel Boric
81 Antonia Orellana Minister of Women and Gender Equality 11 March 2022 Incumbent
82 Julieta Brodsky Minister of Cultures, Arts and Heritage 11 March 2022 10 March 2023
83 Alexandra Benado Minister of Sports 11 March 2022 10 March 2023
84 María Begoña Yarza Minister of Health 11 March 2022 6 September 2022
85 Jeannette Vega Minister of Social Development and Family 11 March 2022 25 August 2022
86 Camila Vallejo Minister General Secretariat of Government 11 March 2022 23 December 2024
87 Izkia Siches Minister of the Interior 11 March 2022 6 September 2022
88 Marcela Ríos Minister of Justice and Human Rights 11 March 2022 7 January 2023
89 Antonia Urrejola Minister of Foreign Affairs 11 March 2022 10 March 2023
90 Marcela Hernando Minister of Mining 11 March 2022 16 August 2023
91 Maya Fernández Minister of National Defense 11 March 2022 10 March 2025
92 Javiera Toro Minister of National Assets 11 March 2022 16 August 2023
93 Jeannette Jara Minister of Labor and Social Welfare 11 March 2022 7 April 2025
94 Paula Poblete Minister of Social Development and Family 25 August 2022 6 September 2022
95 Ximena Aguilera Minister of Health 6 September 2022 Incumbent
96 Carolina Tohá Minister of the Interior 6 September 2022 4 March 2025
97 Ana Lya Uriarte Minister General Secretariat of the Presidency 6 September 2022 19 April 2023
98 Silvia Díaz Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation 6 September 2022 10 March 2023
99 Jessica López Minister of Public Works 10 March 2023 Incumbent
100 Aisén Etcheverry Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation 10 March 2023 22 July 2025
101 Paula Poblete Minister of Social Development and Family 11 August 2023 16 August 2023
102 Marcela Sandoval Minister of National Assets 16 August 2023 6 January 2025
103 Aurora Williams Minister of Mining 16 August 2023 Incumbent
104 Carolina Arredondo Minister of Cultures, Arts and Heritage 16 August 2023 Incumbent
105 Javiera Toro Minister of Social Development and Family 16 August 2023 Incumbent
106 Aisén Etcheverry[d] Minister General Secretariat of Government 23 December 2024 9 July 2025
107 Macarena Lobos Minister General Secretariat of the Presidency 4 March 2025 Incumbent
108 Adriana Delpiano Minister of National Defense 10 March 2025 Incumbent
109 Camila Vallejo Minister General Secretariat of Government 9 July 2025 Incumbent
110 Ignacia Fernández Ministry of Agriculture 21 August 2025 Incumbent

Notes

  1. ^ Tschorne was appointed bi-minister («biministra»)
  2. ^ Deputy minister («subrogante»)
  3. ^ Deputy minister («subrogante»)
  4. ^ Deputy minister («subrogante») as long as Camila Vallejo was on maternity leave

See also

References

  1. ^ Betancourt, Rebeca Gomez (27 December 2024). "Women Economists in the Global South: The Case of Two Venezuelan Women Ministers of the Economy in 1968 and 1969". Review of the History of Economic Thought and Methodology. 1 (1). doi:10.16995/RHETM.17465. ISSN 3049-9542.
  2. ^ Travis, Anna (2007). CONSOLIDATING POWER: CHILEAN WOMEN IN THE POLITICAL PARTY SYSTEM, 1950-1970. The Ohio State University. p. 52. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  3. ^ Bartlett, John (21 January 2022). "Chile's president-elect names progressive, majority-women cabinet". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
  4. ^ Sanhueza, Ana María (27 April 2023). "Chile's feminist Cabinet loses its parity for the first time". EL PAÍS English. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
  5. ^ Arriaza, Javiera (9 January 2025). "Volviendo a lo paritario: cómo está compuesto el nuevo gabinete ministerial de Gabriel Boric" [Back to Gender Parity: Inside Gabriel Boric’s New Ministerial Cabinet]. La Tercera (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 July 2025.
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