Agnethe Davidsen (29 August 1947
Nuuk
Nuuk (; da, Nuuk, formerly ) is the capital and largest city of Greenland, a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark. Nuuk is the seat of government and the country's largest cultural and economic centre. The major cities from other co ...
– 25 November 2007, Nuuk) was a judge who was the first female
government minister
A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ‘prime minister’, â ...
in
Greenland
Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...
and only the second female mayor of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, where she was mayor for more than 14 years until she died suddenly at the age of 60.
Early years
Agnethe was born in 1947 to mother Agathe Lund and father Villy Wael (1928-98), but she was raised by her grandmother.
At 16, she met her future husband, the blacksmith Aqqaluartaaq Davidsen, whom she married in 1966, and they had two children, Søren (1965) and Heidi (1967).
In 1969, seeking more education, she took the children to
Ikast
Ikast is a Denmark, Danish town in the Mid Jutland Region (''Midtjylland''). It is the seat of Ikast-Brande Municipality since 2007. It was the seat of the former Ikast Municipality.
Geography
The town is situated in the middle of Jutland. The ...
,
Denmark
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, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
and graduated in 1970 with a "trade degree in commerce and office."
After returning to Greenland, she began working in the national court system in Nuuk. In 1979, she began her work as a circuit judge in the Nuuk district court, a position she held 1979-1983 and again 1989–1993.
Political life
In 1983, Davidsen was appointed to the
Parliament (''Landsting'') as substitute for
Hans Pavia Rosing, representing the
social democrat
Social democracy is a Political philosophy, political, Social philosophy, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocati ...
-oriented
Forward (''Siumut'') party. Later that year, she was appointed
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
for social affairs (a position similar to a
governmental minister), thereby becoming the first female member of the ''
Landsstyret''.
In 1989, she was elected to the
city council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
of
Nuuk
Nuuk (; da, Nuuk, formerly ) is the capital and largest city of Greenland, a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark. Nuuk is the seat of government and the country's largest cultural and economic centre. The major cities from other co ...
, again under the banner of the Forward party, and between 1989 and 1991 held the position of second
vice mayor
The deputy mayor (also known as vice mayor, assistant mayor, or mayor ''pro tem'') is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official that is present in many, but not all, local governments.
Duties and functions
Many elected dep ...
. After the election of 1991, she was appointed first vice mayor, and in 1993 she became presiding officer of the city council and the
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of the city. Davidsen was only second female mayor of the capital city after Laannguaq Lynge, who occupied the post 1991–1993.
In 1997, Davidsen was inducted by
Queen Margrethe II
Margrethe II (; Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid, born 16 April 1940) is Queen of Denmark. Having reigned as Denmark's monarch for over 50 years, she is Europe's longest-serving current head of state and the world's only incumbent femal ...
of Denmark into the
Order of the Dannebrog
The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known a ...
.
In that year she resigned from political life in Greenland so she could work full-time in Nuuk politics.
She was a vocal advocate for hosting the 2002
Arctic Winter Games
The Arctic Winter Games is a biennial multi-sport and indigenous cultural event involving circumpolar peoples residing in communities or countries bordering the Arctic Ocean.
Background
The Arctic Winter Games were founded in 1969 under the lea ...
, which were held in both Nuuk and in
Iqaluit
Iqaluit ( ; , ; ) is the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, its largest community, and its only city. It was known as Frobisher Bay from 1942 to 1987, after the large bay on the coast on which the city is situated. In 1987, its t ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.
In 2004 Davidsen played herself as the mayor in the 58-minute documentary film, "Dronningen og prinsen med Frederik og Mary i Grønland" (The Queen and Prince with Frederick and Mary in Greenland).
In April 2005, voters returned Davidsen to the mayor's office in Nuuk
defeating then deputy mayor, Per Berthelsen, by 2.7 percent of the vote.
She died suddenly in 2007 of a brain hemorrhage while serving as mayor.
Honors
Knight of the
Order of the Dannebrog
The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known a ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davidsen, Agnethe
1947 births
2007 deaths
Mayors of Nuuk
Women mayors of places in Greenland
Women mayors of places in Denmark
Government ministers of Greenland
20th-century Greenlandic politicians
20th-century Danish women politicians
21st-century Greenlandic politicians
21st-century Danish women politicians
Women government ministers of Greenland