Silvia Gašparovičová ''née Beníková'' (born 13 January 1941) was the

First Lady of Slovakia First Lady of Slovakia or First Gentleman of Slovakia (''Prvá Dáma'' in Slovak language, Slovak) is the title attributed to the wife or husband of the president of Slovakia. The country's current first gentleman is Juraj Rizman, partner of Pres ...

from 2004 to 2014 as wife of former President Ivan Gašparovič.

Early life

Gašparovičová attended the

Slovak Technical University Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (STU) ( sk, Slovenská technická univerzita v Bratislave) is the biggest and oldest university of technology in Slovakia. In the 2012 Academic Ranking of World Universities it was ranked in the fir ...

from 1960 until 1965 where she studied

civil engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage ...

and also from 1971 to 1973 she studied economical law at Comenius University. She worked at the Ministry of Construction from 1971 until 1991. In 1992 she was appointed to a position of expert real estate appraiser at the Bratislava Municipal Court, which she did not hold for long. She was a private construction company's executive before her husband was elected national president.

First Lady of Slovakia

As first lady, Mrs Gašparovičová has a role representing her country at official events at home and abroad. In October 2010, she received a state visit from King Harald and

Queen Sonja Sonja (born Sonja Haraldsen on 4 July 1937) is Queen of Norway since 17 January 1991 as the wife of King Harald V. Sonja and the then Crown Prince Harald had dated for nine years prior to their marriage in 1968. They had kept their relations ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. She accompanied the Queen on visits to the art center Danubiana Meulensteen; the Gaudeamus Centre for disabled children; and the ÚĽUV arts center for the preservation of Slovak crafts. After she became first lady, she founded the ''Silvia Gašparovičová Foundation'' which focuses on education and health. She also supports projects supporting women entrepreneurs, and parents.

Honours

Foreign honours

* : Dame Grand Cross 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 ...

(October 2012). * : Dame Grand Cross of the

Order of Isabella the Catholic The Order of Isabella the Catholic ( es, Orden de Isabel la Católica) is a Spanish civil order and honor granted to persons and institutions in recognition of extraordinary services to the homeland or the promotion of international relations a ...

(22 October 2007).Boletín Oficial de Estado
/ref>

References

1941 births Living people First ladies of Slovakia Grand Crosses of the Order of the Dannebrog Recipients of the Order of Isabella the Catholic Dames Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava alumni Comenius University alumni {{Slovakia-bio-stub