Ragnheiður Loftardattir

*This name uses Velkanian naming customs; the last name is a patronymic, not a family name. This person should be properly referred to by the given name* Ragnheiður.

**Ragnheiður Loftardattir** RÍD (4 March 1930 – 7 November 1977) was a Velkanian politician who served as prime minister of the Velkanian Isles from 1972 until her death in 1977. Ragnheiður additionally served as leader of the Social Democratic Party from 1968 until 1977, as Minister of Labor and Welfare in the Jóhann Eyríkur Hansson cabinet from 1964 until 1968, and as a member of the Orthing from 1964 until 1977. She was the first woman to serve as prime minister, to lead the Social Democrats, and to lead any parliamentary party in the Velkanian Isles, additionally becoming one the first female heads of government in the world. Prior to Velkanian independence, Ragnheiður served in the Velkanian Assembly from 1958 until 1964, and served as Minister of Labor and Welfare of the Velkanian Duchy from 1962 until 1964.

Born to a pro-independence Velkanian family in Narísandur, Ragnheiður graduated from upper secondary school in 1950, subsequently receiving a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Velkania in 1953. After graduating, Ragnheiður briefly worked as a legislative assistant in the Tusting in Hersingborg, later returning to Narísandur in 1954, in order to work for the pro-independence organization Renew Velkania as a community organizer. She left this position in 1958, after being elected to the Velkanian Assembly in the 1958 election, for the Velkanian National Party. As an assemblywoman, Ragnheiður joined a growing number of members of her party pushing for an independence referendum to be held in the Velkanian Duchy, campaigning throughout both the Duchy and Framland for the Framish government's acknowledgment of the independence movement. In 1962, Ragnheiður was nominated to serve as Minister of Labor and Welfare of the Velkanian Duchy by Jóhann Eyríkur Hansson, becoming the first woman to serve in that position and only the second female cabinet minister in Velkanian history. While in the cabinet, Ragnheiður continued pushing for an independence referendum, along with the rest of her party. On 20 September 1962, the Framish government agreed to hold an independence referendum on the subject of Velkanian sovereignty, scheduled for 7 September 1963. In the year until the referendum, Ragnheiður campaigned on behalf of the pro-independence campaign, being personally selected by Jóhann to serve as the head of women's voter outreach. She frequently appeared on television throughout the Duchy and Framland in order to advocate for the pro-independence movement.

Following the success of the independence referendum, the Velkanian Assembly transitioned into the Orthing upon the restoration of independence on 1 January 1964. The governing cabinet of the Velkanian Assembly thus transitioned into the first Jóhann Eyríkur Hansson cabinet, with Jóhann serving as the inaugural prime minister in a caretaker capacity. Soon, the first independent election was held, which resulted in the Velkanian National Party remaining in power, and Ragnheiður continued to serve as Minister of Labor and Welfare in the second Jóhann Eyríkur Hansson cabinet. With the issue of Velkanian independence being sorted out, disputes within the Velkanian National Party on domestic policy began to emerge. Having previously been a diverse coalition of various supporters of Velkanian independence, the diversity of the party began to negatively impact its cohesiveness with their major unifying position becoming a moot point. In February 1965, an "amicable breakup" of the Velkanian National Party was confirmed, with Ragnheiður and the remainder of the left-wing faction becoming the Social Democratic Party. The government did not collapse, however, and Ragnheiður continued to serve as Minister of Labor and Welfare until the coalition's defeat in the 1968 election, subsequently becoming an opposition backbencher.

Since the establishment of the Social Democratic Party, Ragnheiður emerged as one of the party's chief spokespeople and leaders. Despite being one of the endorsers of Guðmar Jóhansson to serve as party leader, with him ultimately being elected unopposed, numerous commentators stated that they believed Ragnheiður was a likely future leader of the party. Following the party's defeat in the 1968 election, Guðmar announced his resignation as party leader, endorsing Ragnheiður to succeed him in the process. Following the endorsement of Guðmar, numerous other party elites stood behind Ragnheiður, and she was ultimately elected unopposed as his successor. This made her the first woman to lead the Social Democrats and the first woman to lead a parliamentary party in Velkanian history. Becoming a leading figure of the feminist movement of the late-1960s and 1970s, Ragnheiður led the party into the 1972 election, where they won a majority of seats, largely credited to the historic turnout of women voters. After taking office as prime minister on 16 April, becoming the first woman to serve as prime minister in the Velkanian Isles and one of the first female heads of government in the world, Ragnheiður pledged to implement a number of left-wing reforms in the nation. She led the party into similar success in the 1976 election, being described by the media as the "Most Beloved Velkanian of All-Time," but was soon diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer just four months into her second term. Ragnheiður made her diagnosis public, but pledged to remain in office. She later died of the disease on 7 November 1977, at only 47 years old. At the time of her death, her approval ratings hovered around 75%, making her one of the most popular Velkanian politicians of all-time.

Following her death, a public funeral was held for her which was attended by thousands of mourners, and she was posthumously named to the Order of the Ice Dragon by Ragnhildur I, becoming the first former prime minister to receive the honor. The media has variously referred to Ragnheiður as one of the most visible leaders of both the pro-independence and feminist movements in the Velkanian Isles, while she has also been referred to affectionately as *Móðir Vælkjárallata* ("Mother of the Velkanian Isles"). In a 2014 poll, Ragnheiður was determined to be the second most-admired Velkanian person of all-time, behind only Ragnhildur I. In 1979, a statue of herself was erected outside of Garðaröst, while in 1983, Ragnheiður Loftardattir Junior College, a public upper secondary school, was opened in Narísandur. In 2012, the film *Ragnheiður* (2012) was released in the Velkanian Isles, documenting Ragnheiður's life and rise to power in politics. In 2013, the third Davíð Brynnsteinsson cabinet passed legislation declaring 4 March to be Ragnheiður Loftardattir Day throughout the Velkanian Isles.

## Early life, education, and career

Ragnheiður was born on 4 March 1930 in Narísandur to parents Loftur Úlfhéðinnsson (1900–1985) and María Helga Björnsdattir (1903–1998). Both of her parents were well-educated and intellectual; her father was a professor of Velkanian literature at the University of Velkania, while her mother was a feminist activist who cofounded the United Feminist Association of the Velkanian Isles. Both Loftur and María were supporters of Velkanian independence, and Ragnheiður spent her early life attending pro-independence demonstrations with her parents. She grew up as the younger of two children in the Bakkaneyri neighborhood of Narísandur; her elder brother was Gaukur (1927–2010).

Ragnheiður began her education in 1936, attending a local, public primary school in Bakkaneyri. While in primary school, Ragnheiður was a gifted and charismatic student. When she was eight years old, she was disciplined by a teacher for publicly campaigning for Velkanian independence with other students; after her parents discovered this, they reported the teacher to school administrators and Ragnheiður had to be transferred to a different class. She graduated from primary school in 1946, and afterwards enrolled in Bakkaneyri Junior College, where she studied a social sciences program and graduated in 1950. While in upper secondary school, Ragnheiður was a popular student, but reportedly was uninterested in popularity, boys, or the school social scene due to her dedication to her studies and campaigning for Velkanian independence.

After graduating, Ragnheiður enrolled in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Velkania, where she graduated with a degree in political science in 1953. While a university student, Ragnheiður was elected to the student council in her second year for the pro-independence Endurfæðing student union, and was later elected to the university senate in her third year from one of the two student seats belonging to the Faculty of Social Sciences. After graduating, she moved to Hersingborg after being hired as a legislative assistant in the Tusting. She returned after less than a year in the position, becoming a community organizer for the pro-independence organization Renew Velkania.

## Political career

### Velkanian Duchy politics

Ragnheiður began her political career in 1958, after she was elected to the Velkanian Assembly on behalf of the Velkanian National Party (VNP) in the 1958 Velkanian Duchy general election. Upon taking her seat in the assembly, Ragnheiður became associated with the left-wing of the party, prioritizing work on labor movement issues within her legislative work in addition to advocating for independence. With the 1958 election, the VNP moved into the majority for the first time ever, and Ragnheiður soon began to be described as one of the leaders of the independence movement, and one of the most powerful women in the Velkanian Isles.

Following the 1962 election, Ragnheiður was nominated by Jóhann Eyríkur Hansson to serve as Minister of Labor and Welfare of the Velkanian Duchy, becoming only the second Velkanian woman to serve in a cabinet. As a cabinet minister, Ragnheiður continued her focus on labor rights issues, authoring a number of bills meant to strengthen labor unions and weaken the grip that employers had over their employees. While continuing her ministerial duties, Ragnheiður additionally became further involved in the Velkanian independence movement. On 1 May 1962, she organized an all-woman day-long work strike in favor of independence, where approximately 70% of women in the workforce of the Velkanian Duchy refused to come to work in order to push for independence. The strike significantly furthered her name recognition and popularity, with allies naming her the "face of the Velkanian feminist movement."

In September 1962, the Kingdom of Framland agreed for an independence referendum to be held on 7 September 1963, and Ragnheiður subsequently became one of the most visible campaigners for Velkanian independence, being personally selected by Jóhann to serve as the head of women's voter outreach. She frequently appeared on television throughout the Duchy and Framland in order to advocate for the pro-independence movement. The independence referendum ultimately passed, and Velkanian independence was restored on 1 January 1964.

### Velkanian independence and Minister of Labor and Welfare

Following the restoration of Velkanian independence, the Velkanian Assembly automatically transitioned into the Orthing, the Velkanian parliament. As she had been serving as Minister of Labor and Welfare of the Velkanian Duchy, her role transitioned as well and Ragnheiður became the first Minister of Labor and Welfare in an independent Velkanian Isles. Being unelected in theory, Ragnheiður along with the remainder of the cabinet served in a caretaker position until a new election could be held. The first independent election was held soon afterwards, with the Velkanian National Party (VNP) maintaining their domination in parliament. With this result, Ragnheiður continued to serve as Minister of Labor and Welfare, taking her place in the second Jóhann Eyríkur Hansson cabinet.

Following the election, disputes within the VNP began to arise. While part of the Velkanian Assembly, the VNP stood as a coalition of various political positions under their shared support of Velkanian independence; with this, it was a big tent party that unified supporters of the right-wing and the left-wing. With Velkanian independence being no longer an issue, this sparked increased division within the party amidst disputes on domestic policy. In February 1965, the cabinet confirmed an "amicable breakup" of the party, splitting into the Independence Party of the right-wing and the Social Democratic Party of the left-wing. Being a solid member of the party's left-wing and a strong supporter of the labor movement, Ragnheiður registered as a Social Democrat. Despite the party's split, they continued as a unified coalition government. After becoming a Social Democrat, Ragnheiður began to be cited as one of the party's leaders and most prevalent members, although she passed on the official leadership role to Guðmar Jóhansson.

In the lead-up to the 1968 election, both the Independence Party and Social Democrats began to dip in the polls behind the Liberal-Conservatives, which formerly operated as the anti-independence Unionist Party of the Velkanian Duchy. In the election, the Liberal-Conservatives won a majority of seats and formed a government, pushing Ragnheiður and the Social Democrats into the opposition.

### Party leader

Following the disappointing result the Social Democrats received in the 1968 election, party leader Guðmar Jóhansson tendered his resignation and announced that he'd be stepping down from the post, taking responsibility for the party's loss. In his resignation speech, Guðmar endorsed Ragnheiður to succeed him, and numerous other members of the party subsequently endorsed her as well. Ragnheiður ultimately stood unopposed in the leadership election, ultimately taking office on 2 May 1968. With this, Ragnheiður became the first woman to lead the Social Democrats, and the first to lead any parliamentary party in the country's history. In 1969, she was described as the second-most powerful woman in the Velkanian Isles, behind only Ragnhildur I.

As party leader, Ragnheiður sought to align the feminist movement with the Social Democrats, in the hope that a number of female voters will then additionally become loyal members of the party. With that, she diversified the party's membership, pledging to elect even more women to parliament, and additionally added support for a number of social issues to the party's platform, such as abortion rights, equal pay, anti-discrimination legislation, and universal childcare. In the run-up to the 1972 election, under Ragnheiður's leadership the party list went from consisting of 75 men and 30 women, to 53 men and 52 women, while the party's deputies increased from being 44% female to 61% female. She led the party into the 1972 election, where the party saw a massive increase in seats, becoming the majority party. The win was largely credited to the historic turnout of female voters.

### Prime minister

After her party's widespread victory in the 1972 election, Ragnheiður was granted a mandate by Ragnhildur I to form a government, and her first cabinet was later sworn in on 16 April 1972, with Ragnheiður becoming prime minister. This made Ragnheiður the first woman to serve as prime minister in the Velkanian Isles, and one of the first women to serve as head of government in the world. Her cabinet also became one of the most diverse governments in the world at that time, consisting of 7 men and 6 women. When asked about her decisions to focus on gender equality in her government, Ragnheiður responded that "if women are not at the decision-making table, then we are the ones being eaten for dinner."

After her government took office, they began enacting a number of social democratic policies, prioritizing social welfare and equality. Two years in her first term, Ragnheiður's approval rating stood at around 70%, while it reached up to 85% amongst woman voters. She later led the party again into the 1976 election, where the party achieved similar success and continued their majority coalition in parliament. Just four months into her second term as prime minister, Ragnheiður was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer and her condition quickly deteriorated. She decided to make her diagnosis public but pledged to remain in office. She died of the disease in Garðaröst on 7 November 1977, and her close ally Steingrímur Hrafnsson, who had served as Minister of Finance, was selected as her successor.

## Personal life

Ragnheiður began a relationship with Velkanian tailor Davíð Björnsson in 1952, having met at a bowling alley in Narísandur. They momentarily paused their relationship in 1953, after Ragnheiður moved to Hersingborg, but they soon reconciled after she returned to Narísandur; Ragnheiður has stated that missing Davíð was a major reason in her desire to return to Narísandur. They became engaged in 1955, and later married the following year. Ragnheiður and Davíð had one child together, Gréta, born  (1960-04-29) 29 April 1960 (age 63), who has since gone on to have a successful career as a film actress in the Dollchester film industry.

With Gréta's birth, Ragnheiður became the first Velkanian politician to give birth while in office, and she did not take any maternal leave. The family resided in the Hnífsgerði neighborhood of Narísandur until 1967, when they bought a new apartment in the Blönlíð neighborhood. They resided there until moving into Garðaröst in 1972.

## Death and legacy

In September 1976, Ragnheiður located a large lump in her right breast in addition to developing some sort of skin condition on her breast. After going to her physician to get it checked, she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. She had never received a mammogram due to an irrational fear of doctors. Her prognosis was poor, with her doctor estimating that she would not live more than five years.

Following her diagnosis, Ragnheiður released a statement to the press confirming what she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer, but pledged to remain in her office as prime minister "until [her] death." Her condition began to quickly deteriorate, and following a year after her diagnosis she was put on bedrest by her doctor. She continued to lead the government from her bedroom, calling into cabinet meetings on the phone and taking other meetings at Garðaröst. In October 1977, the media began reporting that Ragnheiður had tapped Steingrímur Hrafnsson as her chosen successor after her eventual death. On 7 November 1977, Ragnheiður died of her disease in her bedroom at Garðaröst, surrounded by her parents, brother, husband, and daughter. Following her death, a private funeral for family and friends was held on 10 November, while a public funeral was held the following day, attended by thousands of mourners.

At the time of her death, Ragnheiður's approval rating hovered around 75%, making her one of the most popular prime ministers of all-time in the Velkanian Isles. She is known for being a leader of both the independence movement and the feminist movement, and has been cited as a boundary breaker for women in the Velkanian Isles. In a 2014 poll, she was chosen as the second-most admired Velkanian personal of all-time, after Ragnhildur I, and in a 2017 poll, she was selected as the most popular prime minister of all time. She has also been cited as the most powerful non-royal Velkanian woman in history. In 1978, Ragnheiður was posthumously named to the Order of the Ice Dragon by Ragnhildur I, becoming the first former prime minister to receive the honor. She has been affectionately referred to by Velkanians as *Móðir Vælkjárallata* ("Mother of the Velkanian Isles"), since the mid-1970s. In 1979, a statue of herself was erected outside of Garðaröst, while in 1983, Ragnheiður Loftardattir Junior College, a public upper secondary school, was opened in Narísandur. In 2012, the film *Ragnheiður* was released in the Velkanian Isles, documenting Ragnheiður's life and rise to power in politics; the film went on to win two Velkanian Movie Awards and was screened at the 2012 Tanin Film Festival. In 2013, the third Davíð Brynnsteinsson cabinet passed legislation declaring 4 March to be Ragnheiður Loftardattir Day throughout the Velkanian Isles.