Gro Harlem Brundtland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gro Harlem Brundtland
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Brundtland in 2011
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| Prime Minister of Norway | |
| In office 3 November 1990 – 25 October 1996 |
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| Monarch | Olav V Harald V |
| Preceded by | Jan P. Syse |
| Succeeded by | Thorbjørn Jagland |
| In office 9 May 1986 – 16 October 1989 |
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| Monarch | Olav V |
| Preceded by | Kåre Willoch |
| Succeeded by | Jan P. Syse |
| In office 4 February 1981 – 14 October 1981 |
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| Monarch | Olav V |
| Preceded by | Odvar Nordli |
| Succeeded by | Kåre Willoch |
| Director-General of the World Health Organization | |
| In office 13 May 1998 – 21 July 2003 |
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| Secretary-General | Kofi Annan |
| Preceded by | Hiroshi Nakajima |
| Succeeded by | Lee Jong-wook |
| Leader of the Labour Party | |
| In office 1981–1992 |
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| Preceded by | Reiulf Steen |
| Succeeded by | Thorbjørn Jagland |
| Minister of the Environment | |
| In office 6 September 1974 – 8 October 1979 |
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| Prime Minister | Trygve Bratteli Odvar Nordli |
| Preceded by | Tor Halvorsen |
| Succeeded by | Rolf A. Hansen |
| Member of the Norwegian Parliament | |
| In office 1 October 1977 – 30 September 1997 |
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| Deputy | Sissel Rønbeck Ivar Ødegaard Marit Nybakk Bjørn Tore Godal Rune E. Kristiansen |
| Constituency | Oslo |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Gro Harlem
20 April 1939 Bærum, Akershus, Norway |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse |
Arne Olav Brundtland
(m. 1960; died 2024) |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | University of Oslo (Cand.Med.) Harvard University (MPH) |
| Signature |  |
Gro Brundtland (born 20 April 1939) is a famous Norwegian politician. She was the prime minister of Norway three times. She also led her political party, the Labour Party, for many years.
Beyond Norway, Gro Brundtland became a global leader. She was the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) from 1998 to 2003. She is also well-known for leading a special group called the Brundtland Commission. This group wrote an important report about sustainable development, which means meeting today's needs without harming the future.
Gro Brundtland trained as a doctor. She joined the Labour Party and became the Minister of the Environment in 1974. She made history as Norway's first female prime minister in 1981. People often called her the "mother of the nation" because she was a strong leader.
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Early Life and Education
Gro Brundtland was born in Oslo, Norway, in 1939. Her father, Gudmund Harlem, was also a doctor and a politician. She has a younger brother, Lars, and a younger sister, Hanne Harlem.
She studied medicine at the University of Oslo and became a doctor in 1963. She then went to Harvard University in the United States. There, she earned a master's degree in Public Health in 1965.
After her studies, she worked as a doctor. From 1966 to 1969, she worked at the Norwegian health authority. Later, she worked as a doctor for public schools in Oslo.
Political Journey
Gro Brundtland started her political career as the Minister for Environmental Affairs. She held this job from 1974 to 1979.
Becoming Prime Minister
In 1981, Gro Brundtland made history. She became Norway's first female prime minister. Her first time as prime minister lasted from February to October 1981.
She served two more times as prime minister. Her second term was from May 1986 to October 1989. This government was famous around the world because nearly half of its ministers were women. Her third term lasted from November 1990 to October 1996.
Gro Brundtland also led the Labour Party from 1981 until 1992. In 1996, she decided to leave her role as prime minister and retire from national politics. Thorbjørn Jagland took over as both the party leader and prime minister.
Working in Local Politics
Years later, Gro Brundtland returned to politics at a local level. She ran for a seat on the Oslo City Council in 2023 and won.
Global Impact
Gro Brundtland has done a lot of important work on the world stage.
The Brundtland Commission
In 1983, the United Nations Secretary-General asked her to lead a special group. This group was called the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), but it's often called the Brundtland Commission. She helped create the idea of sustainable development. This means finding ways for people to live well today without using up resources or harming the planet for future generations.
The commission released its famous report, Our Common Future, in 1987. This report helped lead to the 1992 Earth Summit, a big meeting about the environment.
Peace Efforts
During her third time as prime minister, Norway helped with secret peace talks in 1993. These talks were between Israel and the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization). They led to the signing of the Oslo Accords, an important peace agreement.
Leading the World Health Organization
After being prime minister, Gro Brundtland was chosen to be the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) in May 1998. At WHO, she focused on many health issues. She worked to fight violence as a health problem. She also led a global effort to reduce cigarette smoking through education and taxes. Under her leadership, WHO was one of the first big organizations to make quitting smoking a condition for its employees.
In 2003, Scientific American magazine named her 'Policy Leader of the Year'. This was for her quick global response to stop the spread of SARS. She left WHO in July 2003.
Other Global Roles
In 2007, the UN Secretary-General asked Gro Brundtland to be a special envoy for Climate Change. This meant she would work to help solve global warming issues.
She is also a founding member of The Elders. This is a group of respected world leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela. They work to solve tough global problems. Gro Brundtland has traveled with The Elders to many places, including Cyprus and the Middle East. She has also worked on their project to end child marriage.
Personal Life
Gro Brundtland married Arne Olav Brundtland in 1960. They have four children.
Health
In 2002, Gro Brundtland had surgery for uterine cancer. She has also mentioned experiencing headaches when mobile phones are used near her.
Awards and Honours
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Gro Brundtland has received many awards for her work, including:
- Indira Gandhi Prize (1988)
- Charlemagne Prize (1994)
- Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Architecture (2008)
- Prize International Catalonia (2013) (shared with Malala Yousafzai)
- Tang Prize in Sustainable Development (2014)
- Honorary member of the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights (2016)
- Member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
See also
