Kazimira Prunskienė facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kazimira Prunskienė
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Prunskienė in 2011
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| Minister of Agriculture | |
| In office 14 December 2004 – 9 December 2008 |
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| Prime Minister | Gediminas Kirkilas |
| Preceded by | Jeronimas Kraujelis |
| Succeeded by | Kazimieras Starkevičius |
| Member of the Seimas | |
| In office 26 November 1996 – 17 November 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Everistas Raišuotis |
| Succeeded by | Valentinas Stundys |
| Constituency | Molėtai–Švenčionys |
| 1st Prime Minister of Lithuania | |
| In office 17 March 1990 – 10 January 1991 |
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| Preceded by | Position re-established |
| Succeeded by | Albertas Šimėnas |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 February 1943 Vasiuliškė, Ostland (now Lithuania) |
| Political party | Communist Party (1980–1990) New Democracy - Women Party (1995–2001) Popular Peasants Union (2001–2009) People's Party (2009–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Sąjūdis (1988–1990) |
| Alma mater | Vilnius University |
| Signature |  |
Kazimira Danutė Prunskienė (born 26 February 1943) is a Lithuanian politician. She made history as the first prime minister of Lithuania after the country declared its independence on 11 March 1990. Later, she also served as the Minister of Agriculture.
She led political parties like the Peasants and New Democratic Party Union and the Lithuanian People's Party. From 1981 to 1986, she worked in West Germany. In 2004, she ran for president in Lithuania but did not win.
Prunskienė is also part of the Council of Women World Leaders. This group brings together women who have been presidents or prime ministers. Their goal is to work together on important issues for women and fair development around the world.
Early Life and Education
Kazimira Danutė Stankevičiūtė was born in a village called Vasiuliškė, which is now in Lithuania. Her father, Pranas Stankevičius, was a forest ranger and a talented musician. He played many instruments. Sadly, her father passed away when Kazimira was only one year old.
Prunskienė went to Vilnius University. She earned her first degree in economics in 1965. Later, in the late 1980s, she received her doctorate from the same university. After finishing her studies, she worked at the university. She started as an instructor and then became a senior associate in the Department of Industrial Economics.
Before getting her first degree, Prunskienė married Povilas Prunskus. They had three children: a son named Vaidotas and two daughters, Rasa and Daivita. She later divorced her first husband and married Algimantas Tarvidas in 1989.
Political Career
Prunskienė slowly moved from her university work into government. In 1980, she joined the Lithuanian Communist Party. By 1986, she was working as a deputy director for an agricultural research institute.
In 1988, Prunskienė helped start a group called Sąjūdis. This group grew into Lithuania's main movement for independence. In the late 1980s, Prunskienė became a Deputy Chairwoman in the Lithuanian government.
On 17 March 1990, she was chosen as the Prime Minister of Lithuania's first government. This made her the first woman to be Prime Minister of Lithuania. She was also the first Prime Minister after Lithuania declared independence on 11 March 1990.
Right away, she faced big problems. The Soviet Union, led by Mikhail Gorbachev, stopped trade with Lithuania. This was an attempt to force Lithuania to rejoin the USSR. Prunskienė traveled to many countries, including the United States. She tried to get support for talks with Gorbachev to end the trade stop. After nine months, Prunskienė resigned. Later, she led the Department of Agriculture in Lithuania.
In 1994, Prunskienė left the Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania. The next year, she became the leader of the Lithuanian Women Party. She also led the Peasants and New Democracy Union until 2009. After that, she started the Lithuanian People's Party.
Writings
Prunskienė wrote about the role of women in democracy. In 1997, she published The Role Of Women In Democracy: The Experience Of Lithuania. In this work, she discussed how women in Lithuania were paid less than men. She also wrote about the traditional views in the Catholic country. She talked about the general status of women and their influence in Lithuanian politics.
See also
In Spanish: Kazimira Prunskienė para niños
