Contents
Michelle Bachelet
Becoming Chile’s first woman president and later leading the UN human-rights office.
First presidency · Pension reform
- Born
- 29 September 1951
- Birthplace
- Santiago, Chile
More people
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Franklin D. RooseveltLeading the United States through the Great Depression and most of the Second World War.Michelle Bachelet
Chilean physician and politician whose public career followed imprisonment and exile under military rule.
Early life
Family
Grew up as the daughter of an air-force officer and an archaeologist.
Medical studies
Began studying medicine before dictatorship disrupted her education and family life.
Career
- 1980s–2004
Medicine and government
Returned from exile, completed medical training and became health and defence minister.
- 2006–2018
Presidencies
Served two non-consecutive terms, with leadership of UN Women between them.
- 2018–2022
United Nations
Served as High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Leadership
First presidency
Became the first woman elected president of Chile.
Pension reform
Introduced reforms extending support to people without adequate pension coverage.
UN Women
Became the new organization’s first executive director.
Beyond work
Dictatorship and exile
She and her mother were detained and tortured; her father died after imprisonment.
Languages
Lived in several countries and developed fluency in multiple languages.
Sources & photo credit
Biography and references ↗Biography and contributions ↗Photo: Gobierno de Chile.. CC BY 3.0 cl · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
