Michelle Bachelet : Ask Biography

Personal data

Date of birth

29 September 1951(age 64)

Place of birth

Santiago, Chile

Political party

Socialist Party

Alma mater

University of Chile

Profession

Paediatric epidemiologist

Religion

None (agnostic)

1st Executive Director of UN Women

Assumed office

14 September 2010

Preceded by

Inaugural

President of Chile

In office

11 March 2006 - 11 March 2010

Succeeded by

Sebastián Piñera

Preceded by

Ricardo Lagos

Minister of National Defense

In office

7 January 2002 - 1 October 2004

Succeeded by

Jaime Ravinet

Preceded by

Mario Fernández

Minister of Health

In office

11 March 2000 - 7 January 2002

Succeeded by

Osvaldo Artaza

Preceded by

Álex Figueroa

President pro tempore of the Union of South American Nations

In office

23 May 2008 - 10 August 2009

Succeeded by

Rafael Correa

Preceded by

Position established

Home | Office Holder | Michelle Bachelet

Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria (-esmiˈtʃel βatʃeˈlet; born September 29, 1951) is a Social Democrat politician who was President of Chile from 11 March 2006 to 11 March 2010. She was the first woman president of her country. In September 2010 Bachelet was appointed as the head of UN Women by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Bachelet won the 2006 presidential election in a runoff, beating center-right businessman and former senator Sebastián Piñera (who eventually succeeded Bachelet as President) with 53.5% of the vote. She campaigned on a platform of continuing Chile's free-market policies, while increasing social benefits to help reduce the gap between rich and poor.

Bachelet, a pediatrician and epidemiologist with studies in military strategy, served as Health Minister and Defense Minister under her predecessor, President Ricardo Lagos. She is a separated mother of three and describes herself as an agnostic. As well as her native Spanish, she speaks English, German, Portuguese and French, with varying levels of fluency.