Sonja Aase Ludvigsen
Encyclopedia
Sonja Aase Ludvigsen was a Norwegian
politician, a member of the Labour Party
.
in 1928. After completing her education she did various white-collar jobs before obtaining employment with Vestby municipality where she was a tax adjuster from 1958 to 1965. She was a member of Vestby municipal council from 1955 to 1959 and from 1963 to 1972, and a member of the school board from 1960 to 1968. She was a member of the Workers' Youth League
central board from 1958 to 1964 and the Labour Party central board from 1965 to 1974.
Ludvigsen served as a deputy representative to the Parliament of Norway from Akershus
during the terms 1958–1961 and 1961–1965 before being elected in 1965
. During her first term she was a member of the Standing Committee on Transport and Communications
. She was re-elected in 1969
and again in 1973
. She spent her second term as a member of the Standing Committee on Industry
from 1969 to 1971, then as chair of the Standing Committee on Social Affairs and member of the Enlarged Committee on Foreign Affairs and Constitutional Affairs
from 1971 to 1973. During her third term she did not attend parliamentary sessions at all but served as Minister of Social Affairs in Bratteli's Second Cabinet from October 1973. She died in office, and was replaced in Parliament by Thor-Eirik Gulbrandsen
.
Ludvigsen chaired the now-defunct government agency Likestillingsrådet from 1972 to 1973, and from 1973 to 1974 she was a deputy member of the Norwegian Nobel Committee
.
Ludvigsen died when only 46 years old having been suffering from a terminal disease, a condition she knew about before taking office as Minister of Social Affairs.
Tor Halvorsen
was appointed acting Minister in April, but no successor had been named a month after Ludvigsen's death. In August 1974 the newspaper Verdens Gang
wrote that the "only thing which can be said to be certain now, is that the new Minister of Social Affairs will be a woman". This proved to be an inaccurate statement as three weeks later a man, Tor Halvorsen, was named as the permanent Minister of Social Affairs.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
politician, a member of the Labour Party
Norwegian Labour Party
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
.
Career
Ludvigsen was born in VestbyVestby
Vestby is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Follo traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vestby.-Name:...
in 1928. After completing her education she did various white-collar jobs before obtaining employment with Vestby municipality where she was a tax adjuster from 1958 to 1965. She was a member of Vestby municipal council from 1955 to 1959 and from 1963 to 1972, and a member of the school board from 1960 to 1968. She was a member of the Workers' Youth League
Workers' Youth League (Norway)
The Workers' Youth League is Norways biggest political youth organization, and is affiliated with the Norwegian Labour Party.AUF took its current form in April 1927, following the merger of Left Communist Youth League and Socialist Youth League of Norway corresponding with the merger of its...
central board from 1958 to 1964 and the Labour Party central board from 1965 to 1974.
Ludvigsen served as a deputy representative to the Parliament of Norway from Akershus
Akershus
- Geography :The county is conventionally divided into the traditional districts Follo and Romerike, which fill the vast part of the county, as well as the small exclave west of Oslo that consists of Asker and Bærum...
during the terms 1958–1961 and 1961–1965 before being elected in 1965
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1965
-Results:...
. During her first term she was a member of the Standing Committee on Transport and Communications
Standing Committee on Transport and Communications
The Standing Committee on Transport and Communications is a standing committee of the Parliament of Norway. It is responsible for policies relating to transport, postal services, telecommunications, electronic communication and the responsibilities of the Norwegian National Coastal Administration...
. She was re-elected in 1969
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1969
The 1969 election proved to be one of the closest ones in Norwegian history. The only leftist party to win seats, the Labour Party, got 74 seats, while the right-wing parties got 76 seats. When counting the results, people started worrying that the two sides would be evenly split with 75 seats...
and again in 1973
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1973
-Results:¹A coalition of the Socialist People's Party , the Communist Party of Norway , and anti-European Economic Community individuals from the Labour Party. The coalition evolved into the Socialist Left Party in 1975....
. She spent her second term as a member of the Standing Committee on Industry
Standing Committee on Business and Industry
The Standing Committee on Business and Industry is a standing committee of the Parliament of Norway. It is responsible for policies relating to business, industry, trade, shipping, state ownership policy, competition and price policy, agriculture, food policy, fisheries, whaling and aquaculture...
from 1969 to 1971, then as chair of the Standing Committee on Social Affairs and member of the Enlarged Committee on Foreign Affairs and Constitutional Affairs
Enlarged Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence
The Enlarged Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence is a special committee of the Parliament of Norway. It holds non-disclosed discussions with the government regarding important issues of foreign affairs, trade policy and security issues. Other issues are discussed in the Standing Committee on...
from 1971 to 1973. During her third term she did not attend parliamentary sessions at all but served as Minister of Social Affairs in Bratteli's Second Cabinet from October 1973. She died in office, and was replaced in Parliament by Thor-Eirik Gulbrandsen
Thor-Eirik Gulbrandsen
Thor-Eirik Gulbrandsen is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party.He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Akershus in 1977, and was re-elected on three occasions. He had previously served in the position of deputy representative during the terms 1969–1973 and 1973–1977...
.
Ludvigsen chaired the now-defunct government agency Likestillingsrådet from 1972 to 1973, and from 1973 to 1974 she was a deputy member of the Norwegian Nobel Committee
Norwegian Nobel Committee
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awards the Nobel Peace Prize each year.Its five members are appointed by the Norwegian Parliament and roughly represent the political makeup of that body.-History:...
.
Ludvigsen died when only 46 years old having been suffering from a terminal disease, a condition she knew about before taking office as Minister of Social Affairs.
Tor Halvorsen
Tor Halvorsen
Tor Halvorsen was a Norwegian trade unionist and politician for the Labour Party.He was born in Skien. He started his working career in a shoe factory in 1946. In 1952 he was hired as a plumber in Porsgrunn. He then head the trade union of Norsk Hydro at Herøya from 1961 to 1968...
was appointed acting Minister in April, but no successor had been named a month after Ludvigsen's death. In August 1974 the newspaper Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang , generally known under the abbreviation VG, is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper...
wrote that the "only thing which can be said to be certain now, is that the new Minister of Social Affairs will be a woman". This proved to be an inaccurate statement as three weeks later a man, Tor Halvorsen, was named as the permanent Minister of Social Affairs.