Career

She was elected to the Løgting in 1988 for Javnaðarflokkurin (The Socialist Party). In January 1993, she was elected to the post of Prime Minister which she held until September 1994. Later, she became chairman of the parliament from 1994 to 1995.

She was Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands in a very difficult time with economic crisis.

Marita Petersen died of cancer in 2001. Education and work

She was a school teacher, educated from the Hellerup seminarium in Denmark in 1964.

She worked as a teacher in Copenhagen and Esbjerg from 1964-1967, in Tórshavnar kommunuskúli (one of the public schools in Tórshavn) from 1967 to 1989. From 1989 to 1994 she was leader of the teaching department of Landsskúlafyrisitingin 1989-1994, leader of the Sernámsfrøðiliga ráðgevingin 1994-1998 and from 1998 until her death she was manager for the Sernámsdepilin, which is a school for children with mentally disabilities.

Political career

1994-1995 Speaker of the Løgting

1993-1994 Prime Minister (løgmaður) (the first and until now the only female Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands)

1994-1996 Leader of Javnaðarflokkurin (the Socialist Party)

1991-1993 Minister of Cultural Affairs

1988-1998 Member og the Faroese Løgting, except for the periods when she was prime minister or minister.