Astrid Gjertsen
{{Short description|Norwegian-Danish politician (1928–2020)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Astrid Gjertsen
| honorific-suffix = MP
| image =
| caption =
| office1 = Minister of Consumer Affairs and Administration
| primeminister1 = Kåre Willoch
| term_start1 = 14 October 1981
| predecessor1 = Sissel Rønbeck
| successor1 = Astrid Nøklebye Heiberg
| office2 = Member of the Norwegian Parliament
| term_start2 = 1 October 1969
| term_end2 = 30 September 1989
| constituency2 = Aust-Agder
| birth_date = {{birth date|1928|09|14|df=y}}
| birth_place = Horsens, Denmark
| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|06|17|1928|09|14|df=y}}
| death_place = Bærum, Akershus, Norway
| party = Conservative
| spouse = John Herbert Gjertsen
| children =
| alma_mater =
| website =
}}
Astrid Gjertsen (14 September 1928{{spnd}}17 June 2020) was a Norwegian-Danish politician who served as a member of the Norwegian Parliament as a member of the Conservative Party from 1969 to 1989. From 1981 to 1986, she served as the Minister of Consumer Affairs and Administration. In 2013, Gjertsen was named as the ninth most important woman in Norwegian history by Verdens Gang.
Early life
Astrid Gjertsen was born on 14 September 1928, in Horsens, Denmark, to Senius Spaabæk and Helga Mogensen. She graduated from high school in Horsens in 1946.{{Cite news |date=17 June 2020 |title=Former Minister Astrid Gjertsen (H) is dead. She turned 91 years old. |work=ABC Nyheter |url=https://www.abcnyheter.no/nyheter/norge/2020/06/17/195685138/tidligere-statsrad-astrid-gjertsen-er-dod |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200618213038/https://www.abcnyheter.no/nyheter/norge/2020/06/17/195685138/tidligere-statsrad-astrid-gjertsen-er-dod |archive-date=18 June 2020 |access-date=18 June 2020 }}{{Cite web |date=18 June 2020 |title=Astrid Gjertsen |work=Great Norwegian Encyclopedia |url=https://snl.no/Astrid_Gjertsen |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200618213354/https://snl.no/Astrid_Gjertsen |archive-date=18 June 2020 |language=no |access-date=18 June 2020 }}
In 1945, she worked for the Youth Red Cross where she met John Herbert Gjertsen, a Norwegian who had been a prisoner of war in a concentration camp during World War II since 1942 for his involvement in a resistance movement.{{Cite web |title=Pensjonisten Page 45 |publisher=Pensjonisten |url=https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/frilanskatalogen/files/1584/original/Pensjonisten-0616-PortrettGjertsen-Nett.pdf?1524566901}} On 21 September 1946, she married Gjertsen.{{Cite news |date=13 February 2009 |title=Astrid Gjertsen Biography |work=Norwegian Biographical Lexicon |url=https://nbl.snl.no/Astrid_Gjertsen |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200618215122/https://nbl.snl.no/Astrid_Gjertsen |archive-date=18 June 2020 |access-date=18 June 2020 }}{{Cite news |date=19 October 2009 |title=The Danish-born minister in Norway |work=ABC Nyheter |url=https://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/udland/den-danskf%C3%B8dte-minister-i-norge |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200618222501/https://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/udland/den-danskf%C3%B8dte-minister-i-norge |archive-date=18 June 2020 |access-date=18 June 2020 }} During her marriage, she lived in Oslo, Norway, and later in Borøya, Aust-Agder, Norway.{{cite news| url= https://www.aftenposten.no/norge/politikk/i/MROz3m/tidligere-statsraad-astrid-gjertsen-er-doed?| title=Tidligere statsråd Astrid Gjertsen er død| work=Aftenposten| date=18 June 2020| accessdate=18 June 2020}}
Career
=Local politics=
In 1967, Gjertsen was elected to the Tvedestrand municipal council and served until 1975. From 1972 to 1975, she served as the leader of the Conservatives in Tvedestrand.{{Cite news |date=6 February 2018 |title=Astrid Gjertsen |work=Høyre |url=https://www.arkivverket.no/utforsk-arkivene/nyere-historie-1814-/muntlige-kilder-til-studie-av-endringer-i-norsk-politisk-kultur-1975-1988/astrid-gjertsen |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200618214727/https://www.arkivverket.no/utforsk-arkivene/nyere-historie-1814-/muntlige-kilder-til-studie-av-endringer-i-norsk-politisk-kultur-1975-1988/astrid-gjertsen |archive-date=18 June 2020 |access-date=18 June 2020 }}
=Parliament=
In 1969, she was elected as a deputy representative to the Norwegian Parliament from Aust-Agder, and later as a parliamentary representative in 1973, as a member of the Conservative Party. From 1978 to 1982, she served as the 2nd Deputy Chairman of the Right.{{Cite news |date=14 September 2018 |title="The mother of open society", Astrid Gjertsen, turns 90 |work=Høyre |url=https://hoyre.no/aktuelt/nyheter/2018/astrid-gjertsen-fyller-90-aar/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200618214100/https://hoyre.no/aktuelt/nyheter/2018/astrid-gjertsen-fyller-90-aar/ |archive-date=18 June 2020 |access-date=18 June 2020 }}
In 1974, she served as a deputy representative to the United Nations General Assembly. In 1978, she served as a member of the parliamentary delegation to the Nordic Council.
On 14 October 1981, she became the Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumers and Administration. She was one of four women in Kåre Willoch's cabinet.{{cite news| url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/260271282| title= Oslo Conservatives inherit disorder in Lapps' Valley| work=The Guardian| via=Newspapers.com| url-access=subscription| page=8| date=30 September 1981| accessdate=28 June 2020}} During her tenure, the telephone monopoly was disbanded; she supported deregulation, and supported allowing for longer shopping hours and Sunday shopping.{{Cite news |date=9 June 2013 |title=One of the most important women in Norwegian history |url=https://www.tvedestrandsposten.no/lokale-nyheter/en-av-norgeshistoriens-viktigste-kvinner/s/1-115-6700252 |newspaper=Tvedestrandsposten|url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200619054640/https://www.tvedestrandsposten.no/lokale-nyheter/en-av-norgeshistoriens-viktigste-kvinner/s/1-115-6700252 |archive-date=19 June 2020 |access-date=19 June 2020 }}
On 18 April 1986, she resigned from her ministry position and was convicted for turning in NOK 32,061 worth of fraudulent taxi receipts.{{Cite news |date=21 October 2019 |title=Shamed politician resigns from party |work=News in English |url=https://www.newsinenglish.no/2019/10/21/shamed-politician-resigns-from-party/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200618213845/https://www.newsinenglish.no/2019/10/21/shamed-politician-resigns-from-party/ |archive-date=18 June 2020 |access-date=18 June 2020 }}{{cite news| url= https://www.aftenposten.no/okonomi/i/RRQJE8/mazyar-keshvari-er-doemt-til-syv-maaneders-fengsel-stortinget-vil-ikke-gi-ham-godtgjoerelse-mens-han-soner| title=Mazyar Keshvari er dømt til syv måneders fengsel. Stortinget vil ikke gi ham godtgjørelse mens han soner.| language=no| work=Aftenposten| date=2 April 2020| accessdate=18 June 2020}} She was given a 45-day suspended sentence and paid the money back; the punishment was higher than usual due to her political position.{{cite web| url= https://www.nb.no/nbsok/nb/261ad80a9c7d0042f744d2f71fe5e819.nbdigital?lang=no| title=Astrid Gjertsen dømt til 45 dagers betinget fengsel for grovt bedrageri Dagsnytt| language=no| publisher=National Library of Norway| accessdate=18 June 2020}} Gjertsen stopped being a deputy representative in 1989.
Later life
In a 2013 ranking compiled by the political editors of Verdens Gang, Gjertsen was rated the ninth most important woman in Norwegian history. On 17 June 2020, she died in Bærum, Norway.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Biografi: Gjertsen, Astrid|url=https://www.stortinget.no/no/Representanter-og-komiteer/Representantene/Representant/?perid=ASGJ|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105160943/https://stortinget.no/no/Representanter-og-komiteer/Representantene/Representant/?perid=ASGJ |archive-date=5 November 2019 |access-date=20 June 2020|website=Stortinget|language=no}}
References
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Category:20th-century Norwegian women politicians
Category:Conservative Party (Norway) politicians
Category:Danish emigrants to Norway
Category:Government ministers of Norway
Category:Women government ministers of Norway
Category:Women members of the Storting
Category:Members of the Storting 1985–1989
Category:Members of the Storting 1981–1985