Karen Ankersted

Karen Marie Ankersted Hansen (1859–1921) was a Danish teacher and a pioneering female politician. She was among the first four women to be elected to the Municipal Council of Frederiksberg in 1909 as well as one of the first three to be elected to the Folketing (the Danish national parliament) in 1918.

Biography Born on 18 July 1859 in Ishøj, Karen Marie Ankersted Hansen was the daughter of the farmer Niels Hansen (died 1885) and Marie Nielsen (c.1822–1869). She was brought up in Copenhagen by a foster mother, Hanne Kopp, who was a teacher. After attending Testrup Folk High School, she trained to be a private teacher at N. Zahle's School, receiving her diploma in 1881.

She was not re-elected in the April 1920 election but only left the Rigsdag until the following August when she entered the Landsting for her last few months. Karen Ankersted died in Copenhagen on 6 November 1921.