Ruby Thoma

Ruby Thoma (born Ruby Dediya in 1949 in Nauru ) is a Nauruan politician.

After completing secondary school in Australia, she was trained as a nurse at Epworth Hospital in Melbourne. She graduated from the University of Otago Christchurch School of Medicine and became a midwife in Nauru.

Minister for Finance and later Parliamentary activity

She joined President Hammer DeRoburt's parliamentary majority, and he appointed her minister, from December 1986 until the government was brought down upon losing the confidence of Parliament in August 1989. Ruby Dediya kept her seat in Parliament in the ensuing general election, but lost it in the 1992 election. She regained her seat in Parliament in the 1995 general election. She was appointed as Minister Assisting the President of Nauru in the cabinet of Kennan Adeang from November 1996 to December 1996, and held the portfolio of Minister of Finance at the same time. However, she lost her seat in 1997. This marked the end of her political career.

Historic significance of role

Throughout her career, she was the only woman MP. No other woman was elected to Parliament until Charmaine Scotty became MP for Yaren in the 2013 general election.

In the late 2000s, she was appointed to preside the commission tasked with overseeing constitutional reform proposals. The projected reforms were ultimately not implemented, as they were rejected by referendum in February 2010.