Ien Dales

Catharina Isabella "Ien" Dales (18 October 1931 – 10 January 1994) was a Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA) and social worker.[1]

Ien Dales
Ien Dales in 1981
Minister of the Interior
In office 7 November 1989 – 10 January 1994
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Kees van Dijk
Succeeded by	Ernst Hirsch Ballin (Ad interim)
Mayor of Nijmegen
In office 16 May 1987 – 7 November 1989
Preceded by	Frans Hermsen
Succeeded by	Ed d'Hondt
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 16 September 1982 – 16 May 1987
Parliamentary group	Labour Party
State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment
In office 11 September 1981 – 29 May 1982 Serving with Hedy d'Ancona
Prime Minister	Dries van Agt
Preceded by	Louw de Graaf as State Secretary for Social Affairs
Succeeded by	Piet van Zeil
Personal details
Born	Catharina Isabella Dales (1931-10-18)18 October 1931 Arnhem, Netherlands
Died	10 January 1994(1994-01-10) (aged 62) Utrecht, Netherlands
Cause of death	Heart attack
Nationality	Dutch
Political party	Labour Party (from 1968)
Domestic partner	Elizabeth Schmitz (1981–1994)
Alma mater	University of Amsterdam (Bachelor of Education, Master of Education)
Occupation	Politician · Civil servant · Social worker

Dales worked as a social worker from February 1953 until September 1977 and as a civil servant for municipality of Rotterdam as director of the Social Service from September 1977 until September 1981. After the election of 1981 Dales was appointed as State Secretary for Social Affairs and Employment in the Cabinet Van Agt II, taking office on 11 September 1981. The Cabinet Van Agt II fell just seven months into its term on 12 May 1982 and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced by the caretaker Cabinet Van Agt III on 29 May 1982. Dales was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1982, taking office on 16 September 1982. In April 1987 Dales was nominated as Mayor of Nijmegen, she resigned as a Member of the House of Representatives the day she was installed as Mayor, taking office on 16 May 1987. After the election of 1989 Dales was appointed as Minister of the Interior in the Cabinet Lubbers III, taking office on 7 November 1989. On 10 January 1994 Dales died after suffering a fatal heart Attack at her home in Utrecht.

Dales was known for her abilities as a manager and mediator. She holds the distinction as the second known LGBT government Minister of the Netherlands and the first bisexual, she was in a relationship with fellow Labour Party politician Elizabeth Schmitz for many years this fact was an open secret in Dutch politics at that time.