Becoming a parliament speaker usually requires many years of political experience, parliamentary activity, and a complex path through the corridors of power. However, the political career of Turkmenistan's current parliament speaker is an exception in this regard. At the age of 34, she made history in 2023 as the youngest parliament speaker in the world by leading the country's legislative p.
So, who is this female politician, currently 37 years old? How did her path from law to parliament speaker unfold, and what is the real political weight of the Mejlis speaker in a country with a closed system like Turkmenistan?
The first presentation in Modern.az's “Speakers” section is about Dünýägözel Gulmanowa, who currently heads the Mejlis of Turkmenistan.
Her political career began not in parliament, but in the legal field. Before reaching this high position, Gulmanowa worked in various legal capacities at the Ministry of Justice of Turkmenistan, served as a notary, dealt with state registration of real estate, and later headed the human rights committee in the upper house of parliament.
Dünýägözel Akmuhammedowna Gulmanowa was born on January 14, 1989, in Ashgabat. She attended secondary school from 1995 to 2004. From 2007 to 2012, she studied law at the Magtymguly Turkmen State University.
From doctor's assistant to lawyer
One of the notable points in D. Gulmanowa's biography is her working in different fields at a young age.
From 2004 to 2006, she worked as a tenant of the "Bagyr" farmers' association in Bagyr village, Ahal province. Later, from 2006 to 2007, she worked as a junior medical worker at the former Ruhabat district hospital in the same province.
That is, the future parliament speaker's professional activity did not start directly from state politics or the legal field.
Her main professional turning point occurred after graduating from university.
In 2012, D. Gulmanowa began working at the Ministry of Justice of Turkmenistan. In her early years, she worked as a consultant in legal information and constitutional legislation.
Later, she worked as a lawyer in various structures of the ministry. From 2015 to 2016, she was an intern and state notary at the State Notary Office of Ashgabat city.
From 2016 to 2018, she worked on legal matters at the Ministry of Justice and in the field of state registration of rights to real estate and transactions related to it. Later, she was promoted to chief state registrar in the state registry department of the same ministry.
From 2018 to 2021, she was the chief legal advisor leading the economic legislation and state registration of normative legal acts direction in the legislative department of the Ministry of Justice.
Thus, Gulmanowa's political career is based on the legal experience she accumulated over many years.
From the upper house of parliament to the Mejlis speakership
Gulmanowa's main breakthrough in her political career occurred in 2021.
During that period, Turkmenistan had a bicameral parliament, the National Council. Its upper house, the Halk Maslahaty, held a special place in the country's political system.
From 2021 to 2023, Gulmanowa worked as deputy chairman, and later as chairman, of the human rights and freedoms protection committee of this very p.
This position was her first serious political step in parliamentary and legislative activity.
At the beginning of 2023, Turkmenistan's parliamentary system was changed again, and legislative powers were concentrated in a unicameral Mejlis.
The Halk Maslahaty, however, continued its activity as a separate state p.
Elections were held in March of the same year, and a new convocation of the Mejlis was formed. The elections to the 125-seat parliament concluded with the victory of the ruling Democratic Party.
On April 6, at the first session of the new parliament, Gulmanowa's name attracted the attention of national and international media.
She was elected Speaker of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan.
The election was held by secret ballot. Gulmanowa's name was put to a vote without an alternative candidate and received the support of all 125 deputies.
She became the youngest speaker in the world
The main point that made Dünýägözel Gulmanowa's election as Mejlis speaker special is related to her age.
When Gulmanowa was elected parliament speaker in 2023, she was the youngest speaker in the world. The politician, born in 1989, was 34 years old at the time.
Around the world, parliament speakers are usually chosen from among older politicians with many years of political experience. D. Gulmanowa, however, rose to one of the highest posts in parliament before turning 30.
Moreover, she also made history as one of the youngest female parliament leaders to hold that position.
The power structure that determines Gulmanowa's political weight
Here, it is necessary to consider the specifics of Turkmenistan's political system.
The Mejlis is the country's legislative p and consists of 125 deputies. Deputies are elected for a five-year term. The current VII convocation of parliament was formed after the elections held on March 26, 2023.
However, it would not be correct to directly compare the role of the Turkmen parliament with parliamentary models in Western countries.
The presidential institution and other state structures play a key role in decision-making in the country. Therefore, Dünýägözel Gulmanowa's holding a high state position as Mejlis speaker does not automatically mean that she has become one of the country's most powerful political figures.
Her duties are mainly related to organizing legislative activity, managing parliamentary sessions, coordinating the activities of deputies, and representing the parliament's international relations.
Above Dünýägözel Gulmanowa's position stands the president and the national leader.
To understand her political weight, one must look at Turkmenistan's current power structure.
The country's president is Serdar Berdimuhamedow. His father, former president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, holds the status of chairman of the Halk Maslahaty and "National Leader of Turkmenistan."
This structure allows for comparing the political weight of the parliament speaker within the country with other high-ranking positions.
Dünýägözel Gulmanowa currently acts as the head of the legislative power within this system.
The female speaker is a member of the ruling Democratic Party of Turkmenistan and was elected as a deputy as a candidate of this party in 2023.
As Mejlis speaker, D. Gulmanowa leads Turkmenistan's delegations to international parliamentary platforms. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's information indicates Gulmanowa as the head of the Turkmenistan delegation.
In 2023, during her visit to Turkmenistan, OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid met with Dünýägözel Gulmanowa, as well as President Serdar Berdimuhamedow and Halk Maslahaty Chairman Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow.
These meetings show that Gulmanowa also carries the function of official representation in the country's foreign parliamentary relations.
Her personal life remains a mystery
There is not much extensive information about the personal life of 37-year-old Dünýägözel Gulmanowa in open sources.
According to official information from the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, she is married and has two children.
However, her husband's name, surname, profession, field of work, and the names and birth dates of her children are not specified.
Interestingly, this information cannot be found in Turkmen media or in opposition and independent publications related to the country.
Her public profile primarily focuses on her political and parliamentary activities.
D. Gulmanowa was awarded a jubilee medal in 2024 on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of Magtymguly Pyragy, and a jubilee medal in 2025 on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan's permanent neutrality.
Dünýägözel Gulmanowa's political career still gives the impression of being at the beginning of a long journey. Her rise to the parliament speakership at the age of 34 has placed her in a special position in international parliamentary statistics. Today, at 37, she continues her activity as a female politician leading Turkmenistan's legislative p.
A. Gafarli
