Irene Montero

Irene María Montero Gil (born 13 February 1988), MP is a Spanish politician and psychologist, member of the Podemos party. She currently serves as the Minister of Equality of Spain since 13 January 2020.

Since January 2016, she has also been an MP for Madrid in the Congress of Deputies, and from February 2017 to January 2020 she was the Spokesperson for the Parliamentary Group Unidos Podemos-En Comú Podem-Galicia en Común in Congress.

She studied at the Siglo XXI school in the Moratalaz neighborhood of Madrid. She joined the Communist Youth Union of Spain at age 16. She has a bachelor's degree in psychology from the Autonomous University of Madrid, a master's degree in Educational Psychology (2013) and has been a doctoral fellow at the Autonomous University of Madrid with a scholarship for the Training of University Teachers. She joined Podemos after the elections to the European Parliament in 2014 together with Rafa Mayoral from the Platform of People Affected by Mortgages (PAH).

In November 2014, after being a candidate for the Citizen Council of Podemos, she was appointed head of Social Movements and began to lead the cabinet of the leader of Podemos, Pablo Iglesias, at which time she postponed her doctoral thesis project on new methods of educational inclusion to dedicate herself entirely to Podemos.

She was a candidate for Madrid to the Congress of Deputies for Podemos in the elections of 20 December 2015, being elected deputy of the XI and the XII Legislature. Since 18 February 2017 she has held the position of Spokesperson of the United Confederal Group We Can-In Comú Podem-En Marea, being the youngest speaker of democracy.

During the election campaign of 20 December 2015 Iglesias announced that Montero would be the vice president and minister of the Presidency of a hypothetical government of Podemos.

In the elections of the Congress of Vistalegre II to the direction of Podemos was elected member of the State Citizen Council. She was the most voted woman, placing herself in fourth place, behind Pablo Iglesias, Pablo Echenique and Íñigo Errejón. She is currently a member of the Coordination Board of Podemos, secretary of Action in Congress.

As a deputy, in June 2017 she became the first woman in the history of Spain to intervene in parliament on a motion of no confidence.

In January 2020, prime minister Pedro Sánchez appointed her as Minister of Equality.

On 3 July 2018 Montero gave birth to twins, Leo and Manuel, in her relationship with Pablo Iglesias, the leader of her party. Because of their premature birth, the newborn children were kept in the intensive care at a public hospital of Madrid. On 4 August 2019 she gave birth to their third child, Aitana.

On 12 March 2020, it was reported that Montero had been infected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019. She was reported to be in quarantine together with her domestic partner, Deputy Prime Minister of Spain Pablo Iglesias, while all members of the Spanish government were to be tested for the virus. The large march in Madrid for International Women's Day, which was attended by around 120,000 people, was criticised for taking place when there were already active cases in Madrid. A surge in cases of COVID-19 took place around 5 days later, which is the average incubation time of the virus. The wife of Pedro Sánchez also contracted the virus after attending the same feminist march, as did deputy prime minister Carmen Calvo.