Ana Osterman (born 1940) is a Slovene social worker and politician who served as the Minister of Veterans Affairs from 1992 until 1993. A member of the

Social Democrats Social democracy is a social, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achieving social equality. In modern practice, s ...

, she previously served in the

Parliament of Slovenia The Slovenian Parliament () is the informal designation of the general representative body of the Slovenian nation and the legislative body of the Republic of Slovenia. According to the Constitution of Slovenia, the general representative body ...

from 1990 until 1992.

Biography

Ana Osterman was born in 1940 at the village of Krog in the

Prekmurje Prekmurje (; Prekmurje Slovene: ''Prèkmürsko'' or ''Prèkmüre''; ) is a geographically, linguistically, culturally, and ethnically defined region of Slovenia, settled by Slovenes and a Hungarians in Slovenia, Hungarian minority, lying betwee ...

region of Slovenia. Due to the presence of a nearby

Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: People, characters, figures, names * Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas. * Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun * Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...

settlement, Osterman was raised in a multicultural environment; this influenced her beliefs towards solidarity and tolerance. Her experiences growing up led her to become interested in

social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...

, and she graduated from university with a degree in

sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

. Osterman is considered to be an expert in the social situations in Slovenia. Initially focusing on "youth responsibility and crime", she eventually came to lead the Center for Social Work in the town of

Ptuj Ptuj (; , ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, eighth-largest town of Slovenia, located in the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Styria (northeastern Slovenia). It is the seat of the City Municipality of Ptuj, Municipality of Pt ...

for fourteen years. She later served as state secretary for social welfare in the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs. Osterman was elected to the

in the

1990 Slovenian parliamentary election Parliamentary elections were held in Slovenia on 8 April 1990, together with the first round of presidential elections. They were the first direct, multiparty elections held in Slovenia since World War II, and the first democratic elections he ...

, the first

free and fair election A free and fair election is defined as an election in which " coercion is comparatively uncommon". This definition was popularized by political scientist Robert Dahl. A free and fair election involves political freedoms and fair processes lead ...

in the country since 1925. A member of the

, she "strove to solve women's issues in particular" during her tenure. Osterman left office at the end of her term in 1992. Later that year, she was appointed Minister of Veterans Affairs in the first government of

Janez Drnovšek Janez Drnovšek (; 17 May 1950 – 23 February 2008) was a Slovenian liberal politician, President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia (1989–1990), Prime Minister of Slovenia (1992–2002, with a short break in 2000) and President of Slovenia (20 ...

, serving until 1993. Following her political career, Osterman has continued to engage in social work. Since 1999, she has been "a member of the Slovenian Philanthropy Association for the Promotion of Volunteering". She also led the Ptuj Optimists Association, through which she advocates for the elderly via a series of programs to provide assistance and social help.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Osterman, Ana Date of birth missing (living people) Living people 1940 births People from Murska Sobota People from Ptuj 20th-century Slovenian politicians 20th-century Slovenian women politicians Social Democrats (Slovenia) politicians Members of the National Assembly (Slovenia) Women government ministers of Slovenia Veterans affairs ministers of Slovenia Slovenian sociologists Slovenian women sociologists Social workers