Aaja Chemnitz
Aaja Chemnitz | |
|---|---|
Chemnitz in 2026 | |
| Member of the Folketing | |
| Assumed office 18 June 2015 | |
| Constituency | Greenland |
| Member of the Inatsisartut | |
| In office 10 December 2014 – 24 April 2018 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 December 1977 |
| Party | Inuit Ataqatigiit |
| Alma mater | University of Greenland INSEAD |
| Profession | Master of Science (MSc) in Business Economics and Auditing |
Aaja Chemnitz Driefer (born 2 December 1977) is a Greenlandic politician. She is a member of the Danish Folketing (Parliament) for the Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA), representing one of the two parliamentary seats for Greenland, since first being elected in 2015. She was previously a member of the Inatsisartut (Greenlandic Parliament)
Early life and education
Aaja Chemnitz was born on 2 December 1977 in Nuuk, Greenland, the daughter of Jørgen Schmidt Chemnitz and Jette Larsen.[1] She earned an MSc in business economics and auditing at the University of Greenland and has an Executive management degree from the international business school INSEAD.[1]
Early career
In 2006 and 2007, Chemnitz was employed as an associate expert of the United Nations in New York City in the Division of Social and Economic Affairs, and here working with indigenous peoples' rights.[1] She was head of the social department of Nuuk Kommune from 2007 until 2009. In 2009 she was appointed director of the Welfare Department in Municipality of Sermersooq.[1] From 2012 until 2015, Chemnitz served as Greenland's inaugural Spokesperson for Children, who is head of MIO,[1] the National Advocacy for Children's Rights in Greenland, established in 2012 by the Greenlandic Government.[2][3]
Political career
Chemnitz was elected into the Inatsisartut at the 2014 Greenlandic general election but decided to not run again in the 2018 Greenlanding general election, having been elected into the Danish Parliament at the 2015 Danish general election. She was reelected into the Folketing in the 2019 Danish general election.[5] In 2019, Chemnitz presented a plan focused on early prevention of sexual abuse of children, a growing problem in Greenland. The plan requested funding and support from Denmark to support efforts. The plan was approved, with Denmark agreeing to provide 80 million DKK and Greenland providing 20 million DKK to fund efforts.[6]
Views
Chemnitz supports Greenlandic independence; however, she does not believe that independence is easy to achieve or that it would happen in the near future.[7]
Appointments
Chemnitz' parliamentary appointments include:[1]
- Member of Greenland's Landsting, 2014–2018
- Parliament's representative in Arctic Parliamentarians since 2015 (president from 2021)
- Vice-chair of the Greenland Committee (Grønlandsudvalget), 2017–2021
- Chair of the Greenland Committee, 2021–2022
- Vice-chair of the Greenland Committee, 2023–2024
- Vice-chair of the Danish Parliament's Arctic Delegation, 2023–2024
- Chair of the Greenland Committee since 2024
Personal life
Chemnitz married Michael Driefer.[1] She has known Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen since he was a child, and admires his leadership.[8]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Aaja Chemnitz (IA)". Folketing. 29 September 2025.
- ^ "Home". MIO. 11 April 2019. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
On the 22 November 2011 the Greenlandic Government decided to establish a National Advocacy Center working for Children's Rights. MIO was founded in Spring 2012. The Spokesperson for Children is the head of MIO. The Spokesperson is hired by the Greenlandic Government and acts as a Spokesperson for a period of 3 years.
- ^ Assistant, IWGIA (16 April 2024). "The Indigenous World 2024: Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland)". IWGIA. Archived from the original on 14 July 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
Another important forum for the work on children's rights in Kalaallit Nunaat is MIO – the Greenlandic Children's Rights Institution. MIO was established in the spring of 2012 and works to spread awareness of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in Kalaallit Nunaat
- ^ »De fortalte, hvor frygteligt, de syntes det var«: Amerikanerne viste følelser på lukket møde
- ^ "Aaja Chemnitz stiller ikke op til Inatsisartut". Knr.gl. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- ^ Friedrich, Doris. "Alcohol, gambling and cash increase risk of sexual abuse of Greenland's children". High North News. Archived from the original on 3 January 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ Schionning, Bjorn (9 January 2020). "As the ice melts, Greenland considers its future". BBC. Archived from the original on 15 January 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
- ^ Bryant, Miranda (31 January 2026). "'Under pressure': Greenland's PM gains fans at home and abroad after his rebuke of Trump". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 February 2026. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
The 34-year-old was sworn in last April