Women are in the spotlight this June 24th. More precisely, those who have the diplomat cap. It is within the frame of the international day of women in diplomacy. According to the General Assembly of the United Nations, linchpin of the establishment of this day, it is an opportunity to recognize the key role that women play in the promoting peace, security and development for a better future, “we must all do everything possible to ensure women are at the table, our voices heard and our contributions valued,” said UN Deputy-Secretary-General Amina Mohammed. 

The feast has not gone unnoticed in Cameroon. On this occasion, a report on the representativeness of women pursuing a career in this profession was published by the Ministry of External Relations. It is for example underscored that Cameroon has to date, more than 300 female diplomats, graduates of the International Relations Institute of Cameroon, Iric, who are employed in the central and external services of the Minrex. We find, for example, women who act as extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassadors in diplomatic representations. There are, for instance, Madeleine Liguemoh in Netherlands, Marie-Yvette Koloko in Côte d’Ivoire and Edith Ondoa in Gabon.

In the central, decentralized and external services of the ministry, 8.5% of the heads of diplomatic missions are women, while 33.33% of the posts of general inspectors are occupied by women, 13.33% for the minister-counsellors, 20% for consuls general, 39.28% at the level of first advisers, 22.22% for first vice consuls, 36.36% for the second.

About the first secretaries, we note representativeness of 23.07%, as for the level of the second secretaries regarding external services, we count the presence of 25% of women, the same percentage as technical advisers.

At the level of directors, the representation of women is 14.28%, 41.86% at the level of deputy directors, 20% for study officers, 21.42% for assistant study officers and 54.81% for department heads for central services.