Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa

Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa is a Cameroonian politician, pediatrician, and university professor who has served as the Minister of Women's Empowerment and the Family since 2009. Before entering government, she had a distinguished career in medicine and academia, serving as a professor at the University of Yaoundé I and as the head of the pediatrics department at the Yaoundé University Teaching Hospital. In 2009, she became the first woman to lead the Yaoundé Central Hospital. As a minister, she has been a vocal advocate against child marriage and has focused on improving educational opportunities for young women through vocational training and international partnerships.