Since 1996, Gabon has been a witness and protagonist of the incorporation into women ‘ s policy and the fight against hunger and malnutrition.
Angelique Ngoma has been at the forefront of Gabonese politics for 25 years. She is a national delegate of the Women’s Union of the Gabonese Democratic Party and has been a Deputy of Gabon since 1996, currently in her fifth term.
Her trajectory is exceptional: she held the portfolio of Family, Advancement of Women and the Fight against HIV/AIDS Gabonese Republic (1999-2009); the Ministry of Social Affairs (2008); and the Ministry of Health (2007-2008). However, she is especially known for being Gabon’s first female Defence Minister, a position she held from October 2009 to January 2011. After that, in 2011, she was appointed Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Welfare. Since 2018, the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie (APF) has been actively involved in promoting the Parliamentary Alliances against Hunger and Malnutrition in African countries.
With her career, she has contributed to the inclusion of women in Africa’s politics, and has been able to witness the progress made and to perceive the challenges that remain to be tackled. She strongly believes that “the right to food is one of the pillars of parliamentary work for the well-being of the people” and that “international alliances are an ideal instrument for making a concrete contribution to the right to food in each of our respective countries”.
She has a broad international knowledge that allows her to put on the table some of the policies with which the European Union can be useful in the sustainable development of Africa. She knows that moving forward requires a strong leadership, as well as being able to bring people together around an idea and share their knowledge, while keeping in mind that politics have to address also the needs of future generations, who will take over and continue the work that has been started.
