Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa
Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa | |
|---|---|
| Born | Marie-Thérèse Obama 1949 Douala, Cameroon |
| Occupation(s) | Scholar, government official, pediatrician |
| Years active | –present |
| Known for | Minister of Women's Empowerment and the Family (since 2009) |
Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa (née Obama) is a Cameroonian scholar and government official who has held the position of Minister of Women's Empowerment and the Family since 2009. Prior to her appointment to this ministerial post, she served as assistant dean at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Yaounde.
Academic and medical activities
At the University of Yaoundé's Faculty of Medicine, Ondoa worked as a professor and Vice-Dean, where she was responsible for research and international collaboration. Additionally, she directed the Pediatric Department at the University Teaching Hospital (CHU) in Yaoundé. In March 2009, she made history as the first Cameroonian woman to be named director of Yaoundé's regional hospital.
Politics
Just four months following her appointment as hospital director, Ondoa was named Minister of Women's Empowerment and the Family in 2009, taking over from Suzanne Mbomback. She maintained her ministerial role during the cabinet reshuffle in October 2015 under Prime Minister Philemon Yang.
In 2016, her ministry operated with a budget approaching 7 billion CFA francs (equivalent to more than 10 million euros), reflecting a 21% increase compared to the previous fiscal year. That same year, she took a strong stance against child marriage, encouraging both community authorities and media outlets to actively oppose this practice that impedes girls' education and empowerment.