Paulette Missambo is a Gabonese politician who has served as the president of the

Senate of Gabon The Senate (''Sénat'') is the upper house of the Parliament of Gabon. It has 102 members, elected for a six-year term in single-seat constituencies by local and départemental councillors. Beginning with the 2009 election, some constituencies ele ...

since 18 September 2023.

Early life and education

Paulette Missambo was born on 20 September 1949 in Kessipoughou,

Ogooué-Lolo Province The Ogooué-Lolo Province is one of the nine provinces of Gabon, slightly southeast of central Gabon. The regional capital is Koulamoutou, a city of approximately 16,000 people. It is the ninth largest city in Gabon and the home of slightly more ...

Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north ...

. She attended

Omar Bongo University Omar Bongo University (French: ''Université Omar Bongo'') a public university which was founded as the National University of Gabon in 1970. It was renamed in honor of President Omar Bongo in 1978. It is based in Libreville, and was the country' ...

Libreville Libreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon. Occupying in the northwestern province of Estuaire, Libreville is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea. As of the 2013 census, its population was 703,904. The area has been inh ...

, Gabon and graduated from

Charles de Gaulle University – Lille III The Charles de Gaulle University – Lille III (french: Université Lille 3 Charles-de-Gaulle) was a French university. Since 1974, the main campus of University of Lille III was located in Villeneuve d'Ascq in eastern Lille, at ''Pont de Bois'' me ...

Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Pref ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

with a

Bachelor's Degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

Master's Degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

, and Diploma in Advanced Studies in french linguistics. She returned to Gabon and in 1982 was appoint principal at Port-Gentil National High School, making her the first woman principal in Gabon.

Political career

Missambo was appointed Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms on 26 November 1990 and served until 21 June 1991. She was elected to the

National Assembly of Gabon The National Assembly (french: Assemblée Nationale) is the lower house of the Parliament of Gabon. It has 143 members, elected by Two round system Latest results Members (since 1990) * List of members of the National Assembly of Gabon, 1990 ...

in 1991 as a member of the

Gabonese Democratic Party The Gabonese Democratic Party (french: Parti Démocratique Gabonais, abbreviated PDG), is the ruling and dominant political party of Gabon. Between 1968 and 1990 it was the sole legal party. History The party was established as the Gabonese Dem ...

and served until 2009. She represented

. From 21 June 1991 to 25 March 1994, she served as the Minister of National Education. From January 28, 1997 to 28 December 2007, she served as the first woman Minister of State. She also served as the Minister of Labor, Employment and Vocational Training between 25 January 1999 and 27 January 2002; Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation between 27 January 2002 to 4 September 2006; and Minister of Public Health between 4 September 2006 and 28 December 2007. In 2009 she left the Gabonese Democratic Party and joined the Nation Union party. In 2021, she was elected the head of the party, making her the first woman to head a political party in Gabon. She was appointed president of the

on 18 September 2023 after the 2023 Gabonese coup d'état.

Honors

*Officer of the French

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

*Commander of the

Ordre des Palmes académiques A suite, in Western classical music and jazz, is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral/concert band pieces. It originated in the late 14th century as a pairing of dance tunes and grew in scope to comprise up to five dances, sometimes with ...

*Grand Officer of the

Order of the Equatorial Star The Order of the Equatorial Star () is a state order of Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bo ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Missambo, Paulette 21st-century Gabonese politicians 21st-century Gabonese women Presidents of the Senate of Gabon Women government ministers of Gabon Health ministers of Gabon Transport ministers of Gabon Education ministers of Gabon 1949 births Living people