The African Union (AU) has announced Dr Monique Nsanzabaganwa as the Deputy Chairperson of the AU Commission. This makes her the first woman to hold this position.
As the head of the AU reform, she is responsible for the financial and administrative management of the commission. This role requires expertise in economics and politics.
Her appointment happened at the 34th summit of the AU which was mainly to choose six commissioners to the AU’s secretariat. The AU Commission works with various bodies in the union to support and accomplish its goals. It reports to the executive council, which formulates policies and supervises activities of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government.
Before her appointment, she was the Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda. She also worked as the Minister of Trade and Industry from 2008 to 2011. She has also served as the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning all in the Rwandan government.
Nsanzabaganwa holds a Ph.D. in Economics and an honorary Doctorate degree in Commerce both from the Stellenbosch University, South Africa.
She is also a member of the Alliance for Financial Inclusion’s Gender Inclusive Finance Committee, an alumna of Women’s World Banking African Advisory Council, and Founding Member & Chairperson of New Faces New Voices Rwanda.
She is recognised as a voice in women’s economic empowerment and financial inclusion in her country Rwanda, and the global space.
Many gender activists believe that her appointment and the outcome of the AU summit show the union’s commitment to building a gender-balanced team that will implement institutional. This is coming at a time when several African leaders are pushing for gender equality on the continent.
This article was originally published on Africa Business Insider.
