Kandia Camara

The first woman to hold this position, Kandia Camara has been President of the Senate of the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire since 12 October 2023. Born on 17 June 1959 in Abidjan, not only is she an eminent political figure, she is also an accomplished sportswoman (in handball competitions) and teacher (originally teaching English). She became involved in politics in the early 1990s, particularly in the women's sections of the PDCI, the party founded by Félix Houphouët-Boigny. In 1994, she joined the RDR and Alassane Ouattara (ADO). She became involved in the political struggle and supported ADO on his road to the presidential palace. An active member of the majority party, Minister of Education and Minister of Foreign Affairs, she has real experience in government. She has also been a near-constant presence in the inner circles of power in Côte d'Ivoire. This Abidjan native is also mayor of Abobo (re-elected in September 2023), a large working-class district in the economic capital (1.3 million inhabitants) whose first mayor was the late Hamed Bakayoko.