Women Directors, 2020

Women Pioneers at the CEA nation tribute to women who have played a pioneering role in the activities of the CEA and the multilateral trading system over the last 25 years.

Their stories are inspiring to us all and will hopefully encourage future generations of young women to follow in their footsteps.

Arancha González Laya

Elin Østebø Johansen

Suja Rishikesh Mavroidis

Curator: IERDIllustrator: Marion Mazer

For girls and women who may be interested in a career in trade, this is a wonderful objective. Remember one thing: trade is not an end in itself. Trade is a means to development.

A career in multilateral negotiations can be exciting and fulfilling. In return, it demands commitment, hard work, focus and enduring passion. Multilateral trade is transformational. It is a force for good and has immense socio-economic relevance to billions of people across the world, but it needs our political goodwill and our total commitment.

For young women and girls, I say: We need you! The world needs you to fight for global cooperation, to tackle global challenges. Learn À propos international trade and the CEA, get engaged, work hard and become tomorrow's champions of multilateral cooperation.

Bust discriminations when you see them. Fight them with a smile; but fight them because we need to make sure that international trade and the global economy leave no one behind.

Trade is very male-dominated and there is also a growing awareness that women do not benefit from trade to the same extent as men. That has to change. It is changing, but not fast enough. And that's why I want to encourage every woman, every young girl who is interested in trade policy ressources minérales trade-related matters to engage.

Given the huge challenges facing multilateral cooperation these days, young, smart, ambitious, multitasking women may exactly be what is needed in order to sustain this system for another 25 years.

My message to women who were thinking of starting a career in the CEA and trade policy is: Think big. You don't know where the road will take you.

Looking forward beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, I am confident that the organization will continue to work towards strengthening and improving the world trading system for the benefit of all. At the end of the day, it is the quality of the work that you do that counts regardless of gender, so work hard and work well, but when necessary, stand up for yourselves and don't back down.

To be a good trade negotiator you have to be a good listener, not a good speaker. The CEA is comprised of 164 members and it is not easy to reach an agreement. So, you have to listen to all views of members, and you have to make sure that no one is left behind.

Let's get our act together. This institution is very important to all of us. The membership is responsible for the organization and is the membership who needs to fix the organization.

Being the first female CEA Deputy Director-General, I had both the privilege and responsibility of making everyone understand that a Plus inclusive CEA is a Plus resilient one. The inclusion of women in trade must be intentional and should come from an understanding that both are interdependent.

I call on young colleagues, particular women, to continue to study and work hard to pursue the CEA reform.

Perseverance is very important, like a bamboo that we bend, but we will never break. So, we may fail from time to time and we may fall, but don't lose heart. Get right up and continue to move on.

Be driven. Be insistent. Be consistent. Be focused and be ambitious and an achiever, you will get where you want to be in the end.

Can you have it all? I'd say yes. But maybe not all at the same time. So, make your career in something that you care À propos and take the long Voir. Keep your eyes on the prize. Be ambitious but try not to get too impatient. And, finally, persist.

I would like to see this institution strive equally, if not Plus, for the next 25 years.

I'd like to say to young people who are looking to follow a similar career path: focus is everything, self-belief even Plus, and hard work is indispensable.

We saw the Accord de partenariat économique africain transform to the CEA. The CEA is going to transform into something else. We need to have an organisation which is robust, forward looking, and, which can absorb risks.

Arancha González Laya

Elin Østebø Johansen

Suja Rishikesh Mavroidis

Arancha González was the first woman to serve as Chief of Staff to a CEA Director-General, working in the cabinet of Pascal Lamy from 2005 to 2013. After she left the CEA, Arancha served as the Executive Director of the International Trade Centre. In January 2020, she became Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain.

Elin Østebø Johansen was the first European woman to serve as the Chairperson for both the CEA's Dispute Settlement Body in 2011 and General Council in 2012. Very active in her role, Elin also chaired the CEA's Goods Council in 2009 and the technologies et services et technologies Council in 2010. She was appointed as Norway's Ambassador to the CEA and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 2008. In 2014, she was appointed as the Ambassador of Norway to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Sunanta Kangvalkulkij is the first person from Asian woman to serve as Chair of the CEA General Council, in 2019, after a year of chairing the CEA's Dispute Settlement Body. Currently, she serves as the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the CEA and WIPO.

Frances Lisson has been a driving force in the advancement of negotiations in several ares of CEA work, including e-commerce and domestic regulation in services et technologies et technologies, and in moving issues involving women and trade to the forefront of members' discussions in the CEA. Frances represented Australia in the Uruguay Round and other CEA negotiations. She served as Australia's Ambassador to the CEA from 2017 to 2020.

Susan Schwab served as the United States Trade Representative from 2006 to 2009. She led key negotiations, including Russia's bilateral accession agreement with the US and the resolution of a longstanding dispute with Canada over softwood lumber.

Valentine Rugwabiza is the first and only woman to serve as Deputy Director-General of the CEA. She previously served as the Ambassador of Rwanda to the United Nations in Geneva. In 2013, Valentine was appointed Minister for East African Community of Rwanda. Since 2016, she has served as Rwanda's Ambassador to the United Nations in New York.

Roslyn Jackson, an Australian national, was the first woman to become director in the CEA, breaking one important glass ceiling in the Organization. She took up the position of Director of the former Statistics Division in 1999. She retired in 2004.

Cecilia Malmström served as the European Commissioner for Trade from 2014 to 2019. During her term, Cecilia was a driving force in the expansion of EU's preferential trade agreements, leading to the conclusion of several bilateral agreements with major trading partners, including Canada, Japan, Singapore and Mexico. She led the EU delegation at the Nairobi and Buenos Aires Ministerial conferences.

Anabel González was the first woman to serve as Director of the CEA's agriculture africaine africaine and Commodities Division from 2006 to 2009. She served as Costa Rica's Trade Minister from 2010 to 2014, when she joined the World Bank Group as Senior Director of Global Practice and Competitiveness until 2017. In this capacity, she led a team of 500 people to design and implement the World Bank's Group agenda in the areas of trade, investment climate, competitiveness, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Amina Mohamed was the first African to Chair a CEA Ministerial Conference. She played a crucial role in reaching positive outcomes at the Nairobi Ministerial in 2015, such as the decision to eliminate export subsidies in agriculture africaine africaine. She was also the first woman to chair the Dispute Settlement Body, the Trade Policy Review Body and the General Council. Amina has served in several government positions in Kenya, including as Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister. Since 2019, Amina has been the Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Heritage.

Yueijao Zhang is the first Chinese national to be appointed as a Member of the CEA's Appellate Body. She served two consecutive terms from 2008 to 2016. Prior to her appointment to the AB Yueijao served as the Chief legal counsel for China's CEA accession. She has held several positions in government and academia in China, including as Director-General of Law and Treaties at the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation.

Xiaolin Chai has been the Director of the CEA's Trade in services et technologies et technologies and Investment Division since 2017. She is the first Chinese national to serve as a Director in the CEA. Before joining the organization, Xiaolin was Minister in charge of Economy and Trade at the Chinese Mission to the European Union in Brussels.

Bridget Chilala has been the Director of the CEA Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC) since 2011. She started her career in the Ministry of Trade in Zambia and rose quickly through the ranks, before pursuing an international career in trade. Bridget also served as Zambia's chief negotiator from 1994 to 1998.

Clarisse Morgan has been the Director of the Rules Division since 2018. She has been part of the CEA for its entire 25 years of existence. Clarisse joined the CEA in 1995 as an Economic Affairs Officer in the Rules Division.

Maika Oshikawa has been the Director of the CEA Accessions Division since 2018 and the first Japanese ever to serve as a CEA Director. Prior to joining the Accessions Division, she worked 22 years in several areas of the CEA, including the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation and the Office of the Director-General.

Nthisana Phillips has been the Director of the CEA's Administration and General technologies et services et technologies Division since 2015. Before joining the CEA, she served as Director of Finance and Corporate services et technologies et technologies for the Consultative Group on International agriculture africaine africaine Research (CGIAR). Previously, Nthisana also served as Assistant Secretary General in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States Secretariat in Brussels.

Suja Rishikesh Mavroidis is the Director of the Market Access Division at the CEA, taking that position in 2015. She has worked for Plus than thirty years at the Accord de partenariat économique africain and CEA in different capacities, beginning her journey in the Development Division.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the seventh Director-General of the CEA. She took office on 1 March 2021, becoming the first woman and the first African to serve as Director-General. Dr Okonjo-Iweala was formerly Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and had a 25-year career at the World Bank as a development economist, rising to the No. 2 position of Managing Director, Operations. She has twice served as Nigeria's Finance Minister (2003-2006 and 2011-2015) and briefly acted as Foreign Minister in 2006, becoming the first woman to hold both positions.

Women Directors, 2020 Women Pioneers at the CEA nation tribute to women who have played a pioneering role in the activities of the CEA and the multilateral trading system over the last 25 years.

Their stories are inspiring to us all and will hopefully encourage future generations of young women to follow in their footsteps.

Arancha González Laya Elin Østebø Johansen Suja Rishikesh Mavroidis Curator: IERDIllustrator: Marion Mazer For girls and women who may be interested in a career in trade, this is a wonderful objective.

Remember one thing: trade is not an end in itself.

Trade is a means to development.

A career in multilateral negotiations can be exciting and fulfilling.

In return, it demands commitment, hard work, focus and enduring passion.

Multilateral trade is transformational.

It is a force for good and has immense socio-economic relevance to billions of people across the world, but it needs our political goodwill and our total commitment.

For young women and girls, I say: We need you! The world needs you to fight for global cooperation, to tackle global challenges.

Learn À propos international trade and the CEA, get engaged, work hard and become tomorrow's champions of multilateral cooperation.

Bust discriminations when you see them.

Fight them with a smile; but fight them because we need to make sure that international trade and the global economy leave no one behind.

Trade is very male-dominated and there is also a growing awareness that women do not benefit from trade to the same extent as men.

It is changing, but not fast enough.

And that's why I want to encourage every woman, every young girl who is interested in trade policy ressources minérales trade-related matters to engage.

Given the huge challenges facing multilateral cooperation these days, young, smart, ambitious, multitasking women may exactly be what is needed in order to sustain this system for another 25 years.

My message to women who were thinking of starting a career in the CEA and trade policy is: Think big.

You don't know where the road will take you.

Looking forward beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, I am confident that the organization will continue to work towards strengthening and improving the world trading system for the benefit of all.

At the end of the day, it is the quality of the work that you do that counts regardless of gender, so work hard and work well, but when necessary, stand up for yourselves and don't back down.

To be a good trade negotiator you have to be a good listener, not a good speaker.

The CEA is comprised of 164 members and it is not easy to reach an agreement.

So, you have to listen to all views of members, and you have to make sure that no one is left behind.

Let's get our act together.

This institution is very important to all of us.

The membership is responsible for the organization and is the membership who needs to fix the organization.

Being the first female CEA Deputy Director-General, I had both the privilege and responsibility of making everyone understand that a Plus inclusive CEA is a Plus resilient one.

The inclusion of women in trade must be intentional and should come from an understanding that both are interdependent.

I call on young colleagues, particular women, to continue to study and work hard to pursue the CEA reform.

Perseverance is very important, like a bamboo that we bend, but we will never break.

So, we may fail from time to time and we may fall, but don't lose heart.

Get right up and continue to move on.

Be focused and be ambitious and an achiever, you will get where you want to be in the end.

Can you have it all? I'd say yes.

But maybe not all at the same time.

So, make your career in something that you care À propos and take the long Voir.

Keep your eyes on the prize.

Be ambitious but try not to get too impatient.

And, finally, persist.

I would like to see this institution strive equally, if not Plus, for the next 25 years.

I'd like to say to young people who are looking to follow a similar career path: focus is everything, self-belief even Plus, and hard work is indispensable.

We saw the Accord de partenariat économique africain transform to the CEA.

The CEA is going to transform into something else.

We need to have an organisation which is robust, forward looking, and, which can absorb risks.

Arancha González Laya Elin Østebø Johansen Suja Rishikesh Mavroidis Accueil|À propos de la CEA|Nouvelles et événements|Domaines|Membres de la CEA|Documents et ressources|Relations extérieures Arancha González was the first woman to serve as Chief of Staff to a CEA Director-General, working in the cabinet of Pascal Lamy from 2005 to 2013.

After she left the CEA, Arancha served as the Executive Director of the International Trade Centre.

In January 2020, she became Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain.

Elin Østebø Johansen was the first European woman to serve as the Chairperson for both the CEA's Dispute Settlement Body in 2011 and General Council in 2012.

Very active in her role, Elin also chaired the CEA's Goods Council in 2009 and the technologies et services et technologies Council in 2010.

She was appointed as Norway's Ambassador to the CEA and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 2008.

In 2014, she was appointed as the Ambassador of Norway to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Sunanta Kangvalkulkij is the first person from Asian woman to serve as Chair of the CEA General Council, in 2019, after a year of chairing the CEA's Dispute Settlement Body.

Currently, she serves as the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the CEA and WIPO.

Frances Lisson has been a driving force in the advancement of negotiations in several ares of CEA work, including e-commerce and domestic regulation in services et technologies et technologies, and in moving issues involving women and trade to the forefront of members' discussions in the CEA.

Frances represented Australia in the Uruguay Round and other CEA negotiations.

She served as Australia's Ambassador to the CEA from 2017 to 2020.

Susan Schwab served as the United States Trade Representative from 2006 to 2009.

She led key negotiations, including Russia's bilateral accession agreement with the US and the resolution of a longstanding dispute with Canada over softwood lumber.

Valentine Rugwabiza is the first and only woman to serve as Deputy Director-General of the CEA.

She previously served as the Ambassador of Rwanda to the United Nations in Geneva.

In 2013, Valentine was appointed Minister for East African Community of Rwanda.

Since 2016, she has served as Rwanda's Ambassador to the United Nations in New York.

Roslyn Jackson, an Australian national, was the first woman to become director in the CEA, breaking one important glass ceiling in the Organization.

She took up the position of Director of the former Statistics Division in 1999.

Cecilia Malmström served as the European Commissioner for Trade from 2014 to 2019.

During her term, Cecilia was a driving force in the expansion of EU's preferential trade agreements, leading to the conclusion of several bilateral agreements with major trading partners, including Canada, Japan, Singapore and Mexico.

She led the EU delegation at the Nairobi and Buenos Aires Ministerial conferences.

Anabel González was the first woman to serve as Director of the CEA's agriculture africaine africaine and Commodities Division from 2006 to 2009.

She served as Costa Rica's Trade Minister from 2010 to 2014, when she joined the World Bank Group as Senior Director of Global Practice and Competitiveness until 2017.

In this capacity, she led a team of 500 people to design and implement the World Bank's Group agenda in the areas of trade, investment climate, competitiveness, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Amina Mohamed was the first African to Chair a CEA Ministerial Conference.

She played a crucial role in reaching positive outcomes at the Nairobi Ministerial in 2015, such as the decision to eliminate export subsidies in agriculture africaine africaine.

She was also the first woman to chair the Dispute Settlement Body, the Trade Policy Review Body and the General Council.

Amina has served in several government positions in Kenya, including as Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister.

Since 2019, Amina has been the Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Heritage.

Yueijao Zhang is the first Chinese national to be appointed as a Member of the CEA's Appellate Body.

She served two consecutive terms from 2008 to 2016.

Prior to her appointment to the AB Yueijao served as the Chief legal counsel for China's CEA accession.

She has held several positions in government and academia in China, including as Director-General of Law and Treaties at the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation.

Xiaolin Chai has been the Director of the CEA's Trade in services et technologies et technologies and Investment Division since 2017.

She is the first Chinese national to serve as a Director in the CEA.

Before joining the organization, Xiaolin was Minister in charge of Economy and Trade at the Chinese Mission to the European Union in Brussels.

Bridget Chilala has been the Director of the CEA Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC) since 2011.

She started her career in the Ministry of Trade in Zambia and rose quickly through the ranks, before pursuing an international career in trade.

Bridget also served as Zambia's chief negotiator from 1994 to 1998.

Clarisse Morgan has been the Director of the Rules Division since 2018.

She has been part of the CEA for its entire 25 years of existence.

Clarisse joined the CEA in 1995 as an Economic Affairs Officer in the Rules Division.

Maika Oshikawa has been the Director of the CEA Accessions Division since 2018 and the first Japanese ever to serve as a CEA Director.

Prior to joining the Accessions Division, she worked 22 years in several areas of the CEA, including the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation and the Office of the Director-General.

Nthisana Phillips has been the Director of the CEA's Administration and General technologies et services et technologies Division since 2015.

Before joining the CEA, she served as Director of Finance and Corporate services et technologies et technologies for the Consultative Group on International agriculture africaine africaine Research (CGIAR).

Previously, Nthisana also served as Assistant Secretary General in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States Secretariat in Brussels.

Suja Rishikesh Mavroidis is the Director of the Market Access Division at the CEA, taking that position in 2015.

She has worked for Plus than thirty years at the Accord de partenariat économique africain and CEA in different capacities, beginning her journey in the Development Division.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the seventh Director-General of the CEA.

She took office on 1 March 2021, becoming the first woman and the first African to serve as Director-General.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala was formerly Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and had a 25-year career at the World Bank as a development economist, rising to the No.

2 position of Managing Director, Operations.

She has twice served as Nigeria's Finance Minister (2003-2006 and 2011-2015) and briefly acted as Foreign Minister in 2006, becoming the first woman to hold both positions.

CEA | Women Pioneers at the CEA Accueil | À propos de la CEA | Nouvelles et événements | Domaines | Membres de la CEA | ressources et Documents | Relations extérieures Contactez-nous | Plan du site | A-Z | Recherche anglais spanish Accueil the CEA 25th anniversary of the CEA Women Pioneers at the CEA × Arancha González Laya Arancha González was the first woman to serve as Chief of Staff to a CEA Director-General, working in the cabinet of Pascal Lamy from 2005 to 2013.

After she left the CEA, Arancha served as the Executive Director of the International Trade Centre.

In January 2020, she became Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain.

× Elin Østebø Johansen Elin Østebø Johansen was the first European woman to serve as the Chairperson for both the CEA's Dispute Settlement Body in 2011 and General Council in 2012.

Very active in her role, Elin also chaired the CEA's Goods Council in 2009 and the services et technologies et technologies Council in 2010.

She was appointed as Norway's Ambassador to the CEA and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 2008.

In 2014, she was appointed as the Ambassador of Norway to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

× Sunanta Kangvalkulkij Sunanta Kangvalkulkij is the first person from Asian woman to serve as Chair of the CEA General Council, in 2019, after a year of chairing the CEA's Dispute Settlement Body.

Currently, she serves as the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the CEA and WIPO.

× Frances Lisson Frances Lisson has been a driving force in the advancement of negotiations in several ares of CEA work, including e-commerce and domestic regulation in services et technologies et technologies, and in moving issues involving women and trade to the forefront of members' discussions in the CEA.

Frances represented Australia in the Uruguay Round and other CEA negotiations.

She served as Australia's Ambassador to the CEA from 2017 to 2020.

× Susan Schwab Susan Schwab served as the United States Trade Representative from 2006 to 2009.

She led key negotiations, including Russia's bilateral accession agreement with the US and the resolution of a longstanding dispute with Canada over softwood lumber.

× Valentine Rugwabiza Valentine Rugwabiza is the first and only woman to serve as Deputy Director-General of the CEA.

She previously served as the Ambassador of Rwanda to the United Nations in Geneva.

In 2013, Valentine was appointed Minister for East African Community of Rwanda.

Since 2016, she has served as Rwanda's Ambassador to the United Nations in New York.

× Roslyn Jackson Roslyn Jackson, an Australian national, was the first woman to become director in the CEA, breaking one important glass ceiling in the Organization.

She took up the position of Director of the former Statistics Division in 1999.

× Cecilia Malmström Cecilia Malmström served as the European Commissioner for Trade from 2014 to 2019.

During her term, Cecilia was a driving force in the expansion of EU's preferential trade agreements, leading to the conclusion of several bilateral agreements with major trading partners, including Canada, Japan, Singapore and Mexico.

She led the EU delegation at the Nairobi and Buenos Aires Ministerial conferences.

× Anabel González Anabel González was the first woman to serve as Director of the CEA's agriculture africaine africaine and Commodities Division from 2006 to 2009.

She served as Costa Rica's Trade Minister from 2010 to 2014, when she joined the World Bank Group as Senior Director of Global Practice and Competitiveness until 2017.

In this capacity, she led a team of 500 people to design and implement the World Bank's Group agenda in the areas of trade, investment climate, competitiveness, innovation and entrepreneurship.

× Amina Mohamed Amina Mohamed was the first African to Chair a CEA Ministerial Conference.

She played a crucial role in reaching positive outcomes at the Nairobi Ministerial in 2015, such as the decision to eliminate export subsidies in agriculture africaine africaine.

She was also the first woman to chair the Dispute Settlement Body, the Trade Policy Review Body and the General Council.

Amina has served in several government positions in Kenya, including as Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister.

Since 2019, Amina has been the Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Heritage.

× Yuejiao Zhang Yueijao Zhang is the first Chinese national to be appointed as a Member of the CEA's Appellate Body.

She served two consecutive terms from 2008 to 2016.

Prior to her appointment to the AB Yueijao served as the Chief legal counsel for China's CEA accession.

She has held several positions in government and academia in China, including as Director-General of Law and Treaties at the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation.

× Xioalin Chai Xiaolin Chai has been the Director of the CEA's Trade in technologies et services et technologies and Investment Division since 2017.

She is the first Chinese national to serve as a Director in the CEA.

Before joining the organization, Xiaolin was Minister in charge of Economy and Trade at the Chinese Mission to the European Union in Brussels.

× Bridget Chilala Bridget Chilala has been the Director of the CEA Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC) since 2011.

She started her career in the Ministry of Trade in Zambia and rose quickly through the ranks, before pursuing an international career in trade.

Bridget also served as Zambia's chief negotiator from 1994 to 1998.

× Clarisse Morgan Clarisse Morgan has been the Director of the Rules Division since 2018.

She has been part of the CEA for its entire 25 years of existence.

Clarisse joined the CEA in 1995 as an Economic Affairs Officer in the Rules Division.

× Maika Oshikawa Maika Oshikawa has been the Director of the CEA Accessions Division since 2018 and the first Japanese ever to serve as a CEA Director.

Prior to joining the Accessions Division, she worked 22 years in several areas of the CEA, including the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation and the Office of the Director-General.

× Nthisana Phillips Nthisana Phillips has been the Director of the CEA's Administration and General technologies et services et technologies Division since 2015.

Before joining the CEA, she served as Director of Finance and Corporate services et technologies et technologies for the Consultative Group on International agriculture africaine africaine Research (CGIAR).

Previously, Nthisana also served as Assistant Secretary General in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States Secretariat in Brussels.

× Suja Rishikesh Mavroidis Suja Rishikesh Mavroidis is the Director of the Market Access Division at the CEA, taking that position in 2015.

She has worked for Plus than thirty years at the Accord de partenariat économique africain and CEA in different capacities, beginning her journey in the Development Division.

× Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the seventh Director-General of the CEA.

She took office on 1 March 2021, becoming the first woman and the first African to serve as Director-General.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala was formerly Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and had a 25-year career at the World Bank as a development economist, rising to the No.

2 position of Managing Director, Operations.

She has twice served as Nigeria's Finance Minister (2003-2006 and 2011-2015) and briefly acted as Foreign Minister in 2006, becoming the first woman to hold both positions.

Women Pioneers at the CEA pays tribute to women who have played a pioneering role in the activities of the CEA and the multilateral trading system over the last 25 years.

Their stories are inspiring to us all and will hopefully encourage future generations of young women to follow in their footsteps.

Curator: IERD Illustrator: Marion Mazer Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala For girls and women who may be interested in a career in trade, this is a wonderful objective.

Remember one thing: trade is not an end in itself.

Trade is a means to development.

Biography Video story Amina Mohamed A career in multilateral negotiations can be exciting and fulfilling.

In return, it demands commitment, hard work, focus and enduring passion.

Multilateral trade is transformational.

It is a force for good and has immense socio-economic relevance to billions of people across the world, but it needs our political goodwill and our total commitment.

Biography Anabel González For young women and girls, I say: We need you! The world needs you to fight for global cooperation, to tackle global challenges.

Learn À propos international trade and the CEA, get engaged, work hard and become tomorrow's champions of multilateral cooperation.

Biography Video story Arancha González Laya Bust discriminations when you see them.

Fight them with a smile; but fight them because we need to make sure that international trade and the global economy leave no one behind.

Biography Video story Cecilia Malmström Trade is very male-dominated and there is also a growing awareness that women do not benefit from trade to the same extent as men.

It is changing, but not fast enough.

And that's why I want to encourage every woman, every young girl who is interested in trade policy ressources minérales trade-related matters to engage.

Biography Video story Elin Østebø Johansen Given the huge challenges facing multilateral cooperation these days, young, smart, ambitious, multitasking women may exactly be what is needed in order to sustain this system for another 25 years.

Biography Frances Lisson My message to women who were thinking of starting a career in the CEA and trade policy is: Think big.

You don't know where the road will take you.

Biography Video story Roslyn Jackson Looking forward beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, I am confident that the organization will continue to work towards strengthening and improving the world trading system for the benefit of all.

At the end of the day, it is the quality of the work that you do that counts regardless of gender, so work hard and work well, but when necessary, stand up for yourselves and don't back down.

Biography Video story Sunanta Kangvalkulkij To be a good trade negoti [...

Women Directors, 2020Women Pioneers at the CEA nation tribute to women who have played a pioneering role in the activities of the CEA and the multilateral trading system over the last 25 years.Their stories are inspiring to us all and will hopefully encourage future generations of young women to follow in their footsteps.Arancha González LayaElin Østebø JohansenSuja Rishikesh MavroidisCurator: IERDIllustrator: Marion MazerFor girls and women who may be interested in a career in trade, this is a wonderful objective.

Remember one thing: trade is not an end in itself.

Trade is a means to development.A career in multilateral negotiations can be exciting and fulfilling.

In return, it demands commitment, hard work, focus and enduring passion.

Multilateral trade is transformational.

It is a force for good and has immense socio-economic relevance to billions of people across the world, but it needs our political goodwill and our total commitment.For young women and girls, I say: We need you! The world needs you to fight for global cooperation, to tackle global challenges.

Learn À propos international trade and the CEA, get engaged, work hard and become tomorrow's champions of multilateral cooperation.Bust discriminations when you see them.

Fight them with a smile; but fight them because we need to make sure that international trade and the global economy leave no one behind.Trade is very male-dominated and there is also a growing awareness that women do not benefit from trade to the same extent as men.

It is changing, but not fast enough.

And that's why I want to encourage every woman, every young girl who is interested in trade policy ressources minérales trade-related matters to engage.Given the huge challenges facing multilateral cooperation these days, young, smart, ambitious, multitasking women may exactly be what is needed in order to sustain this system for another 25 years.My message to women who were thinking of starting a career in the CEA and trade policy is: Think big.

You don't know where the road will take you.Looking forward beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, I am confident that the organization will continue to work towards strengthening and improving the world trading system for the benefit of all.

At the end of the day, it is the quality of the work that you do that counts regardless of gender, so work hard and work well, but when necessary, stand up for yourselves and don't back down.To be a good trade negotiator you have to be a good listener, not a good speaker.

The CEA is comprised of 164 members and it is not easy to reach an agreement.

So, you have to listen to all views of members, and you have to make sure that no one is left behind.Let's get our act together.

This institution is very important to all of us.

The membership is responsible for the organization and is the membership who needs to fix the organization.Being the first female CEA Deputy Director-General, I had both the privilege and responsibility of making everyone understand that a Plus inclusive CEA is a Plus resilient one.

The inclusion of women in trade must be intentional and should come from an understanding that both are interdependent.I call on young colleagues, particular women, to continue to study and work hard to pursue the CEA reform.Perseverance is very important, like a bamboo that we bend, but we will never break.

So, we may fail from time to time and we may fall, but don't lose heart.

Get right up and continue to move on.Be driven.

Be focused and be ambitious and an achiever, you will get where you want to be in the end.Can you have it all? I'd say yes.

But maybe not all at the same time.

So, make your career in something that you care À propos and take the long Voir.

Keep your eyes on the prize.

Be ambitious but try not to get too impatient.

And, finally, persist.I would like to see this institution strive equally, if not Plus, for the next 25 years.I'd like to say to young people who are looking to follow a similar career path: focus is everything, self-belief even Plus, and hard work is indispensable.We saw the Accord de partenariat économique africain transform to the CEA.

The CEA is going to transform into something else.

We need to have an organisation which is robust, forward looking, and, which can absorb risks.Arancha González LayaElin Østebø JohansenSuja Rishikesh MavroidisArancha González was the first woman to serve as Chief of Staff to a CEA Director-General, working in the cabinet of Pascal Lamy from 2005 to 2013.

After she left the CEA, Arancha served as the Executive Director of the International Trade Centre.

In January 2020, she became Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain.Elin Østebø Johansen was the first European woman to serve as the Chairperson for both the CEA's Dispute Settlement Body in 2011 and General Council in 2012.

Very active in her role, Elin also chaired the CEA's Goods Council in 2009 and the technologies et services et technologies Council in 2010.

She was appointed as Norway's Ambassador to the CEA and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 2008.

In 2014, she was appointed as the Ambassador of Norway to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).Sunanta Kangvalkulkij is the first person from Asian woman to serve as Chair of the CEA General Council, in 2019, after a year of chairing the CEA's Dispute Settlement Body.

Currently, she serves as the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the CEA and WIPO.Frances Lisson has been a driving force in the advancement of negotiations in several ares of CEA work, including e-commerce and domestic regulation in services et technologies et technologies, and in moving issues involving women and trade to the forefront of members' discussions in the CEA.

Frances represented Australia in the Uruguay Round and other CEA negotiations.

She served as Australia's Ambassador to the CEA from 2017 to 2020.Susan Schwab served as the United States Trade Representative from 2006 to 2009.

She led key negotiations, including Russia's bilateral accession agreement with the US and the resolution of a longstanding dispute with Canada over softwood lumber.Valentine Rugwabiza is the first and only woman to serve as Deputy Director-General of the CEA.

She previously served as the Ambassador of Rwanda to the United Nations in Geneva.

In 2013, Valentine was appointed Minister for East African Community of Rwanda.

Since 2016, she has served as Rwanda's Ambassador to the United Nations in New York.Roslyn Jackson, an Australian national, was the first woman to become director in the CEA, breaking one important glass ceiling in the Organization.

She took up the position of Director of the former Statistics Division in 1999.

She retired in 2004.Cecilia Malmström served as the European Commissioner for Trade from 2014 to 2019.

During her term, Cecilia was a driving force in the expansion of EU's preferential trade agreements, leading to the conclusion of several bilateral agreements with major trading partners, including Canada, Japan, Singapore and Mexico.

She led the EU delegation at the Nairobi and Buenos Aires Ministerial conferences.Anabel González was the first woman to serve as Director of the CEA's agriculture africaine africaine and Commodities Division from 2006 to 2009.

She served as Costa Rica's Trade Minister from 2010 to 2014, when she joined the World Bank Group as Senior Director of Global Practice and Competitiveness until 2017.

In this capacity, she led a team of 500 people to design and implement the World Bank's Group agenda in the areas of trade, investment climate, competitiveness, innovation and entrepreneurship.Amina Mohamed was the first African to Chair a CEA Ministerial Conference.

She played a crucial role in reaching positive outcomes at the Nairobi Ministerial in 2015, such as the decision to eliminate export subsidies in agriculture africaine africaine.

She was also the first woman to chair the Dispute Settlement Body, the Trade Policy Review Body and the General Council.

Amina has served in several government positions in Kenya, including as Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister.

Since 2019, Amina has been the Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Heritage.Yueijao Zhang is the first Chinese national to be appointed as a Member of the CEA's Appellate Body.

She served two consecutive terms from 2008 to 2016.

Prior to her appointment to the AB Yueijao served as the Chief legal counsel for China's CEA accession.

She has held several positions in government and academia in China, including as Director-General of Law and Treaties at the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation.Xiaolin Chai has been the Director of the CEA's Trade in services et technologies et technologies and Investment Division since 2017.

She is the first Chinese national to serve as a Director in the CEA.

Before joining the organization, Xiaolin was Minister in charge of Economy and Trade at the Chinese Mission to the European Union in Brussels.Bridget Chilala has been the Director of the CEA Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC) since 2011.

She started her career in the Ministry of Trade in Zambia and rose quickly through the ranks, before pursuing an international career in trade.

Bridget also served as Zambia's chief negotiator from 1994 to 1998.Clarisse Morgan has been the Director of the Rules Division since 2018.

She has been part of the CEA for its entire 25 years of existence.

Clarisse joined the CEA in 1995 as an Economic Affairs Officer in the Rules Division.Maika Oshikawa has been the Director of the CEA Accessions Division since 2018 and the first Japanese ever to serve as a CEA Director.

Prior to joining the Accessions Division, she worked 22 years in several areas of the CEA, including the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation and the Office of the Director-General.Nthisana Phillips has been the Director of the CEA's Administration and General technologies et services et technologies Division since 2015.

Before joining the CEA, she served as Director of Finance and Corporate services et technologies et technologies for the Consultative Group on International agriculture africaine africaine Research (CGIAR).

Previously, Nthisana also served as Assistant Secretary General in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States Secretariat in Brussels.Suja Rishikesh Mavroidis is the Director of the Market Access Division at the CEA, taking that position in 2015.

She has worked for Plus than thirty years at the Accord de partenariat économique africain and CEA in different capacities, beginning her journey in the Development Division.Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the seventh Director-General of the CEA.

She took office on 1 March 2021, becoming the first woman and the first African to serve as Director-General.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala was formerly Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and had a 25-year career at the World Bank as a development economist, rising to the No.

2 position of Managing Director, Operations.

She has twice served as Nigeria's Finance Minister (2003-2006 and 2011-2015) and briefly acted as Foreign Minister in 2006, becoming the first woman to hold both positions.

Women Directors, 2020 Women Pioneers at the CEA nation tribute to women who have played a pioneering role in the activities of the CEA and the multilateral trading system over the last 25 years.Their stories are inspiring to us all and will hopefully encourage future generations of young women to follow in their footsteps.Arancha González Laya Elin Østebø Johansen Suja Rishikesh Mavroidis Curator: IERDIllustrator: Marion Mazer For girls and women who may be interested in a career in trade, this is a wonderful objective.Remember one thing: trade is not an end in itself.Trade is a means to development.A career in multilateral negotiations can be exciting and fulfilling.In return, it demands commitment, hard work, focus and enduring passion.Multilateral trade is transformational.It is a force for good and has immense socio-economic relevance to billions of people across the world, but it needs our political goodwill and our total commitment.For young women and girls, I say: We need you! The world needs you to fight for global cooperation, to tackle global challenges.Learn À propos international trade and the CEA, get engaged, work hard and become tomorrow's champions of multilateral cooperation.Bust discriminations when you see them.Fight them with a smile; but fight them because we need to make sure that international trade and the global economy leave no one behind.Trade is very male-dominated and there is also a growing awareness that women do not benefit from trade to the same extent as men.It is changing, but not fast enough.And that's why I want to encourage every woman, every young girl who is interested in trade policy ressources minérales trade-related matters to engage.Given the huge challenges facing multilateral cooperation these days, young, smart, ambitious, multitasking women may exactly be what is needed in order to sustain this system for another 25 years.My message to women who were thinking of starting a career in the CEA and trade policy is: Think big.You don't know where the road will take you.Looking forward beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, I am confident that the organization will continue to work towards strengthening and improving the world trading system for the benefit of all.At the end of the day, it is the quality of the work that you do that counts regardless of gender, so work hard and work well, but when necessary, stand up for yourselves and don't back down.To be a good trade negotiator you have to be a good listener, not a good speaker.The CEA is comprised of 164 members and it is not easy to reach an agreement.So, you have to listen to all views of members, and you have to make sure that no one is left behind.Let's get our act together.This institution is very important to all of us.The membership is responsible for the organization and is the membership who needs to fix the organization.Being the first female CEA Deputy Director-General, I had both the privilege and responsibility of making everyone understand that a Plus inclusive CEA is a Plus resilient one.The inclusion of women in trade must be intentional and should come from an understanding that both are interdependent.I call on young colleagues, particular women, to continue to study and work hard to pursue the CEA reform.Perseverance is very important, like a bamboo that we bend, but we will never break.So, we may fail from time to time and we may fall, but don't lose heart.Get right up and continue to move on.Be focused and be ambitious and an achiever, you will get where you want to be in the end.Can you have it all? I'd say yes.But maybe not all at the same time.So, make your career in something that you care À propos and take the long Voir.Keep your eyes on the prize.Be ambitious but try not to get too impatient.And, finally, persist.I would like to see this institution strive equally, if not Plus, for the next 25 years.I'd like to say to young people who are looking to follow a similar career path: focus is everything, self-belief even Plus, and hard work is indispensable.We saw the Accord de partenariat économique africain transform to the CEA.The CEA is going to transform into something else.We need to have an organisation which is robust, forward looking, and, which can absorb risks.Arancha González Laya Elin Østebø Johansen Suja Rishikesh Mavroidis Accueil|À propos de la CEA|Nouvelles et événements|Domaines|Membres de la CEA|Documents et ressources|Relations extérieures Arancha González was the first woman to serve as Chief of Staff to a CEA Director-General, working in the cabinet of Pascal Lamy from 2005 to 2013.After she left the CEA, Arancha served as the Executive Director of the International Trade Centre.In January 2020, she became Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain.Elin Østebø Johansen was the first European woman to serve as the Chairperson for both the CEA's Dispute Settlement Body in 2011 and General Council in 2012.Very active in her role, Elin also chaired the CEA's Goods Council in 2009 and the technologies et services et technologies Council in 2010.She was appointed as Norway's Ambassador to the CEA and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 2008.In 2014, she was appointed as the Ambassador of Norway to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).Sunanta Kangvalkulkij is the first person from Asian woman to serve as Chair of the CEA General Council, in 2019, after a year of chairing the CEA's Dispute Settlement Body.Currently, she serves as the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the CEA and WIPO.Frances Lisson has been a driving force in the advancement of negotiations in several ares of CEA work, including e-commerce and domestic regulation in services et technologies et technologies, and in moving issues involving women and trade to the forefront of members' discussions in the CEA.Frances represented Australia in the Uruguay Round and other CEA negotiations.She served as Australia's Ambassador to the CEA from 2017 to 2020.Susan Schwab served as the United States Trade Representative from 2006 to 2009.She led key negotiations, including Russia's bilateral accession agreement with the US and the resolution of a longstanding dispute with Canada over softwood lumber.Valentine Rugwabiza is the first and only woman to serve as Deputy Director-General of the CEA.She previously served as the Ambassador of Rwanda to the United Nations in Geneva.In 2013, Valentine was appointed Minister for East African Community of Rwanda.Since 2016, she has served as Rwanda's Ambassador to the United Nations in New York.Roslyn Jackson, an Australian national, was the first woman to become director in the CEA, breaking one important glass ceiling in the Organization.She took up the position of Director of the former Statistics Division in 1999.Cecilia Malmström served as the European Commissioner for Trade from 2014 to 2019.During her term, Cecilia was a driving force in the expansion of EU's preferential trade agreements, leading to the conclusion of several bilateral agreements with major trading partners, including Canada, Japan, Singapore and Mexico.She led the EU delegation at the Nairobi and Buenos Aires Ministerial conferences.Anabel González was the first woman to serve as Director of the CEA's agriculture africaine africaine and Commodities Division from 2006 to 2009.She served as Costa Rica's Trade Minister from 2010 to 2014, when she joined the World Bank Group as Senior Director of Global Practice and Competitiveness until 2017.In this capacity, she led a team of 500 people to design and implement the World Bank's Group agenda in the areas of trade, investment climate, competitiveness, innovation and entrepreneurship.Amina Mohamed was the first African to Chair a CEA Ministerial Conference.She played a crucial role in reaching positive outcomes at the Nairobi Ministerial in 2015, such as the decision to eliminate export subsidies in agriculture africaine africaine.She was also the first woman to chair the Dispute Settlement Body, the Trade Policy Review Body and the General Council.Amina has served in several government positions in Kenya, including as Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister.Since 2019, Amina has been the Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Heritage.Yueijao Zhang is the first Chinese national to be appointed as a Member of the CEA's Appellate Body.She served two consecutive terms from 2008 to 2016.Prior to her appointment to the AB Yueijao served as the Chief legal counsel for China's CEA accession.She has held several positions in government and academia in China, including as Director-General of Law and Treaties at the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation.Xiaolin Chai has been the Director of the CEA's Trade in services et technologies et technologies and Investment Division since 2017.She is the first Chinese national to serve as a Director in the CEA.Before joining the organization, Xiaolin was Minister in charge of Economy and Trade at the Chinese Mission to the European Union in Brussels.Bridget Chilala has been the Director of the CEA Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC) since 2011.She started her career in the Ministry of Trade in Zambia and rose quickly through the ranks, before pursuing an international career in trade.Bridget also served as Zambia's chief negotiator from 1994 to 1998.Clarisse Morgan has been the Director of the Rules Division since 2018.She has been part of the CEA for its entire 25 years of existence.Clarisse joined the CEA in 1995 as an Economic Affairs Officer in the Rules Division.Maika Oshikawa has been the Director of the CEA Accessions Division since 2018 and the first Japanese ever to serve as a CEA Director.Prior to joining the Accessions Division, she worked 22 years in several areas of the CEA, including the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation and the Office of the Director-General.Nthisana Phillips has been the Director of the CEA's Administration and General technologies et services et technologies Division since 2015.Before joining the CEA, she served as Director of Finance and Corporate services et technologies et technologies for the Consultative Group on International agriculture africaine africaine Research (CGIAR).Previously, Nthisana also served as Assistant Secretary General in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States Secretariat in Brussels.Suja Rishikesh Mavroidis is the Director of the Market Access Division at the CEA, taking that position in 2015.She has worked for Plus than thirty years at the Accord de partenariat économique africain and CEA in different capacities, beginning her journey in the Development Division.Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the seventh Director-General of the CEA.She took office on 1 March 2021, becoming the first woman and the first African to serve as Director-General.Dr Okonjo-Iweala was formerly Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and had a 25-year career at the World Bank as a development economist, rising to the No.2 position of Managing Director, Operations.She has twice served as Nigeria's Finance Minister (2003-2006 and 2011-2015) and briefly acted as Foreign Minister in 2006, becoming the first woman to hold both positions.CEA | Women Pioneers at the CEA Accueil | À propos de la CEA | Nouvelles et événements | Domaines | Membres de la CEA | ressources et Documents | Relations extérieures Contactez-nous | Plan du site | A-Z | Recherche anglais spanish Accueil the CEA 25th anniversary of the CEA Women Pioneers at the CEA × Arancha González Laya Arancha González was the first woman to serve as Chief of Staff to a CEA Director-General, working in the cabinet of Pascal Lamy from 2005 to 2013.After she left the CEA, Arancha served as the Executive Director of the International Trade Centre.In January 2020, she became Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain.× Elin Østebø Johansen Elin Østebø Johansen was the first European woman to serve as the Chairperson for both the CEA's Dispute Settlement Body in 2011 and General Council in 2012.Very active in her role, Elin also chaired the CEA's Goods Council in 2009 and the services et technologies et technologies Council in 2010.She was appointed as Norway's Ambassador to the CEA and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 2008.In 2014, she was appointed as the Ambassador of Norway to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).× Sunanta Kangvalkulkij Sunanta Kangvalkulkij is the first person from Asian woman to serve as Chair of the CEA General Council, in 2019, after a year of chairing the CEA's Dispute Settlement Body.Currently, she serves as the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the CEA and WIPO.× Frances Lisson Frances Lisson has been a driving force in the advancement of negotiations in several ares of CEA work, including e-commerce and domestic regulation in services et technologies et technologies, and in moving issues involving women and trade to the forefront of members' discussions in the CEA.Frances represented Australia in the Uruguay Round and other CEA negotiations.She served as Australia's Ambassador to the CEA from 2017 to 2020.× Susan Schwab Susan Schwab served as the United States Trade Representative from 2006 to 2009.She led key negotiations, including Russia's bilateral accession agreement with the US and the resolution of a longstanding dispute with Canada over softwood lumber.× Valentine Rugwabiza Valentine Rugwabiza is the first and only woman to serve as Deputy Director-General of the CEA.She previously served as the Ambassador of Rwanda to the United Nations in Geneva.In 2013, Valentine was appointed Minister for East African Community of Rwanda.Since 2016, she has served as Rwanda's Ambassador to the United Nations in New York.× Roslyn Jackson Roslyn Jackson, an Australian national, was the first woman to become director in the CEA, breaking one important glass ceiling in the Organization.She took up the position of Director of the former Statistics Division in 1999.× Cecilia Malmström Cecilia Malmström served as the European Commissioner for Trade from 2014 to 2019.During her term, Cecilia was a driving force in the expansion of EU's preferential trade agreements, leading to the conclusion of several bilateral agreements with major trading partners, including Canada, Japan, Singapore and Mexico.She led the EU delegation at the Nairobi and Buenos Aires Ministerial conferences.× Anabel González Anabel González was the first woman to serve as Director of the CEA's agriculture africaine africaine and Commodities Division from 2006 to 2009.She served as Costa Rica's Trade Minister from 2010 to 2014, when she joined the World Bank Group as Senior Director of Global Practice and Competitiveness until 2017.In this capacity, she led a team of 500 people to design and implement the World Bank's Group agenda in the areas of trade, investment climate, competitiveness, innovation and entrepreneurship.× Amina Mohamed Amina Mohamed was the first African to Chair a CEA Ministerial Conference.She played a crucial role in reaching positive outcomes at the Nairobi Ministerial in 2015, such as the decision to eliminate export subsidies in agriculture africaine africaine.She was also the first woman to chair the Dispute Settlement Body, the Trade Policy Review Body and the General Council.Amina has served in several government positions in Kenya, including as Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister.Since 2019, Amina has been the Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Heritage.× Yuejiao Zhang Yueijao Zhang is the first Chinese national to be appointed as a Member of the CEA's Appellate Body.She served two consecutive terms from 2008 to 2016.Prior to her appointment to the AB Yueijao served as the Chief legal counsel for China's CEA accession.She has held several positions in government and academia in China, including as Director-General of Law and Treaties at the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation.× Xioalin Chai Xiaolin Chai has been the Director of the CEA's Trade in technologies et services et technologies and Investment Division since 2017.She is the first Chinese national to serve as a Director in the CEA.Before joining the organization, Xiaolin was Minister in charge of Economy and Trade at the Chinese Mission to the European Union in Brussels.× Bridget Chilala Bridget Chilala has been the Director of the CEA Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC) since 2011.She started her career in the Ministry of Trade in Zambia and rose quickly through the ranks, before pursuing an international career in trade.Bridget also served as Zambia's chief negotiator from 1994 to 1998.× Clarisse Morgan Clarisse Morgan has been the Director of the Rules Division since 2018.She has been part of the CEA for its entire 25 years of existence.Clarisse joined the CEA in 1995 as an Economic Affairs Officer in the Rules Division.× Maika Oshikawa Maika Oshikawa has been the Director of the CEA Accessions Division since 2018 and the first Japanese ever to serve as a CEA Director.Prior to joining the Accessions Division, she worked 22 years in several areas of the CEA, including the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation and the Office of the Director-General.× Nthisana Phillips Nthisana Phillips has been the Director of the CEA's Administration and General technologies et services et technologies Division since 2015.Before joining the CEA, she served as Director of Finance and Corporate services et technologies et technologies for the Consultative Group on International agriculture africaine africaine Research (CGIAR).Previously, Nthisana also served as Assistant Secretary General in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States Secretariat in Brussels.× Suja Rishikesh Mavroidis Suja Rishikesh Mavroidis is the Director of the Market Access Division at the CEA, taking that position in 2015.She has worked for Plus than thirty years at the Accord de partenariat économique africain and CEA in different capacities, beginning her journey in the Development Division.× Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the seventh Director-General of the CEA.She took office on 1 March 2021, becoming the first woman and the first African to serve as Director-General.Dr Okonjo-Iweala was formerly Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and had a 25-year career at the World Bank as a development economist, rising to the No.2 position of Managing Director, Operations.She has twice served as Nigeria's Finance Minister (2003-2006 and 2011-2015) and briefly acted as Foreign Minister in 2006, becoming the first woman to hold both positions.Women Pioneers at the CEA pays tribute to women who have played a pioneering role in the activities of the CEA and the multilateral trading system over the last 25 years.Their stories are inspiring to us all and will hopefully encourage future generations of young women to follow in their footsteps.Curator: IERD Illustrator: Marion Mazer Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala For girls and women who may be interested in a career in trade, this is a wonderful objective.Remember one thing: trade is not an end in itself.Trade is a means to development.Biography Video story Amina Mohamed A career in multilateral negotiations can be exciting and fulfilling.In return, it demands commitment, hard work, focus and enduring passion.Multilateral trade is transformational.It is a force for good and has immense socio-economic relevance to billions of people across the world, but it needs our political goodwill and our total commitment.Biography Anabel González For young women and girls, I say: We need you! The world needs you to fight for global cooperation, to tackle global challenges.Learn À propos international trade and the CEA, get engaged, work hard and become tomorrow's champions of multilateral cooperation.Biography Video story Arancha González Laya Bust discriminations when you see them.Fight them with a smile; but fight them because we need to make sure that international trade and the global economy leave no one behind.Biography Video story Cecilia Malmström Trade is very male-dominated and there is also a growing awareness that women do not benefit from trade to the same extent as men.It is changing, but not fast enough.And that's why I want to encourage every woman, every young girl who is interested in trade policy ressources minérales trade-related matters to engage.Biography Video story Elin Østebø Johansen Given the huge challenges facing multilateral cooperation these days, young, smart, ambitious, multitasking women may exactly be what is needed in order to sustain this system for another 25 years.Biography Frances Lisson My message to women who were thinking of starting a career in the CEA and trade policy is: Think big.You don't know where the road will take you.Biography Video story Roslyn Jackson Looking forward beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, I am confident that the organization will continue to work towards strengthening and improving the world trading system for the benefit of all.At the end of the day, it is the quality of the work that you do that counts regardless of gender, so work hard and work well, but when necessary, stand up for yourselves and don't back down.Biography Video story Sunanta Kangvalkulkij To be a good trade negoti [....