United Nations General Assembly 61st session
President

Second Informal Thematic Debate
Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women

Gisele M. Yitamben

An economist by training, Gisele M. Yitamben, is a dynamic leader and a senior international expert consultant well known on questions of Entrepreneurship development, information technology and communication (ITC) and that of gender.

Founder and President of the Association for the support of women entrepreneurs, best known by its French acronym ASAFE, a social enterprise.

She was also the Vice-President of the board of digital initiative (UNIFEM).

An ardent defender of the rights of the underprivileged persons and notably women and youths, her actions have always been targeted towards ameliorating the welfare of those around her through search for access to productive resources and technical services (alternative finance, training and high added valour jobs, etc,) She has initiated as a means of pulling out the underprivileged out of the doldrums in which they find themselves, street football in Cameroon in 2004. Her team ranked number 6 out of 48 countries represented at the Homeless World Cup 2006 in Cape Town, South Africa.

She has actively contributed in the preparation of Africa for the World Women Summit in Beijing-China (1995) ; and did preside over the Economic and Political Empowerment of Women panel, organized by the United Nations Population Funds (UNFPA). Just as she strove for the success of Beijing+5 in New York, USA.

Gisele Yitamben is an elected member of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Handicraft of Cameroon, where she is presiding over the Vocational training commission. She is also the Vice-President of Vocational training commission of the African consultative chambers.

Gisele is also:

• member of the Council of Private Higher Education Authority of Cameroon.
• regularly invited as expert to participate at the Inter-Ministerial Committee enlarged to the private sector – High National Authority instance to debate on Socio –economic orientations.

Finally, Gisele Yitamben is a laureate of many world distinctions and encouragement, for her contribution in ITC and actions towards women. Among the prizes are :

• 1994 Theresa Hoover Prize, for her contribution in advancing the status of women in Africa.
• 1995 Prize of the Comite de l’ Excellence Africaine,
• 2002 Prize for the Global Outstanding Social Entrepreneur by the Schwarb Foundation for social Entrepreneurship of Klaus Schwab, the Founder of the World Economic Forum or the Davos Summit.
• Finalist for the 2002 world technology network in the category of social entrepreneur.
• 2003 Digital Partners prize for Social Innovator.
• It is worth recalling that Gisele Yitamben had been honorary member of the World Summit on Information System of Geneva (December 10 to 12 2003), in compensation for her influential role in ITC in the world.
• 2004 for creative support to women entrepreneurs by the Association des Femmes Chef d’entreprises de Suisse.
• 2005 SMME Africa Award for the category of Non governmental Organization