In April Judith Tuluka Suminwa was appointed the first female Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a move marking a significant step towards gender equity.

Before her appointment as Prime Minister, Madame Suminwa served as Senior Advisor to the Minister of Budget (2012-2015), Deputy Coordinator for Administrative and Operational Issues at the Presidential Strategic Watch Council (2020-2023), and Planning Minister (2023-2024).

During her tenure as Minister of Planning, she was selected to participate in the April 2023 Harvard Ministerial Forum. Minister Sumina used her time at Harvard to hone her strategic plan for the development of the DRC. Her plan focused on investing in human development to stimulate economic growth, increasing government revenue without additional borrowing, and effectively allocating resources to address national security, health, education, and other challenges facing the DRC.

In her inaugural press conference as Prime Minister, Suminwa expressed gratitude for the support she has received and acknowledged the challenges that lie ahead. She said:

“I know the task is big and the challenge immense. But together, with the head of state, support from the government and all institutions, and that of the Congolese population, we will make it…”