Michaelle Jean becomes the first woman Secretary General of La Francophonie

Canada’s former governor general Michaelle Jean has been named secretary-general of the International Organization of the Francophonie, a group of mostly French-speaking countries, many of them former French colonies.

At a summit Sunday in Senegal, leaders from the bloc’s member-states selected Michaelle Jean, who becomes the first woman to lead the organization. Jean replaces former Senegal president Abdou Diouf, who has stepped down after serving as the bloc’s head for more than 10 years.

Jean has promised to focus on economic cooperation to promote growth and among the bloc’s members. She is currently the chancellor of the University of Ottawa.