Her Excellency Ambassador Yvette Stevens

First Female Electrical Engineer, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone’s Ambassador & Permanent Representative to the UN and WTO in Geneva

Her Excellency Ambassador Yvette Stevens is a pioneering Sierra Leonean diplomat and engineer, celebrated as her nation’s first female electrical engineer. She later transitioned into international diplomacy, serving as Sierra Leone’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN and WTO in Geneva. Ambassador Stevens has held senior leadership roles within the UN system, including as Director in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). Currently Executive-in-Residence at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP), she continues to shape global discourses on development, gender equity, and multilateral cooperation. Her acclaimed memoir, ‘Breaking Open Barriers,’ chronicles her inspiring journey from STEM to statecraft.