International Women’s Day 2026 is marked under the theme “Give to Gain”, a reminder that generosity, collaboration, and shared responsibility are the foundations of sustainable progress.
At UNMAS Central African Republic (CAR), MINUSCA’s Mine Action Service section, this principle is embodied by two women whose leadership and expertise have strengthened mine action at both strategic and operational levels: Dorothy DU, Officer in Charge of the Mine Action Programme, and Dominique Grace Lavou Wongba, Associate in Explosive Ordnance Risk Education.
Dorothy DU: Leadership Built on Discipline, Strategy, and Service
Dorothy DU’s career extends over more than two decades of public service. For 23 years, she served as a Police Colonel in the Philippine National Police, leading complex law enforcement operations, overseeing criminal investigations, and coordinating security for major national events. Her experience demanded operational precision, crisis management, and inter-agency coordination at the highest level.
Transitioning to the international sphere, she joined UNOPS in support of UNMAS, where she served in Mali in several operational and quality-focused roles, including Operations and Quality Assurance Officer, Joint Operations Centre Planning Officer, Regional Area Coordinator, and Quality Manager. There, she strengthened planning frameworks, reinforced compliance with international standards, and bridged field implementation with strategic oversight.
Her leadership journey continued in Somalia as Senior Project Manager for the Somali Security Forces Support Project, where she led complex security sector support initiatives aimed at enhancing institutional capacity and operational effectiveness. In each assignment, she worked closely with national authorities, international partners, military contingents, and technical advisers, building the kind of stakeholder engagement that turns coordination into impact.
When Dorothy assumed the role of Officer in Charge of UNMAS CAR, MINUSCA’s Mine Action Service section, in 2025, the programme was facing liquidity constraints. The risk of operational contraction was real. Activities had to be safeguarded. Personnel morale had to be preserved. Confidence, internally and externally, had to be maintained.
Since taking over, Dorothy has not simply managed the programme, she has stabilized and reoriented it. She strengthened financial oversight, clarified operational priorities, and ensured close alignment with MINUSCA’s mandate, particularly in protection of civilians and security support. She reinforced engagement with Mission leadership, maintained structured dialogue with national counterparts such as FACA and NATCOM-SALW, coordinated with military contingents, UN agencies, and ensured that partners remained informed and confident in UNMAS delivery.
Her approach is hands-on, disciplined, and inclusive. She invests time in listening to her team, challenging them to grow, and empowering them to take ownership of their work. Under her stewardship, personnel engagement deepened, coordination improved, and institutional coherence strengthened.
In a moment when uncertainty could have weakened the programme, Dorothy carried it forward, not through rhetoric, but through structure, discipline, and commitment.
Her leadership became the bridge between Mission strategy and technical field delivery, ensuring that mine action remained operational, relevant, and responsive.
As she states:
“Empowering women in security and mine action is not only about inclusion; it strengthens performance and builds stronger institutions. When women have equal opportunities to lead and contribute, the whole sector becomes more effective.”
Her example reflects the essence of “Give to Gain”: investing in people, strengthening systems, and protecting impact.
Dominique Grace Lavou Wongba: Where Accountability Meets Action
If strategic leadership anchors the programme, operational precision sustains it. Dominique Grace Lavou Wongba represents that precision.
With a solid academic foundation in Banking and Finance and professional qualifications in database management, Dominique brings this expertise into mine action operations. Before joining UNMAS, she worked in audit and financial control roles, developing strong expertise in compliance, documentation, and accountability, skills that now shape her in the field as she delivers operations activities.
Her journey within UNMAS began in Quality Assurance and Explosive Ordnance Disposal operations, where she supported the collection, storage, and destruction of obsolete ammunition and ensured adherence to Standard Operating Procedures. Her technical growth continued with EOD Level 2 certification, reinforcing her operational credibility.
Today, as Associate in Explosive Ordnance Risk Education, Dominique coordinates and monitors risk education activities across the country. She engages directly with NGOs, UN agencies, women’s associations, and humanitarian actors to deliver explosive ordnance awareness sessions that equip personnel and communities with life-saving knowledge. She ensures data is accurately captured, reviews partner reports, and monitors compliance with approved plans.
Her dual strength, finance and field, enhances both accountability and impact.
Dominique is known for her commitment to excellence. Whether conducting sensitization sessions, updating operational databases, or preparing coordination reports, she approaches each responsibility with professionalism and ownership. Her work may often happen behind the scenes, but its effect is visible in safer communities and better-informed humanitarian actors.
Giving Leadership, Gaining Resilience
Dorothy DU and Dominique Lavou Wongba operate at different levels of the programme, one at strategic leadership, the other at technical execution, yet their contributions are crossed in purpose.
They give discipline. They give expertise. They give commitment.
And in doing so, MINUSCA through UNMAS CAR gains resilience, credibility, and operational strength.
This International Women’s Day, MINUSCA through UNMAS CAR celebrates women whose leadership does more than inspire, it sustains impact where it matters most.
Thank you, ladies!
