Women in the French cabinet

France's government has equal numbers of men and women for the first time in its history. Here are some of the women: Christiane Taubira The most senior woman in the French cabinet, Christiane Taubira, the new justice minister. Photograph: Michel Euler/AP Christiane Taubira, justice The 60-year-old is the highest-ranking woman in the cabinet. She has been an MP in French Guiana since 1993 and wrote a French law in 2001 making slavery a crime against humanity. In 2002, she was France's first black candidate for the presidency. Marisol Touraine, social affairs and health The Harvard-educated head of the general council for the Indre-et-Loire region in central France is a specialist in social affairs. Touraine, 53, will have a central role in the debate over how France can cut its deficit while maintaining its social welfare model and costly health system. Cécile Duflot, regions and housing The outgoing head of the Greens was the only minister to travel by public transport to this week's first cabinet meeting but was attacked for wearing jeans by Nadine Morano from Nicolas Sarkozy's rightwing UMP. She is the daughter of a rail worker and a teacher, and trained as a town planner. Supporters describe the 37-year-old as down-to-earth. Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, women's rights, government spokeswoman At 34, she is the youngest minister in the cabinet. Born in rural Morocco, arrived in France aged four to join her immigrant father, who worked in construction. Gained French nationality at 18 and has kept her dual nationality. As a local councillor in Lyon, she served as one of François Hollande's spokespeople during the presidential campaign and had also been a spokeswoman for the former Socialist candidate Ségolène Royal, who lost to Sarkozy in 2007.