The political landscape in France and French Guiana has always been dominated by men. In France until the 1990s, the typical politicians, particularly in the upper echelon of French politics, were white heterosexual men. In May 2012, following François Hollande’s election as president, Christiane Taubira became France’s minister of justice. This was the first time that a black person was appointed to lead a ministry since the advent of the Fifth Republic.