Dominique Ouattara Explained

Dominique Ouattara
Birthname:Dominique Claudine Nouvian
Birth Date:16 December 1953
Birth Place:Constantine, French Algeria
Order:First Lady of Ivory Coast
President:Alassane Ouattara
Term Label:Assumed role
Term Start:4 December 2010
Predecessor:Simone Gbagbo
Spouse:
    Children:2

    Dominique Claudine Nouvian Ouattara (born 16 December 1953) is the current First Lady of Ivory Coast, married to President Alassane Ouattara.[1]

    Early life and education

    Dominique Claudine Nouvian was born on 16 December 1953[2] in Constantine, Algeria.[3] She is a Catholic of Jewish descent from her mother's side.[4] [5] She is a French national.[6] She received a high school diploma from Strasbourg Academy in 1973 and graduated from the University of Paris X in 1975 with a degree in languages and a minor in economics.[3] In 1987, she obtained a diploma in property management from the La Fédération Nationale de l'Immobilier (FNAIM) in Paris, before receiving training as a real estate expert in 1989.[7]

    Career

    Ouattara is a businesswoman, specializing in real estate. From 1979, she was CEO of AICI International Group. In 1993, she established a real estate management company, Malesherbes Gestion.[3] [8] In 1996, Ouattara was appointed CEO of French hair care chain EJD Inc., a company that manages the Jacques Dessange Institute in Washington, D.C. In 1998, she acquired the Jacques Dessange franchises in the United States and then became CEO of French Beauty Services which manages the U.S. franchise's brand.[9]

    Following her husband's election as President of Ivory Coast, and in accordance with campaign pledges he had made, Ouattara ceased her activities as a business leader and resigned from all her professional duties. She sold the US Dessange franchises to Dessange Paris Group to focus on her role as First Lady of Côte d'Ivoire and to her foundation, Children of Africa.

    Activism

    Children of Africa Foundation

    In 1980, Ouattara conducted humanitarian missions in Côte d'Ivoire and in 1998 she established the Children Of Africa Foundation. The Foundations' goal is the welfare of children on the African continent. Princess Ira von Fürstenberg is patron of the foundation, which is active in 11 countries across Africa, including Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Madagascar, Central Africa and Burkina Faso.[10] The Foundation focuses especially on four sectors, namely health, education, social issues and providing subsidized facilities.

    One of the Foundation's biggest projects was the construction of the Mother and Child hospital in Bingerville, 10 kilometres east of Abidjan. Built on a 4.9hectare plot, the hospital has a capacity of 130 beds and is meant help to improve access to healthcare for women, and reduce maternal and child mortality.[11] Construction began in 2013 and was completed in 2018.[12] [13]

    On June 7, 2018, Dominique Ouattara inaugurated the Soubré shelter for children in distress.[14] It is part of a project of the Foundation to open three shelters in strategic areas of the Ivory Coast (Soubré, Bouaké and Ferkéssédougo),  in order to assist children engaged into trafficking and exploitation before reintegration into their families.[15]

    Child labor

    In November 2011, Ouattara was appointed head of the National Oversight Committee of Actions Against Child Trafficking, Exploitation and Labor. The committee’s role is to monitor and evaluate government policies to eliminate child labor. The committee's activities have led to the adoption of two National Action Plans (2012-2014 and 2015-2017) to reduce the worst forms of child labor in the country.[16] The third plan is effective from 2017 to 2019.[17] In  July 2012, the US State Department released its 2012 report on trafficking in persons. The report reclassified Ivory Coast as among its tier 2 countries, which corresponds to countries that do not fully comply with the minimum standards of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act (TVPA), but that are making significant efforts to eliminate child labor.[18]

    In her capacity as Chair of the CNS, Outtara organized a conference of the First Ladies of West Africa and the Sahel region on the committee's themes.[19]

    Female empowerment

    In 2012, Outtara established the Ivorian Fund for Women (FAFCI) to finance women-led micro-projects.[20] [21] The fund aims to facilitate women's financial empowerment, encourage entrepreneurship and address unemployment. As of April 2019, 200,000 women have received help from the fund, which currently has a capital of 12 billion FCFA.[22] Outtara was awarded the "U.S.-Africa Business Center Outstanding Leaders' Award" from the American Chamber of Commerce in March 2016 for the help provided.[23]

    UNAIDS Special Ambassador

    On 18 December 2014, Dominique Ouattara was appointed Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS Special Ambassador for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and the promotion of pediatric treatment.[24]

    Other activities

    Dominique Ouattara is a member of the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) and attended various meetings, including the 7th African Conference on Sexual Health and Rights in Accra, Ghana in February 2016.[25] She is also a member of the African Synergy Association.

    Personal life

    Ouattara moved to the Ivory Coast in 1975 with her first husband, Jean Folloroux, who was a professor at Lycée Technique in Abidjan, and whom she had married in 1974. With him she has two children. Her husband died in 1984. Their son, Loic Folloroux, was Director of the West African branch of the Armajaro Limited group, a company specializing in trading in cocoa and raw materials.[26] He acquired the group's French-speaking subsidiaries and then created his own company. Her daughter, Nathalie Folloroux, is program director at Canal + International.[27] [28]

    She married Ouattara, then Deputy Governor of the BCEAO in Dakar, on August 24, 1991 in the Town Hall of the 16th arrondissement of Paris in the presence of family friends like Martin Bouygues and Jean-Christophe Mitterrand.[29] [30] Outtara became President of Ivory Coast in 2010 and was re-elected in 2015.[31] [32]

    Titles

    Awards and honors

    [33]

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Ivory Coast's Alassane Ouattara in profile. BBC News. 11 April 2011. 23 June 2016. 28 August 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160828162940/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-12934834. live.
    2. Web site: Dominique Ouattara, First Lady of Côte d'Ivoire. 23 September 2020. 19 September 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200919163534/https://dominiqueouattara.ci/en/dominique-ouattara/. live.
    3. Book: Daddieh, Cyril K.. Historical Dictionary of Cote d'Ivoire (The Ivory Coast). 384–5. Rowman & Littlefield. 2016. 9780810873896. 2020-09-14. 2021-04-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20210430165447/https://books.google.com/books?id=_VptCwAAQBAJ. live.
    4. News: Alassane Ouattara reaches summit but has more mountains to climb. Smith. David. 15 April 2011. The Guardian. 10 September 2019. 29 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201029052945/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/apr/15/alassane-ouattara-ivory-coast. live.
    5. News: Dominique Ouattara, une "première dame" d'influence. 2011-05-20. 2019-09-10. fr. 2020-10-31. https://web.archive.org/web/20201031093143/https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2011/05/20/dominique-ouattara-une-premiere-dame-d-influence_1524918_3212.html. live.
    6. Book: Dictionary of African Biography, Volume 2. 56. Henry Louis. Gates. Emmanuel. Akyeampong. Steven J.. Niven. 2012. OUP USA. 9780195382075. 2020-09-14. 2018-12-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20181225230546/https://books.google.com/books?id=39JMAgAAQBAJ. live.
    7. Web site: Biographie Première Dame. Dominique Ouattara. 2019-09-20. 2019-06-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20190624114258/http://dominiqueouattara.ci/fr/presentation/dominique-ouattara-premiere-dame-biographie. live.
    8. Web site: President Dominique Ouattara Children Of Africa. 2020-09-23. childrenofafrica.org. 2021-08-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20210801004506/https://childrenofafrica.org/en/president-dominique-ouattara/. live.
    9. Web site: Madame Ouattara, une tigresse du business. 2011-05-26. Capital.fr. fr. 2019-09-20. 2019-09-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20190920124653/https://www.capital.fr/entreprises-marches/madame-ouattara-une-tigresse-du-business-601522. live.
    10. Web site: Femme de devoir, femme au cœur d'or : Dominique Ouattara, femme de l'année 2015. Abidjan.net. 2019-09-20. 2019-09-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20190910034029/http://news.abidjan.net/h/578272.html. live.
    11. Web site: Hôpital mère-enfant de Bingerville: la Première dame annonce la fin des travaux pour décembre 2016. Abidjan.net. 2019-09-20. 2019-08-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20190805170819/http://news.abidjan.net/h/584304.html. live.
    12. Web site: Femme de devoir, femme au cœur d'or : Dominique Ouattara, femme de l'année 2015. Abidjan.net. 2019-09-20. 2019-09-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20190910034029/http://news.abidjan.net/h/578272.html. live.
    13. Web site: KOACI. KOACI. KOACI. FR. 2019-09-20. 2019-09-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20190920134605/https://www.koaci.com/article/archive/2018/03/13/cote-divoire/societe/cote-divoire-presentation-generale-de-lhopital-mere-enfant-de-bingerville-qui-sera-inaugure-vendredi_118117.html. live.
    14. Web site: Soubré: La Première Dame offre un centre d'accueil pour enfants victimes de traite et d'exploitation. 8 June 2018. 20 September 2019. 19 September 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200919204353/https://www.fratmat.info/index.php/nos-unes/soubre-la-premiere-dame-offre-un-centre-d-accueil-pour-enfants-victimes-de-traite-et-d-exploitation. live.
    15. Web site: Pour son soutien aux enfants en détresse : Children of Africa projette la construction de 3 Maisons d'accueil. Abidjan.net. 2019-09-20. 2020-10-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20201012063835/https://news.abidjan.net/h/579602.html. live.
    16. Web site: Travail des enfants : un nouveau plan d'action du CNS pour un coût de 12 milliards de FCFA. Abidjan.net. 2019-09-20. 2019-08-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20190829000626/http://news.abidjan.net/h/576385.html. live.
    17. Web site: La première Dame félicitée pour ses actions de lutte contre le travail des enfants. Abidjan.net. 2019-09-20. 2020-09-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20200928005925/https://news.abidjan.net/h/624765.html. live.
    18. Web site: Intensification de la lutte contre le travail des enfants : Les Usa saluent les efforts du gouvernement ivoirien. Abidjan.net. 2019-09-20. 2013-12-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20131220153251/http://news.abidjan.net/h/436772.html. live.
    19. News: Dominique Ouattara, championne d'Afrique de lutte contre le travail des enfants. Afriki Presse. 2019-09-20. 2018-11-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20181129142440/http://www.afrikipresse.fr/afrique/dominique-ouattara-championne-d-afrique-de-lutte-contre-le-travail-des-enfants. live.
    20. Web site: Le FAFCI de Dominique Ouattara dépasse les 200 000 femmes aidées. 2019-04-16. Tribune Ouest. fr-FR. 2019-09-20. 2019-04-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20190416170155/https://tribuneouest.com/2019/04/16/cote-divoire-fafci-dominique-ouattara-femmes-aidees/. live.
    21. Web site: Initiatives. Dominique Ouattara. fr-FR. 2019-09-20. 2019-09-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20190920141301/https://dominiqueouattara.ci/initiatives/. live.
    22. Web site: FAFCI : LE CAPITAL PASSE DE 10 A 12 MILLIARDS DE FCFA. 11 March 2019. 20 September 2019. 27 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210827115352/https://www.gouv.ci/_actualite-article.php?recordID=9800. live.
    23. Web site: Promotion de l'entrepreneuriat féminin: La Chambre de commerce américaine prime Dominique Ouattara pour son leadership. Abidjan.net. 2019-09-20. 2020-11-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20201104014322/https://news.abidjan.net/h/586464.html. live.
    24. Web site: La Première dame de Côte d'Ivoire nommée Ambassadrice spéciale de l'ONUSIDA. www.unaids.org. fr. 2019-09-20. 2019-09-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20190920143145/https://www.unaids.org/fr/resources/presscentre/featurestories/2014/december/20141219_cotedivoire_FL. live.
    25. Web site:

      Bienvenue sur le site de l'Opdas ::

      . www.freespiritmedia.com. 2019-09-20. 2020-09-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20200929114813/http://www.freespiritmedia.com/OAFLA/indexfrench.html. live.
    26. Web site: Loïc Folloroux : " Armajaro condamne toute activité de fraude et de détournement de cacao ". 2010-08-11. JeuneAfrique.com. fr-FR. 2019-09-20. 2019-09-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20190920123838/https://www.jeuneafrique.com/195580/archives-thematique/loec-folloroux-armajaro-condamne-toute-activit-de-fraude-et-de-d-tournement-de-cacao/. live.
    27. News: Télévision : les séries africaines crèvent l'écran. 2018-02-28. 2019-09-20. fr. 2019-09-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20190920123838/https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2018/02/28/television-les-series-africaines-crevent-l-ecran_5263576_3212.html. live.
    28. Web site: PHOTOS - Exclusif - Dominique Ouattara (Première Dame de Côte d'Ivoire) et sa fille Nathalie Folloroux - Dîner de gala à l'occasion du 20ème anniversaire de la fondation. www.purepeople.com. fr. 2019-09-20. 2019-09-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20190920123841/https://www.purepeople.com/media/exclusif-dominique-ouattara-premiere_m3960997. live.
    29. News: Dominique Ouattara, une "première dame" d'influence. 2011-05-20. 2019-09-20. fr. 2020-10-31. https://web.archive.org/web/20201031093143/https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2011/05/20/dominique-ouattara-une-premiere-dame-d-influence_1524918_3212.html. live.
    30. News: Entre M. Sarkozy et M. Ouattara, une amitié de 20 ans. 2011-04-12. 2019-09-20. fr. 2019-09-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20190920123837/https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2011/04/12/entre-m-sarkozy-et-m-ouattara-une-amitie-de-20-ans_1506408_3212.html. live.
    31. News: Ivory Coast election: Alassane Ouattara 'beats Gbagbo'. 2 December 2010. BBC News. 10 September 2019. 26 September 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200926052051/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-11903470. live.
    32. News: Alassane Ouattara wins Ivory Coast election by a landslide. 28 October 2015. The Guardian. 10 September 2019. 27 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210727104200/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/28/alassane-ouattara-wins-ivory-coast-election-by-a-landslide. live.
    33. Web site: Dominique Ouattara. Dominique Ouattara. en-US. 2019-09-12. 2019-09-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20190920141406/https://dominiqueouattara.ci/en/dominique-ouattara/. live.

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