Chantal Biya (,born 4 December 1969) is the

first lady First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...

Early life

Chantal Biya was born in Dimako, East Province, Cameroon.. Her father was French expatriate Georges Vigouroux and her mother, Miss Doumé pageant winner, Rosette Ndongo Mengolo. Her mother was elected mayor of Bangou following the July 2007 municipal elections.. She spent her adolescence in

Yaoundé Yaoundé (; , ) is the capital of Cameroon and, with a population of more than 2.8 million, the second-largest city in the country after the port city Douala. It lies in the Centre Region of the nation at an elevation of about 750 metres (2,50 ...

Philanthropy

She established the ' in 1994, and hosted the inaugural First Ladies Summit in

in 1996; the ''Jeunesse active pour Chantal Biya'' is an organ of her husband's

Cameroon People's Democratic Movement The Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM; french: Rassemblement démocratique du Peuple Camerounais, RDPC) is the ruling political party in Cameroon. Previously known as the Cameroonian National Union, which had dominated Cameroon politic ...

Bertrand Teyou

In November 2010, Bertrand Teyou published a book titled ' (English: "''The Belle of the Banana Republic: ChantalBiya, from the Streets to the Palace''"), tracing Biya's rise from humble origins to become First Lady.. He was subsequently given a two-year prison term on charges of "insult to character" and organising an "illegal demonstration" for attempting to hold a public reading.

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

and

PEN International PEN International (known as International PEN until 2010) is a worldwide association of writers, founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere. The association has autonomous Internationa ...

's Writers in Prison Committee both protested his arrest and issued appeals on his behalf; Amnesty International also named him a prisoner of conscience. He was freed in April 2011 when a well wisher agreed to pay his fine in order that he might seek treatment for his worsening health.

Personal life

She married

Paul Biya Paul Biya (born Paul Barthélemy Biya'a bi Mvondo; 13 February 1933) is a Cameroonian politician who has served as the president of Cameroon since 6 November 1982.

, who is 36-years older than her, on 23 April 1994, after his first wife,

Jeanne-Irène Biya Jeanne-Irène Biya (October 12, 1935 – July 29, 1992) was the former First Lady of Cameroon and first wife of Paul Biya, who has served as the President of Cameroon since 1982. Jeanne-Irène Biya died in office in Yaoundé Yaoundé (; ...

, died in 1992.. Chantal Biya with Obamas 2014

She is well known for her

hairstyle A hairstyle, hairdo, haircut or coiffure refers to the styling of hair, usually on the human scalp. Sometimes, this could also mean an editing of facial or body hair. The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal groomin ...

s.. Her signature style is called ''the banane'', and is used for formal occasions. Biya has popularised other styles; collectively, they are known as ''the Chantal Biya''. She is also known for her exotic wardrobe. Among her favourite designers are high-end Western labels such as Chanel, Dior and Louis Vuitton.

References

Bibliography

* . * Dorall, Charyl, ed. (2004). ''Commonwealth Ministers Reference Book 2003''. Commonwealth Secretariat. * . * . * . * * . * . * * . * . * .

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Biya, Chantal 1970 births Living people First ladies of Cameroon People from East Region (Cameroon) Cameroonian philanthropists Cameroonian people of French descent UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors