Magalie Marcelin (1962 – January 12, 2010) was a

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

an feminist, lawyer and actress. While still in her teens, she performed with a theatre group which used the stage as a medium to raise issues about women's rights and social justice. Marcelin was expelled by the government of Jean-Claude Duvalier. She was sent to Venezuela, came to Montreal in 1981 and studied law. Marcelin returned to Haiti after Duvalier's departure in 1986. In 1987, she established Kay Fanm (Women's House), a shelter for battered women and women's rights organization. She also helped ensure that women in legal difficulties related to gender-based violence received a fair trial, working

pro bono ( en, 'for the public good'), usually shortened to , is a Latin phrase for professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment. In the United States, the term typically refers to provision of legal services by legal professionals for pe ...

. Marcelin worked as a consultant for a number of development projects. In 1997, she helped organize an international tribunal in Haiti dealing with violence against women. Marcelin appeared in the films ''Haiti in all our dreams'' and ''Anita''. She was the godparent of the daughter of former Canadian Governor General Michaëlle Jean. Marcelin died at the age of 47 at

Port-au-Prince Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is define ...

in the

2010 Haiti earthquake A disaster, catastrophic Moment magnitude scale, magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake struck Haiti at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, Ouest (department), Ouest department, a ...

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* 1962 births 2010 deaths Haitian feminists 20th-century Haitian actresses 20th-century Haitian lawyers Victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake Haitian stage actresses 21st-century Haitian lawyers {{Haiti-bio-stub