Mariama Hima Yankori (born 1951,

Niamey Niamey () is the capital and largest city of Niger. Niamey lies on the Niger River, primarily situated on the east bank. Niamey's population was counted as 1,026,848 as of the 2012 census. As of 2017, population projections show the capital di ...

) is a

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesethnologist Ethnology (from the grc-gre, ἔθνος, meaning 'nation') is an academic field that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them (compare cultural, social, or sociocultural anthropology) ...

and politician. She became the first female Nigerien film director in the 1980s, was State Secretary of Promotion of Women and Protection of Children, and later the first female Nigerien ambassador to France.

Early life

Hima was born in Niamey in 1951 and studied locally until she achieved a bachelor's degree. In 1973, she left for France and studied ethnolinguistics at the

École pratique des hautes études The École pratique des hautes études (), abbreviated EPHE, is a Grand Établissement in Paris, France. It is highly selective, and counted among France's most prestigious research and higher education institutions. It is a constituent college o ...

in Paris. She got her PhD in 1989 from the

University Paris X Paris Nanterre University (French: ''Université Paris Nanterre''), formerly Paris-X and commonly referred to as Nanterre, is a public research university based in Nanterre, Paris, France. It is one of the most prestigious French universities, ma ...

in anthropology.

Cinematic and political career

In the 1980s and 1990s she shot five documentary films, becoming the first female Nigerien film director. After shooting most of her films, Hima worked in total over a decade as a conservator at the National Museum of Niger in Niamey, where between 1992 and 1996 she served as the director. In 1990, she was designated the national Director of Culture. In 1996, Hima was appointed the State Secretary of Promotion of Women and Protection of Children by president

Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara General Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara (May 9, 1949 – April 9, 1999) was a military officer and diplomat in Niger who ruled the country from his seizure of power in 1996 until his assassination during the military coup of April 1999. Baré Maïn ...

. Subsequently, she became Minister of Social Development of Niger. In 1997, she was appointed the ambassador of Niger in France, becoming the first female Nigerien ambassador. Despite Maïnassara's death during the 1999 military coup, she remained the ambassador in Paris until 2003. Hima is the Chevalier and the Grand Officier of the National Order of Merit and the Commandeur of the

Ordre des Palmes Académiques A suite, in Western classical music and jazz, is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral/concert band pieces. It originated in the late 14th century as a pairing of dance tunes and grew in scope to comprise up to five dances, sometimes with ...

. As of 2013, she had no Nigerien decorations.

Filmography

Hima's films are documentaries, focused on artisans working in Niamey. They have been awarded prizes at international film festivals, including

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

and

Beaubourg The Centre Pompidou (), more fully the Centre national d'art et de culture Georges-Pompidou ( en, National Georges Pompidou Centre of Art and Culture), also known as the Pompidou Centre in English, is a complex building in the Beaubourg area of ...

. * 1984: ''Baabu Banza'' (Rien ne se jette), documentary, 20 minutes * 1985: ''Falaw'' (L’aluminium), documentary, 16 minutes * 1986: ''Toukou'' (Le tonneau), documentary * 1987: ''Katako'' (Les planches), documentary * 1994: ''Hadiza et Kalia'', documentary

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hima, Mariama Nigerien women film directors Nigerien academics Ministers of council of Niger École pratique des hautes études alumni Grand Officers of the Ordre national du Mérite Knights of the Ordre national du Mérite Commandeurs of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques 1951 births Living people People from Niamey 20th-century women politicians Women government ministers of Niger Ambassadors of Niger to France Nigerien women ambassadors