Ndella Paye Diouf (born c. 1974) is a militant French

Afro-feminist Black feminism is a philosophy that centers on the idea that "Black women are inherently valuable, that lack women'sliberation is a necessity not as an adjunct to somebody else's but because our need as human persons for autonomy." Race, gend ...

and Muslim theologian who was born in Senegal. She has fought against the requirement for young Muslim women to wear the

hijab In modern usage, hijab ( ar, حجاب, translit=ḥijāb, ) generally refers to headcoverings worn by Muslim women. Many Muslims believe it is obligatory for every female Muslim who has reached the age of puberty to wear a head covering. While ...

in French schools but has above all sought full equality between the races and between men and women. She has been particularly intent on ensuring a successful future for her three daughters, giving them self-confidence through a good education and convincing them that

black skin Dark skin is a type of human skin color that is rich in melanin pigments. People with very dark skin are often referred to as " black people", although this usage can be ambiguous in some countries where it is also used to specifically refer to ...

and

afro hair The afro is a hair type created by natural growth of kinky hair, or specifically styled with chemical curling products by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair.Garland, Phyl"Is The Afro On Its Way Out?" '' Ebony'', February 1973 ...

are features of beauty.

Biography

Born in Senegal in c. 1974, Ndella Paye arrived in France in 1993 to join her father, Jacques Diouf, a diplomat. While in Paris, she graduated in Arabic and Muslim Theology, followed by a master's degree in Religious Sciences and Society at the École pratique des hautes études. She married a Frenchman from Senegal whom she met at her mosque. When they separated in 2016, Ndella allowed him to take care of their three daughters, causing considerable criticism. She herself moved to England where she has worked as an accountant. She has developed her own views on religion, believing that the Quran and other faiths are incorrectly subjected to masculine interpretations. As a result, while strongly supporting

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

, she believes that men and women are equal. Her feminist activism began in 2004 with preparations for a law prohibiting young women to wear the hijab in French schools. She created the Collectif des Féministes Pour l’Égalité (Feminist Collective for Equal Rights) but left it in 2012 after creating Mamans Toutes Égales (All Mothers Equal) in support of mothers unable to continue their education. Inspired by Thomas Sankara and Angela Davis, her role model remains her mother, a nurse and a unionist, who fought for the pill despite her husband's objections.

References

External links

Ndella Paye's website
(in French) {{DEFAULTSORT:Paye, Ndella 1974 births Living people Senegalese people Black feminism French women's rights activists Proponents of Islamic feminism French Muslim activists Women of African descent