Rama Yade (born Mame Ramatoulaye Yade; 13 December 1976) is a Senegalese-born French politician and the author of several books. She served as the French Secretary of Human Rights from 2007 to 2009, and the Secretary of Sports from 2009 to 2010. She was the Permanent Delegate of France to
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
from December 2010 to June 2011. She held the vice-presidency of the
centre-right
Centre-right politics lean to the right of the political spectrum, but are closer to the centre. From the 1780s to the 1880s, there was a shift in the Western world of social class structure and the economy, moving away from the nobility and me ...
Radical Party up until 25 September 2015.
She announced her candidacy in the
2017 French presidential election
The 2017 French presidential election was held on 23 April and 7 May 2017. As no candidate won a majority in the first round, a runoff was held between the top two candidates, Emmanuel Macron of En Marche! (EM) and Marine Le Pen of the Nation ...
, but was unable to obtain enough signatures to be a participant in the presidential race.
Her campaign was aimed at "the forgotten people" of France.
Biography
Early life
Yade was born in
Ouakam
Ouakam is a commune d'arrondissement in the city of Dakar, Senegal. The commune is the birthplace of French politicians Ségolène Royal and Rama Yade and Senegalese writer and politician Birago Diop. Ouakam is one of the four original Lebou v ...
,
Dakar
Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in ...
,
Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣� ...
.
[Rama Yade: The political star who's eclipsing Sarko](_blank)
''The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'', 14 April 2009 She comes from an educated,
upper-middle-class,
Lebou
The Lebu (Lebou, ''Lébou'') are an ethnic group of Senegal, West Africa, living on the peninsula of Cap-Vert. The Lebu are primarily a fishing community, but they have a substantial business in construction supplies and real estate.Keese, Alexan ...
family. Her mother, Aminata Kandji, was a professor and her father, Djibril Yade, also a professor, was the personal secretary of Senegalese President
Léopold Sédar Senghor
Léopold Sédar Senghor (; ; 9 October 1906 – 20 December 2001) was a Senegalese poet, politician and cultural theorist who was the first president of Senegal (1960–80).
Ideologically an African socialist, he was the major theoretician o ...
and a diplomat.
She moved to France with the rest of her family at the age of eight.
After her father left the country when she was fourteen, she moved into a
council flat
A council house is a form of British public housing built by local authorities. A council estate is a building complex containing a number of council houses and other amenities like schools and shops. Construction took place mainly from 1919 a ...
in
Colombes
Colombes () is a Communes of France, commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, centre of Paris. In 2019, Colombes was the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 53rd largest ci ...
with her mother and three sisters.
She was educated in
Catholic schools
Catholic schools are pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered under the aegis or in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest religious, non-governmental school syste ...
and then at the ''
Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris
, motto_lang = fr
, mottoeng = Roots of the Future
, type = Public research university'' Grande école''
, established =
, founder = Émile Boutmy
, accreditation ...
'', where she graduated in 2000.
Early career
Yade worked at the
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
city hall and the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
. She also worked for
The Greens The Greens or Greens may refer to:
Current political parties
*Australian Greens, also known as ''The Greens''
* Greens of Andorra
* Greens of Bosnia and Herzegovina
*Greens of Burkina
* Greens (Greece)
* Greens of Montenegro
* Greens of Serbia
* G ...
.
She later became an administrator in the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...
in 2002.
She joined the
Union for a Popular Movement
The Union for a Popular Movement (french: link=no, Union pour un mouvement populaire, ; UMP, ) was a centre-right political party in France that was one of the two major contemporary political parties in France along with the centre-left Sociali ...
(UMP) political party in 2005 and became National Secretary in charge of
Francophonie
Francophonie is the quality of speaking French. The term designates the ensemble of people, organisations and governments that share the use of French on a daily basis and as administrative language, teaching language or chosen language. The ...
in 2006. She credits
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa (; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012.
Born in Paris, he is of Hungarian, Greek Jewish, and French origin. Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Sei ...
's charisma with making her want to join the UMP.
Governmental appointments
In May 2007, she was appointed as Secretary of State for Human Rights under the
Minister of Foreign and European Affairs,
Bernard Kouchner
Bernard Kouchner Order of the British Empire, KBE (born 1 November 1939) is a French politician and doctor. He is the co-founder of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Médecins du Monde. From 2007 until 2010, he was the French Minister of Fo ...
. She denounced
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, . Due to the lack of standardization of transcribing written and regionally pronounced Arabic, Gaddafi's name has been romanized in various ways. A 1986 column by ''The Straight Dope'' lists 32 spellin ...
's state visit to France in 2008 due to the track record of his human rights abuse.
In November 2008, Yade was rumoured to be Nicolas Sarkozy's favorite choice for replacing
Jean-Pierre Jouyet
Jean-Pierre Jouyet (born 13 February 1954) is a French civil servant. He was the ambassador of France to the United Kingdom between 2017 and 2019.
Biography
Jean-Pierre Jouyet was born on 13 February 1954 in Montreuil-sous-Bois in the suburbs ...
as Secretary of State for European Affairs, and was also privately asked to lead one of the UMP lists for the
2009 European Parliament elections. However, on 7 December, she declined to run for a seat in the European Parliament and declared herself "more interested in national mandate". On 9 December, ''Le Monde'' reported that Nicolas Sarkozy was "deeply disappointed" by her attitude and that she had "ruined all her chances" to succeed Jouyet. The following day, Foreign Minister
Bernard Kouchner
Bernard Kouchner Order of the British Empire, KBE (born 1 November 1939) is a French politician and doctor. He is the co-founder of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Médecins du Monde. From 2007 until 2010, he was the French Minister of Fo ...
, in an interview with ''
Le Parisien
''Le Parisien'' (; French for "The Parisian") is a French daily newspaper covering both international and national news, and local news of Paris and its suburbs. It is owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, better known as LVMH.
History ...
'', said he regretted his suggestion to appoint a Secretary of State for Human Rights, although he noted that Yade had "done, with talent, what she could do". She had at the time the highest approval rating in the French government, with over 70%.
She was moved to the post of Secretary of State for Sports on 24 June 2009. Some interpreted this as a demotion in connection with Sarkozy's disapproval of her decision to not stand in the European elections. In 2010, she criticised the
France national football team
The France national football team (french: Équipe de France de football) represents France in men's international football matches. It is governed by the French Football Federation (FFF; ), the governing body for football in France. It is ...
for staying in expensive hotels during the
2008–2012 global recession
The Great Recession was a period of marked general decline, i.e. a recession, observed in national economies globally that occurred from late 2007 into 2009. The scale and timing of the recession varied from country to country (see map). At ...
.
She was appointed as French Ambassador to the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
in December 2010. By April 2011, it was rumoured that she would be fired. She quit her job in June 2011.
[Rama Yade quitte son poste d'ambassadrice à l'Unesco](_blank)
''Le Figaro'',[Rama Yade coupe le cordon de la sarkozie](_blank)
''Le Point'', 16 June 2011[Sarkozy's UNESCO envoy Rama Yade backs rival's campaign](_blank)
''The Australian
''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition, ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964.Bruns, Axel. "3.1. The active audience: Transforming journalism from gatekeeping to gatewa ...
'', 16 June 2011
Radical Party
In 2012, she left the UMP, joined the
Radical Party and supported
Jean-Louis Borloo
Jean-Louis Marie Borloo (; born 7 April 1951) is a French politician who served as president of the Union of Democrats and Independents (UDI) from 2012 to 2014. He also was Minister of the Economy, Finance and Employment in 2007 and Minister of ...
in the presidential elections until he decided not to run.
She later supported Nicolas Sarkozy, but joined the
New Centre
The Centrists (french: Les Centristes, LC), formerly known as New Centre (''Nouveau Centre'', NC) and European Social Liberal Party (''Parti Social Libéral Européen'', PSLE), is a centre-right political party in France formed by the members of t ...
.
She serves as President of the
Allons Enfants! think tank
A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmental ...
.
Parliamentary elections
She ran and lost in the
2012 parliamentary elections in
Hauts-de-Seine's 2nd constituency for the
National Assembly of France
The National Assembly (french: link=no, italics=set, Assemblée nationale; ) is the lower house of the bicameral French Parliament under the Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known a ...
.
She now works for a
human resources
Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms includ ...
firm based in Paris, Cursus Management.
Political positions
Rama Yade is
moderate-conservative and a
feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
.
Affirmative action
She favors
affirmative action.
Burqas
In 2009, she said that she was not opposed to
ban on burqas in France. Rama believes that this ban should be decided "as a defense of secularism and the dignity of women" and calls on Muslims to "leave the literal text behind, and adjust to the times". In 2010, she called for a
referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption o ...
on banning the full veil
burqas in France, in order to circumvent any legal obstacles.
LGBT rights
As Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Human Rights of France, Yade met with several
LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term is ...
organizations on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia in 2008 and announced to the organizations that henceforth the government officially recognized that day. She announced that she would appeal to the United Nations for the universal decriminalization of homosexuality, and asked, "How can we tolerate the fact that people are stoned, hanged, decapitated and tortured only because of their sexual orientation?" When asked about the issue of same-sex marriage in 2009, she replied that it was not up to her to settle the question for society.
When she became Secretary of State for Sports, she fought against
homophobia
Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, ma ...
in sports and participated in the third FARE Conference Against Homophobia in Paris in 2011.
In a June 2011 interview she said she would have voted for
same-sex marriage if she had been in the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
. In a 2012 interview with ''
Le Parisien
''Le Parisien'' (; French for "The Parisian") is a French daily newspaper covering both international and national news, and local news of Paris and its suburbs. It is owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, better known as LVMH.
History ...
'', she said, "To societal issues like this or gay marriage, it is legitimate to propose a referendum. We'll see if the left will have the courage to give voice to the people."
She said in 2013 interview that her support for same-sex marriage was consistent with her fight on equal rights and claimed that she had been designated as the most gay-friendly member of the government. On 1 February Rama Yade had signed with MP
Yves Jégo,
Jean-Christophe Lagarde, Senator
Chantal Jouanno, an article in ''
Le Monde
''Le Monde'' (; ) is a French daily afternoon newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average circulation of 323,039 copies per issue in 2009, about 40,000 of which were sold abroad. It has had its own website si ...
'' in favor of gay marriage in the name of equality.
Foreign vote
When asked about the issue of
foreign vote, Yade said it should be left to a referendum and said she was against it and said "Foreigners do not claim the right to vote. What they want is their children who are French, are elected to the Assembly, are well represented in the political, economic spheres media. In short, they are integrated. Now this is the bad conscience of the left for thirty years."
Syrian Civil War
On the issue of the
civil war in Syria, she said France must act and use the military option because the Syrians requested it.
Taxes
On the issue of taxes, Yade has said "We're losing the rich, like
Gérard Depardieu
Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu, CQ (, , ; born 27 December 1948) is a French actor, filmmaker, businessman and vineyard owner since 1989 who is one of the most prolific thespians in film history having completed over 250 films since 1967 al ...
, and the poor feel betrayed," referring to workers at factories expected to close down. "France is the one getting weakened, and its future is being sold off cheaply," she said.
Convictions
In April 2013, she was convicted for libeling and slandering
Manuel Aeschlimann.
In September 2013, she was sentenced to pay a 2000 euro fine and 4000 euros in damages for libeling her political rival Philippe Sarre.
In January 2014, she was again convicted for slandering
Jean-Marie Le Pen
Jean Louis Marie Le Pen (, born 20 June 1928) is a French far-right politician who served as President of the National Front from 1972 to 2011. He also served as Honorary President of the National Front from 2011 to 2015.
Le Pen graduated from ...
and his daughter
Marine Le Pen
Marion Anne Perrine "Marine" Le Pen (; born 5 August 1968) is a French lawyer and politician who ran for the French presidency in 2012 French presidential election, 2012, 2017 French presidential election, 2017, and 2022 French presidential elec ...
.
Rama Yade condamnée pour avoir injurié Marine et Jean-Marie Le Pen
''Le Point'', 24 January 2014.
Personal life
She is married to Joseph Zimet, the son of Yiddish singer Ben Zimet, and an adviser to former Secretary of State Jean-Marie Bockel. She is a Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
and a feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
.
Bibliography
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References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yade, Rama
1976 births
Living people
Atlantic Council
Black French politicians
Senegalese emigrants to France
French political writers
French Muslims
Senegalese feminists
LGBT rights activists from France
The Centrists politicians
People from Dakar
Radical Party (France) politicians
Right-wing politicians in France
Sciences Po alumni
Union for a Popular Movement politicians
Senegalese women writers
Senegalese writers
French feminists
Proponents of Islamic feminism
21st-century French women politicians
Union of Democrats and Independents politicians
Women government ministers of France
Women civil rights activists
Naturalized citizens of France