Carmen Jean-François (25 March 1922 – 9 June 1992) was a Haitian teacher and political figure, who served as First Lady of Haiti from May to June 1957 as the wife of Haitian president Daniel Fignolé.
Carmen was married to Daniel Fignolé, also a teacher, with whom she had 7 children, including five daughters and two sons.[3] Her husband, Fignolé, later emerged as a prominent figure in Haitian politics, founding the Mouvement Ouvrier Paysan (MOP), a Haitian labor party, in the 1940s. Carmen Fignolé led the Women's Wing of the MOP, officially designated Bureau d'Action Féminine.[4] She also directed La Famille, a MOP's journal that focused on family issues, including parental guidance, gender questions, and child rearing.[5]
Following Fignolé's ascension to the presidency, Carmen held the office of First Lady from May to June 1957.[1] Fignolé's tenure lasted just nineteen days, ending abruptly in a military coup orchestrated by General Antonio Kébreau. Both Carmen and Fignolé were accompanied by the Haitian Coast Guard into exile in the United States.[3] Carmen, who remained in the United States, died on June 9, 1992.[1]
^ abDésinor 1986, p. 19, "Originaire de Thomazeau ... Carmen est institutrice au cours préparatoire I chez les soeurs de Notre-Dame du Perpétuel Secours, les filles de Marie au Bel-Air".
