Arame Diène

Arame Diène
Born1926
Died2005
NationalitySenegalese
Occupation(s)Activist and politician

Arame Diène (1926–2005) was a Senegalese activist and politician and a self-made woman.[1] Born in the Lebou ethnic group, Diène family home is located in the popular quarter of Medina in Dakar.[1]

Education

Diène did not attend French schools, the lack of schooling was based on the Lebous culture: girls were not allowed to attend school.[1] Society counted her out they categorized her as illiterate and traditionally destined to remain at home.[1]

Career

Diène entered politics in 1945, following family tradition; her parents were notable Lebous supporters of Alfred Goux.[2][1] Diene husband was a member of the Socialist Party of Senegal. She was a member of the Senegalese Democratic Bloc before joining the Socialist Party of Senegal in 1947 with her husband.[1] In 1981, Prime Minister Abdou Diouf defeated Leopold Sedar Senghor as president.[1] She was elected to the National Assembly in 1983 alongside Ramatoulaye Seck and Aïda Mbaye; all three women became known for their political abilities despite a lack of formal education.[3] Said to be the first person to speak Wolof on the floor of the National Assembly,[2] she was the first illiterate woman elected to that body.[4] Diène served thirty-seven years of service to politics, changing political power structures.[1]

Personal life

She has been referred to by some as the "mother" of the Senegalese Socialist Party,[2] and played a significant role in its women's movement, heading the women's section of the party and the regional party organization in Cap-Vert.[4] She limited her participation during sessions of the Assembly, speaking about issues affecting farmers, women, children, and health; she preferred not to speak about defense and financial matters.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h African gender studies : theoretical questions and conceptual issues (1 ed.). Palgrave MacMillan. October 2005. ISBN 1-4039-6283-9.
  2. ^ a b c d Luise White; Stephan Miescher; David William Cohen (2001). African Words, African Voices: Critical Practices in Oral History. Indiana University Press. pp. 216–. ISBN 0-253-21468-8.
  3. ^ Kathleen Sheldon (4 March 2016). Historical Dictionary of Women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 76–. ISBN 978-1-4422-6293-5.
  4. ^ a b S. Gellar (16 September 2005). Democracy in Senegal: Tocquevillian Analytics in Africa. Palgrave Macmillan US. pp. 152–. ISBN 978-1-4039-8216-2.