Ravalomanana was born Lalao Harivelo Rakotonirainy in Antananarivo, French Madagascar.[1] She married Marc Ravalomanana in 1974 at a ceremony held in Imerikasinina.[2] The couple have four children: Josoa, Tojo, Sarah, and Maika.[2]
In April 2013, Lalao Ravalomanana put herself forward to run in the 2013 presidential election, an election in which her husband was barred from standing.[3][4][5] However, Ravalomanana, who had recently returned from exile in South Africa where she lived with her husband, was barred from running for not having lived in Madagascar for 6 months before the poll.[6] Ravalomanana then publicly endorsed medical doctor and politician Jean Louis Robinson from Antananarivo.[7]
From October 2015 to January 2020 Lalao Ravalomanana served as Mayor of Antananarivo.