Angèle Gnonsoa facts for kids
Angèle Gnonsoa, born in 1941, is an important person from the Ivory Coast. She is known as a smart academic and a politician. She served as a government minister twice. From 2003 to 2005, she was the Minister of the Environment. Later, during a difficult time for her country (2010–2011), she became the Minister of Professional Education.
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About Angèle Gnonsoa
Angèle Gnonsoa studied in France to become an anthropologist. An anthropologist is someone who studies human societies and cultures. She speaks the Wè language, which is spoken by a group of people in Ivory Coast.
Her Work as a Professor
Ms. Gnonsoa taught about old stories and traditions at the University of Abidjan. She is an expert on how the Wè people use special masks in their celebrations. These masks are very important to their culture.
Getting Involved in Politics
As a university professor, Angèle Gnonsoa worked with Francis Wodié. They wanted to make sure that many different political parties could exist in Ivory Coast. In 1990, she helped start the Ivorian Workers' Party (PIT). She became a top leader in this party.
From 2003 to 2005, she was the Minister of the Environment. She represented her party in the government led by Seydou Diarra. This government was formed after the First Ivorian Civil War to bring the country together.
Challenges and Return
After the 2010 presidential election, her party had different ideas about who to support. Angèle Gnonsoa chose to support Laurent Gbagbo. She joined his government as the Minister of Professional Education.
After some political challenges, she had to leave the Ivory Coast. She lived as a refugee in Ghana for eight years. In 2019, she was able to return home to the Ivory Coast.
Books by Angèle Gnonsoa
Angèle Gnonsoa has written books about her research and culture:
- (with Philippe Oberlé) Masques vivants de Côte d'Ivoire. This book is about living masks in Ivory Coast (1985).
- Le masque au cœur de la société wè. This book focuses on the importance of masks in Wè society (2007).
