Emilie Béatrice Epaye facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Emilie Béatrice Epaye
Emilie Béatrice Epaye in 2015
Minister of Commerce, Industry and Small and Medium Enterprises
In office 19 June 2005 – 2 September 2006
President	François Bozizé
Prime Minister	Élie Doté
Preceded by	Didier Wangué
Succeeded by	Rosalie Koudounguere
Minister of Trade and Industry
In office 28 January 2008 – 22 April 2011
President	François Bozizé
Prime Minister	Faustin-Archange Touadéra
Preceded by	Rosalie Koudounguere
Succeeded by	Mouliom Roosalem
Personal details
Born	ca. 1956
Nationality	Central African
Occupation	Politician Educator
Known for	Director of The Voice of the Heart Foundation

Emilie Béatrice Epaye is an important politician and educator from the Central African Republic. She has worked as a government minister and served in her country's parliament. Epaye works hard to improve how the government runs, help the economy grow, and protect people's freedoms. She also stands up for human rights and tries to bring people together after conflicts. In 2015, she received a special award called the International Women of Courage Award from the U.S. State Department.

About Emilie Béatrice Epaye

Emilie Béatrice Epaye was born around 1956. She first trained to become a teacher. Later, she also managed a family business that involved transportation and trade.

Helping Children: The Voice of the Heart Foundation

In 1994, a foundation called La Fondation la Voix du coeur (which means The Voice of the Heart Foundation) was started. Its goal was to help street children. The foundation created a safe home in Bangui, the capital city. Here, children who had faced violence or been abandoned could find food, education, medical care, and training.

Emilie Béatrice Epaye took over as the director of this important organization in 2000. She continued the work of helping vulnerable children.

Her Work in Politics

In 2003, General François Bozizé took control of the government in the Central African Republic. This was done through a "coup," which means a group took power by force. Bozizé then set up a temporary government group called a transitional council. This council included many different political groups.

From 2003 to 2005, Epaye was part of this National Transitional Council. She also became the President of the Foreign Affairs Commission in the parliament. In 2005, she started working as the Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Small and Medium Enterprises. She held this job for five years. From 2008 to 2011, she served as the Minister of Trade and Industry.

In 2013, another group called the Séléka (which means Alliance) overthrew Bozizé's government. This led to a difficult time for the country. Michel Djotodia declared himself president, causing more problems. His leadership led to fighting between different groups, often based on religion. Eventually, Djotodia agreed to step down.

To help stabilize the country, the UN Security Council, the African Union, and the French government sent troops. A new Transitional Council was then appointed. Emilie Béatrice Epaye was again asked to serve in this temporary government. Catherine Samba-Panza was chosen to lead the country during this transition period. Democratic elections were held at the end of 2015 to choose new leaders.

Working with African Organizations

Emilie Béatrice Epaye has also been involved in important organizations across Africa. From 2003 to 2005, she was a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Commission of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC).

Starting in 2008, she led the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI). As a member of its Board of Directors, she helped organize the first African Conference on Intellectual Property in Dakar. She also served on the Council of Ministers of the Economic Union of Central Africa (CAEU). In 2010, she received a special award from the CEMAC Community for her work.