Isnelle Amelin facts for kids

Isnelle Amelin (born 1907, died 1994) was an important woman from Réunion, an island in the Indian Ocean. She worked hard for women's rights and was a strong supporter of workers' rights. She was also a bank employee. People remember her for her big role in a group called the Union des femmes de La Réunion (Union of Women of Réunion), which started in 1958.

She was a dedicated trade unionist, meaning she helped workers get fair treatment. She was part of a big union called the CGT. In 1945, she started her own union for bank and business employees. That same year, she made history by being one of the first women elected to the city council of Saint-Denis. She continued to support the Communist party until she was hurt in 1956 while trying to protect election ballot boxes. She led the Union des femmes de La Réunion until she passed away in 1994.

Early Life and Family

Isnelle Baret was born on September 14, 1907, in Saint-Leu. Her father, Aimée Léopold Baret, was a forester, and her mother was Eugénie Gaspard. Isnelle went to private Catholic schools and earned her elementary school certificate.

By the time she was 25, she had faced a lot of sadness. She had lost both her parents and all six of her brothers and sisters to illnesses. In 1941, she married Raoul Amelin, who was a police inspector and also a strong supporter of the Communist party.

Joining the Fight for Workers' Rights

Her husband encouraged her to become active in the CGT, a large workers' union. As a bank employee, Isnelle saw the need for a union for people like her. So, she founded the Syndicat général des employés de banque et de commerce (General Union of Bank and Business Employees). She served as its main leader from 1945 to 1955.

In 1945, Isnelle Amelin joined the municipal elections as a member of the Comité Républicain d’Action Démocratique et Social (CRADS). She won a seat on the city council of Saint-Denis. She served on the council until 1958 and then again from 1958 to 1964. In 1946, she also became the first president of the local branch of the Communist Union des Femmes Françaises (UFF), a women's union.

A Voice for Women and Workers

In 1952, Isnelle Amelin used her role as a CGT leader to help others. She opened a nursery for people who worked in homes. She also strongly supported the activities of the Syndicat des bonnes et des blanchisseuses, which was the union for housemaids and laundry workers.

Standing Up for Justice

Isnelle Amelin was very active in the fight for Réunion to gain more independence from France. During the 1956 legislative elections, she was seriously injured by activists while trying to protect a ballot box. Because of her strong activities, which some people saw as rebellious, she was forced to retire early when she was only 48 years old.

Continuing Her Work

Even after retiring, Isnelle Amelin continued her important work as a women's rights activist. She remained president of the Fédération réunionnaise de l'UFF for the rest of her life. Isnelle Amelin passed away in Saint-Denis on February 4, 1994, at the age of 86. She had become ill two years earlier while doing humanitarian work in Madagascar.

See also

In Spanish: Isnelle Amelin para niños