Jeanne Martin Cissé facts for kids

Jeanne Martin Cissé (born April 6, 1926 – died February 21, 2017) was an important teacher and politician from Guinea. She made history in 1972 as the first woman to lead the United Nations Security Council. This council is a very important part of the United Nations. Later, she served as Guinea's Minister of Social Affairs from 1976 until 1984.

Early Life and Education

Jeanne Martin Cissé was born in Kankan, Guinea, on April 6, 1926. She was the oldest of seven children. Her father worked for the French postal service. Her mother was a midwife. Jeanne went to a special school in Dakar, Senegal, called the École Normale de Rufisque. There, she trained to become a teacher.

Her Amazing Career

Becoming a Teacher and Joining Politics

In 1944, Jeanne Martin Cissé became one of Guinea's first female teachers. She taught at a girls' school in Kankan. In 1946, she joined a group called the Union Madingue. She also met Ahmed Sékou Touré, who would later become Guinea's president. In December 1947, she joined his political party, the Rassemblement Démocratique Africain.

In the 1950s, she lived in Senegal with her husband. She represented a Senegalese group at a big meeting for women in France in 1954. After Guinea became independent in 1958, she returned home. Her husband became a top helper for the Minister of Health.

Leading Women's Movements

In 1959, Jeanne Martin Cissé went to a meeting in Bamako. This meeting was about creating a strong women's movement across Africa. From 1962 to 1972, she was the Secretary General of the Pan African Women's Organization. This shows how important she was in uniting women across the continent.

In 1968, she was elected to Guinea's parliament. After her husband passed away in 1971, she joined a main political committee. She became the first woman Vice-President of the National Assembly of Guinea. She also led the African Women's Conference until 1974. She represented Guinea at important United Nations meetings about women's rights and human rights.

Making History at the United Nations

In 1972, Jeanne Martin Cissé was chosen to represent Guinea at the United Nations. Guinea was a temporary member of the UN Security Council. This made her the first woman ever to lead the council's meetings. She also led a special UN committee that worked against Apartheid in South Africa.

Returning to Guinea and Later Life

In 1976, President Touré asked Jeanne Martin Cissé to come back to Guinea. He made her the Minister of Social Affairs. She also became a member of the main political group, the Democratic Party of Guinea Politburo.

After President Touré passed away in 1984, she was held for about 13 months. She was then released without any charges. After a failed attempt to take over the government in 1985, she left Guinea. She lived in Senegal and then in the United States.

In 1988, she joined a group that helped women and children in Southern Africa. In 2004, she was part of an international group for French-speaking women. In 2006, the U.S. President George W. Bush sent her a special message for her 80th birthday. He praised her "courage and her work."

Her life story, called Daughter of the Milo, was published in 2008. In 2014, the President of South Africa gave her a special award, the Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo. This award recognized her leadership in the fight for women's rights in Africa.

Awards and Honors

• Kuumba award for "significant contributions to African people", 1974
• Lenin Peace Prize, 1975
• Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo, 2014, for her great work against apartheid at the United Nations.

Personal Life and Death

In 1946, Jeanne Martin Cissé married Mohamed Camara. He passed away in a car accident later that year. In 1948, she married Ansoumane Touré. He was one of the people who started the Guinea Democratic Party. He passed away in 1971. Jeanne Martin Cissé had six children. She lived in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States.

Jeanne Martin Cissé passed away on February 21, 2017.

See also

In Spanish: Jeanne Martin Cissé para niños