Biography of Mrs Dominique OUATTARA
Dominique Ouattara
Married to President Alassane OUATTARA, Mrs Dominique Ouattara is the current First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire. She is ivorian of french origin and was born in Constantine, Algeria, on December 16, 1953. Dominique Ouattara is a mother of two children.
Education background
1972 : She received a high school diploma
from Strasbourg Academy ;
1987 : She obtained a Diploma in
property management from FNAIM in
Paris
1975 : She graduated from the University
of Paris with a degree in languages and
economics ;
1989 : She obtained a diploma as real
estate expert in Paris.
Career
Mrs Dominique Ouattara has enjoyed a brilliant career as an entrepreneur, particularly in the real estate sector. In 1979, she was behind the creation of the AICI International Real Estate Group, of which she was Chairman and CEO. In 1996, she acquired the Jacques Dessange brand in the United States, and then became Chairman and CEO of French Beauty Services, which grouped together the brand’s franchises, hairdressing schools and beauty salons in New York and Washington. Mrs Ouattara led a brilliant career as a business leader, before becoming First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire and devoting herself entirely to the well-being of her fellow citizens.
Social actions
Alongside her brilliant career, Mrs Dominique Ouattara has continually undertaken actions of solidarity and mutual aid on behalf of the underprivileged. In 1998, she set up the Children of Africa Foundation, which works in the health, education and social sectors in Côte d’Ivoire and 11 other African countries. Through her Foundation, Madame Dominique Ouattara has, among other actions, built and implemented :
- a secondary school in Kong
- a network of 10 mobile libraries throughout Côte d’Ivoire
- a modern hospital for mothers and children in Bingerville
- four centers for children in difficult situations in Abidjan, Soubre, Bouake and Ferkessedougou
- a school of excellence for children in Abobo
The President of the Children of Africa Foundation has also initiated the reconstruction of her foundation’s very first children center in the heart of Abidjan, and the construction of a reception center in Adiake to support women who are victims of gender-based violence.
Through her cabinet and her charitable foundation, she contributes to improve the lives of the people
Social actions
As a result of her commitment to eliminate the worst forms of child labour in Côte d’Ivoire in all spheres of economic life, Mrs. Dominique OUATTARA was named President of the National Oversight Committee of actions for the fight against trafficking, exploitation and child labour (CNS), on November 3, 2011 by the President of the Republic. She has decided to work with national and international partners for the elimination of this scourge in Côte d’Ivoire and in the West African sub-region.
The committee’s role is to monitor and evaluate Government’s policies to eliminate child labour. The CNS and its partners elaborated and adopted three National Plans of Action (2012-2014 ; 2015-2017 ; 2015-2020) to significantly reduce the worst forms of child labour in the country.
The Children Of Africa Foundation built three transit centers for children, in the towns of Soubre, Ferkessedougou and Bouake (Côte d’Ivoire), to help former victims of trafficking who were snatched from the hands of traffickers. These transit centers provide the assistance and protection needed to keep children stable before they return back to their families. The first center was opened in Soubre in 2018. The center of Bouake was inaugurated in 2019 and the one in Ferkessedougou was inaugurated in 2021.
In the same vein, and thanks to Mrs Dominique Ouattara’s intervention with the International Labour Office, a list of hazardous work and light work authorized for children aged 13 to 17 have been drawn up. This significant progress has led the US department of Labour to reclassify Côte d’Ivoire among the countries making considerable efforts to eradicate this phenomenon.
Mrs Dominique Ouattara also favored the implication of other First Ladies in the child labour issues by hosting the West Africa and Sahel First Ladies Conference in Abidjan in November 2017.
Also in 2023, Mrs Dominique Ouattara, President of the National Oversight Committee of actions for the fight against trafficking, exploitation and child labour (CNS), officially launched the joint United Nations program to combat child labor in the Nawa region, on the theme : “ Working together to tackle the root causes of child labor” (ENACTE). During the event, Mrs Dominique Ouattara took the opportunity to call for greater collaboration in order to be able to achieve the following objectives:
- Increase the school enrolment rate for children aged 6 to 16,
- Continue to facilitate access to basic social services and social protection for vulnerable populations,
- Continue the fight against household poverty and improve the living conditions of the most disadvantaged,
- Continue the implementation of the child labor monitoring system (SOSTECI) across the country,
- And finally, to step up our efforts to combat cross-border child trafficking and the smuggling of migrants.
In the health sector
Mrs Dominique Ouattara is also showing increasing attention to the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and to the promotion of paediatric treatment, a mission for which UNAIDS has singled her out and appointed her Special Ambassador.
Her implication in women’s organizations in the fight against AIDS, such as the Organization of African First Ladies against AIDS (OPDAS) in 2011 and the Association Synergie Africaine, as well as her participation in First Ladies’ meetings in Deauville (France), Bamako (Mali), Accra (Ghana), and other major events around the world, shows her commitment to combating the pandemic.
Mrs Dominique Ouattara built the Dominique Ouattara Mother and Child’s Hospital in Bingerville, which opened in March 2018. It is a state-of-the-art hospital with cutting-edge equipment and high-quality staff. It is a not-for-profit hospital and takes care of 25% of patients free of charge.
Since its inception, the foundation has organized annual public health campaigns for the underprivileged, enabling many children to be vaccinated, dewormed and have their eyes checked free of charge. The Foundation regularly donates medical equipment and supplies to various health facilities and associations.
Children Of Africa also organizes surgical missions to treat children with serious diseases.
Empowering women
Mrs Dominique Ouattara set up the Ivorian Fund for Women (FAFCI) in 2012 to finance women’s income generating activities, firmly believing in their economic potential.
The objectives of this fund are to empower women by improving their income, strengthen their entrepreneurial capacities and combat unemployment. FAFCI is accessible to all women in Côte d’Ivoire, at a reduced interest rate of 1% per month, including tax. To date, nearly 370,000 women across Côte d’Ivoire have benefited from the fund, lifting over 2 million people out of poverty. The fund currently has a capital of 26 billions FCFA.
Mrs Dominique Ouattara also provides direct support to women’s groups through donation of agricultural equipment and inputs, as well as business management training.
Support for schooling and other social initiatives
Every year, Mrs. Dominique Ouattara distributes school kits to children and strengthens the capacity of schools and school canteens, with a view to contributing to the full development of the population and the future of children.
Several care centers for vulnerable children across Africa, and particularly in Côte d’Ivoire, benefit from grants given by the Children Of Africa Foundation.
Every year, the First Lady also organizes Mother’s Day celebrations and Christmas trees across the country for mothers and children. Mrs Dominique Ouattara’s commitment to the well-being of all is boundless.
Titles
December 1, 2022 : Grand Officer of the Ivorian National Order
May 22, 2022 : “Best Commitment” humanitarian award from the Better World Endowment Fund
February 27, 2020 : First Lady of Exception award
July 31, 2019 : the African Union and UN Women Award for Excellence in African Women’s Leadership
March 29, 2019 : United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) award
September 1, 2028 : Appointed to the HEC Paris Advisory Board for a 4-year term of office
May 14, 2018 : CNP special prize for excellence
March 5, 2018 : “All Africa Honor Award” for promoting women’s leadership
September 21, 2017 : ” Global Impact Leadership Awards ” of the ” Center of Economic and Leadership Development”
September 12, 2017 : Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Portugal
2016 : “US – Africa Business Center Outstanding Leader’s “
December 18, 2014 : UNAIDS Special Ambassador for the elimination of mother to child AIDS
March 14, 2013 : Lebanon Grand Cordon of the honour of merit
July 19, 2012: World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) prize
January 26, 2012 in Paris : Commander of the national order of the Legion of Honour of France
December 6, 2011 : Commander of the Ivorian National Order of Merit
February 16, 2011 : the Crans Montana Foundation prize
May 27, 2009 : Officer of the order of merit of solidarity
May 24, 2008 : Inter- national Panafricain ICS 2007-2008 best woman prize
April 11, 2000 : “Best businesswoman of the year 2000 “
1989 : Honorary President of the Real Estate Agent Organization of Côte d’Ivoire (CSDAIM)