Simone Saint-Denis | |
---|---|
Born | 1934 Libreville |
Died | 2008 Libreville |
Occupation(s) | Trade unionist; Teacher |
Simone Saint-Dénis (1934 – 2008) was a trade union leader from Gabon, who played an active role in politics in the post-independence era.
Saint-Dénis was born in Libreville in 1934, to parents from the Mpongwe ethnic group. [1] Her father was Mathurin Anguiley, a politician; her mother's identity is unrecorded. [1] Her father adopted the surname Saint-Dénis after he discovered that his birth father was a Danish sailor, rather than his mother's husband. [1] Her father had served in the French military and the family had wine and bread at most meals. [2]
In 1948 Saint-Dénis completed her secondary education at a Catholic mission school and immediately became engaged to Balé - a timber camp worker. [1] At the new, her father forced her out of the house, the engagement was short and broken off by Balé; Saint-Dénis then moved in with her mother. [1] There were few jobs for educated women in post-war Libreville, so Saint-Dénis decided to train as a teacher. [1] In 1950 she began to teach at the school of the Catholic mission to Donguila, a village in the remote Estuaire Province, where most of the children spoke Fang. [1]
The poor pay of teachers first drew Saint-Dénis to become involved with unionism through the Confédération Française des Travailleurs Chrétiens (CFTC). [1] Through Saint-Dénis' activism, the CFTC negotiated pay increases for teachers at Catholic schools in the 1950s. [1] Her work with the CFTC continued after Gabon's independence and from 1960-67 she represented Gabonese unions at a variety of international meetings, travelling to Copenhagen, Rome, and Bucharest. [1] However after an attempted military coup in 1964, the Gabonese government under Léon M’ba tried to increase control over unions. [1] His successor Oumar Bongo Ondimba consolidated control, leaving little room for trade unions and their representatives like Saint-Dénis. [1]
In the 1970s, the Parti Démocratique Gabonais (PDG) coerced Saint-Dénis into accepting a job for them organising musical events, where women's groups representing the diversity of Gabon sang and danced to show support for the PDG. [1] Despite this she remained involved with unionism and in 1976 was elected Joint Secretary of the Fédération Syndicale Gabonaise (FESYGA) with Owondault Berre; in 1980 she was elected Secretary. [3]
Saint-Dénis had two children with a Gabonese diplomat. [1] She retired from the PDG in 1981 and died in Libreville in 2008 from complications due to diabetes. [1] In her later life she spoke to many Western researchers, whose recordings of her life provide an insightful perspective on twentieth-century Gabon. [4] [5] [6]
Simone Saint-Denis | |
---|---|
Born | 1934 Libreville |
Died | 2008 Libreville |
Occupation(s) | Trade unionist; Teacher |
Simone Saint-Dénis (1934 – 2008) was a trade union leader from Gabon, who played an active role in politics in the post-independence era.
Saint-Dénis was born in Libreville in 1934, to parents from the Mpongwe ethnic group. [1] Her father was Mathurin Anguiley, a politician; her mother's identity is unrecorded. [1] Her father adopted the surname Saint-Dénis after he discovered that his birth father was a Danish sailor, rather than his mother's husband. [1] Her father had served in the French military and the family had wine and bread at most meals. [2]
In 1948 Saint-Dénis completed her secondary education at a Catholic mission school and immediately became engaged to Balé - a timber camp worker. [1] At the new, her father forced her out of the house, the engagement was short and broken off by Balé; Saint-Dénis then moved in with her mother. [1] There were few jobs for educated women in post-war Libreville, so Saint-Dénis decided to train as a teacher. [1] In 1950 she began to teach at the school of the Catholic mission to Donguila, a village in the remote Estuaire Province, where most of the children spoke Fang. [1]
The poor pay of teachers first drew Saint-Dénis to become involved with unionism through the Confédération Française des Travailleurs Chrétiens (CFTC). [1] Through Saint-Dénis' activism, the CFTC negotiated pay increases for teachers at Catholic schools in the 1950s. [1] Her work with the CFTC continued after Gabon's independence and from 1960-67 she represented Gabonese unions at a variety of international meetings, travelling to Copenhagen, Rome, and Bucharest. [1] However after an attempted military coup in 1964, the Gabonese government under Léon M’ba tried to increase control over unions. [1] His successor Oumar Bongo Ondimba consolidated control, leaving little room for trade unions and their representatives like Saint-Dénis. [1]
In the 1970s, the Parti Démocratique Gabonais (PDG) coerced Saint-Dénis into accepting a job for them organising musical events, where women's groups representing the diversity of Gabon sang and danced to show support for the PDG. [1] Despite this she remained involved with unionism and in 1976 was elected Joint Secretary of the Fédération Syndicale Gabonaise (FESYGA) with Owondault Berre; in 1980 she was elected Secretary. [3]
Saint-Dénis had two children with a Gabonese diplomat. [1] She retired from the PDG in 1981 and died in Libreville in 2008 from complications due to diabetes. [1] In her later life she spoke to many Western researchers, whose recordings of her life provide an insightful perspective on twentieth-century Gabon. [4] [5] [6]