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Rama YadeFrench politician
Date of Birth: 13.12.1976
Country:  France |
Content:
- Rama Yade: French Politician and Activist
- Early Career
- Government Appointments
- Radical Party and Political Views
- Political Views
- LGBT Rights
- Other Positions
- Taxes
- Personal Life
Rama Yade: French Politician and Activist
Early Life and EducationRama Yade, a French politician from Senegal, was born in Dakar. Her mother, Aminata Kaji, was a professor, while her father, Djiibril Yade, also a professor, was a personal secretary to Senegalese President Léopold Sédar Senghor and a diplomat. At age eight, Yade and her family relocated to France. When her father left the country when she was fourteen, she moved into a council flat in Colombes with her mother and three sisters.
Yade received her education at Catholic schools and subsequently at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, where she graduated in 2000.
Early Career
Yade's career began at the Paris City Council and the National Assembly. She also worked with the Greens. In 2002, she became an administrator in the Senate. She joined the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) political party in 2005 and became national secretary responsible for Francophonie in 2006.
Government Appointments
In May 2007, Yade was appointed State Secretary for Human Rights under Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Bernard Kouchner. She condemned Muammar Gaddafi's 2008 state visit to France based on his human rights record.
In 2009, Yade was rumored to be Nicolas Sarkozy's preferred candidate to replace Jean-Pierre Jouyet as Secretary of State for European Affairs. She was also personally requested to lead one of the UMP lists in the 2009 European Parliament elections. However, on December 7, she declined to run for the European Parliament, stating that she was "more interested in a national mandate."
On June 24, 2009, she was promoted to State Secretary for Sports. Some regarded this as a demotion due to Sarkozy's disapproval of her decision not to run in the European elections. In 2010, she criticized the French national football team for staying in expensive hotels during the global downturn of 2008-2012.
In December 2010, she was appointed as French Ambassador to UNESCO. By April 2011, there were rumors of her being fired. She resigned from the post in June 2011.
Radical Party and Political Views
Radical PartyIn 2012, Yade left the UMP, joined the Radical Party, and supported Jean-Louis Borloo in the presidential election until he decided not to run. She later endorsed Nicolas Sarkozy but joined the New Center party.
Political Views
As a center-right feminist, Rama Yade supports positive discrimination. In 2009, she stated that she would not oppose a ban on burqas in France. In 2010, she called for a referendum on banning the niqab in France to overcome any legal hurdles.
LGBT Rights
As France's State Secretary for Foreign and Human Rights, Yade met with several LGBT organizations on the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia in 2008 and announced that the government now officially recognized this day. She proclaimed that she would appeal to the UN to decriminalize homosexuality worldwide, stating, "How can we tolerate that people are stoned, hanged, decapitated, and tortured just because of their sexual orientation?"
She campaigned against homophobia in sports and participated in the third FARE conference against homophobia in Paris in 2011. In a June 2011 interview, she said that she would have voted for same-sex marriage if she were in the National Assembly. In a 2012 interview with Le Parisien, she stated, "On societal issues like same-sex marriage, it is legitimate to propose a referendum. Let's see if the left has the courage to make the people speak." In a 2013 interview, she said that her support for same-sex marriage aligns with her fight for equality and claimed that she was considered the most LGBT-friendly member of government. On February 1, Rama Yade, alongside Member of Parliament Yves Jego, Jean-Christophe Lagarde, and Senator Chantal Jouanno, published an article in Le Monde advocating for same-sex marriage in the name of equality.
Other Positions
Syrian Civil WarRegarding the Syrian civil war, she believed that France should intervene and use military force because the Syrians had asked for it.
Taxes
On the issue of taxes, Yade stated, "We are losing the wealthy, like Gérard Depardieu, and the poor feel betrayed," referring to factory workers who anticipate their factories closing. "France is being weakened, sold off into a bargain sale."
Personal Life
Rama Yade is married to Joseph Zimet, the son of singer Ben Zimet, and an advisor to former State Secretary Jean-Marie Bockel. She identifies as a Muslim and a feminist.
