Thérèse Louise Marie Denise De Chazal (25 July 1887 – 27 February 1971) was a

Mauritian Mauritians (singular Mauritian; ; Creole: ''Morisien'') are nationals or natives of the Republic of Mauritius and their descendants. Mauritius is a melting pot of multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious peoples. Mauritian is made up ...

politician. In 1948 she became one of the first two female members of the Legislative Council, serving until 1953.

Biography

De Chazal was born Thérèse Louise Marie Denise Baissac,Chit Geerjanand Dukhira (2002) ''History of Mauritius: Experiments in Democracy'', p100 the daughter of Marie Thérèse Louise (née Sauzier) and Louis Edmond Baissac.Essai d’histoire généalogique de la famille MAYER
De Chazal She married Edmond Marc De Chazal in August 1906 at St Thérèse church in

Curepipe Curepipe (), also known as ''La Ville-Lumière'' (The City of Light), is a town in Mauritius, located mainly in the Plaines Wilhems District. Its eastern part lies in the Moka District. The town is administered by the Municipal Council of Cure ...

, after which she moved to South Africa, where Edmond had been working since 1904. The couple returned to Mauritius in 1908 and had a daughter named Pauline in 1916. She was awarded an MBE in the

1939 New Year Honours The 1939 New Year Honours were appointments by King George VI to Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the United Kingdom and British Empire. They were a ...

for social and charitable services. Following the 1948 Legislative Council elections, De Chazal was appointed as one of the twelve nominated members, joining Emilienne Rochecouste as one of the two female members of the Legislative Council.Ramola Ramtohul (2009
Engendering Mauritian History: The HiddenControversies over Female Suffrage
''Afrika Zamani'', No. 17, pp63–80 She was not reappointed following the

1953 elections The following elections occurred in the year 1953. Africa * 1953 Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland election * 1953 South African general election * 1953 Southern Rhodesian federation referendum * 1953 South-West African legislative election * 1 ...

.Colonial Office, The Church House
''The London Gazette'', 18 September 1953 She was a co-founder of the Maternity and Child Welfare Association, heading it for twenty years. She later became honorary chair of the organisation, a role she held until her death in 1971.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:De Chazal, Denise 1887 births Mauritian women in politics Members of the National Assembly (Mauritius) Members of the Order of the British Empire 1971 deaths 20th-century Mauritanian women politicians