Mafory Bangoura (akas: Hadja Aissatou Mafory Bangoura and Hadja Maffire Bangura; c. 1910 in Guinea – 1976 in Bucharest) was an activist for an independent

Guinea Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...

, and post-independence a politician holding the post of Minister for Social Affairs in the 1970s. Known as the 'Women's President of Guinea', her portrait featured on the one syli banknote, issued in 1981.

Early life

Bangoura was born circa 1910; her family were farmers and fishermen from the ethnic

Soussou The Susu or Soussou people are a Mande-speaking ethnic group living primarily in Guinea and northwestern Sierra Leone, particularly in Kambia District. She learnt to read and write as an adult, as she had not received a western education when she was young. She moved to

Conakry Conakry ( , ; ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guinea. A port city, it serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea. Its population as of the 2014 Guinea census was 1,660,973. The current population of C ...

in 1936 to work as a seamstress. She joined the Foyer de la Basse Guinée, which was a mutual aid organisation for people from Lower Guinea. She married Badara Bangoura and they had three children.

Political career

Activism

The General Strike of 1953 was intended to force the French government to abide by the Overseas Labour Code, it was led by

Ahmed Sékou Touré Ahmed Sékou Touré (var. Sheku Turay or Ture; N'Ko: ; 9 January 1922 – 26 March 1984) was a Guinean political leader and African statesman who was the first president of Guinea from 1958 until his death in 1984. Touré was among the primary ...

and he invited Bangoura to mobilise women workers. At this meeting he made it clear that there was no profit, other than political and spiritual to be gained from supporting the cause. She was friends with President Touré before and after Independence. She led the presence of women at the strike committee meeting that followed, which was also the first time that women were allowed to be present, and spoke on the behalf of many women, saying they were ready to join the front line and fight for their beliefs. The strike lasted 72 days and Bangoura gave speeches as well as organising women's participation. After the strike, Bangoura was elected to the

African Democratic Rally African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** List ...

(RDA) as president of the Women's Committee. In 1954, during an RDA rally, Bangoura encouraged women across the country to go on

sex strike A sex strike (sex boycott), or more formally known as Lysistratic nonaction, is a method of nonviolent resistance in which one or more persons refrain from or refuse Human sexual behavior, sex with partners until policy or social demands are me ...

. The move was designed to encourage men to join the RDA. She also encouraged women to sell jewellery and clothing to financially support members of the RDA. It is said that Bangoura also designed the uniforms of the RDA and chose the white colour, which became their emblem. During this period, Bangoura also organised a 'popular militia' made up of women, who learned to handle weapons and attack their enemies. The group was led by Bangoura and included other nationalists, including

Nabya Haidara Nabya Haidara was a political activist from Guinea, who was a key figure in the armed activity of the African Democratic Rally (RDA). Biography Haidara's date of birth is unknown, but it is acknowledged that her father was Lebanese and her moth ...

. They patrolled the neighbourhood of Sandervalia where

Sékou Touré Sekou, also spelled Sékou or Seku, is a given name from the Fula language. It is equivalent to the Arabic ''Sheikh''. People with this name include: People * Sekou (singer), British singer Given name * Seku Amadu (1776–1845), also known as S� ...

lived. Eventually, every major neighbourhood in Conakry had its own female militia. Bangoura was head of the Conakry Red Cross who provided first aid and home-care for all those who were injured during anti-colonialist demonstrations.

Prison

Bangoura's influence on people in Guinea and the French colonial government tried to smear her reputation. They accused her of sending an anti-French document to activists who were in prison. She was fined 70,000 francs and in July 1955 sent to prison. However, hundreds of women took to the streets demonstrating against this decision and she was released after one month on 17 August.

In government

In post-independence Guinea, Bangoura held several government positions. She became a leader of the

Democratic Party of Guinea Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

(PDG) and a leading activist on women's rights in Guinea. She was elected as one of the seventeen members of the RDA-PDG's political bureau, where she represented women's issues. In 1968, she was elected as the first president of the

Union Révolutionnaires des Femmes de Guinée Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Union ...

. In 1971, she was appointed Minister for Social Affairs. As well as representing people from Guinea on issues such as women's rights, Bangoura also shared representation of the geographical area of Conakry, Dubreka and Forecariah with colleagues - Lansana Beavogui and Saifoulaye Diallo. She was known by many as 'The President of the Women of Guinea'.

Death

Bangoura died in 1976 in

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

. Touré wrote a short biography of her and a description of her funeral later that year.

Honours

* Songs celebrating her life were recorded by the

Syliphone Syliphone was a Guinean record label that ran from 1967 until 1984. The label was based in Conakry, Guinea. Created and funded by the Guinean government, Syliphone was the first African record label to attain funding from the state within the po ...

record label, including pieces by: Emila Tompapa, Syli Orchestre de Guinee, Syli Authentic. *In 1983 a high school was named after her: the College Hadja Mafory Bangoura. *In 1981, Bangoura was featured on the one syli banknote. * In 2018 she was named in a speech given by the prefect of Coyah, Dr. Ibrahima Barboza Soumah, giving thanks for 60 years of independence. * On 2 March 2019, prayers were said for Bangoura in mosques across the country as part of Guinea's

International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March, commemorating women's fight for equality and liberation along with the women's rights movement. International Women's Day gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive righ ...

programme.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bangoura, Mafory 1976 deaths Guinean Muslims 20th-century Guinean women politicians 20th-century Guinean politicians Susu people Guinean women activists Guinean women's rights activists Year of birth uncertain Social affairs ministers of Guinea Women government ministers of Guinea 1910s births