Dear Readers

At the age of 6, I thought that writing was my my vocation but during my teenage years, when boybands and renowned singers such as Mariah Careh or Whitney Houston were incredibly popular, I foolish thought that singing would be my new vocation then that vocation rapidly vanished when I realized that I could hardly sing. In high school, I thought I was destined for a career that was deemed « serious » in my eyes and respected by all so I chose to become a lawyer. However, during an intervention by a lawyer in my high school who stated any lawyers in France can be assigned any cases within their areas of expertise and they were only allowed to refuse cases 3 times in their whole career, which means they must defend any client to their best of their abilities regardless of the crimes or whether they are guilty or not. Alarm bells rang that day, law was not for me as I know myself too well to know I would not able to defend a client knowing they are guilty of having committed atrocities. Despite the opinion changes concerning my career choices, there is one passion that has never left me. Whatever the career, the vocation of the time, there was this little voice telling me constantly that I have got to participate actively in the development of my island Mayotte and to ensure that all citizens, men and women are treated with respect and dignity.
During a recent and brief stay in Mayotte, I noticed the changes that occurred in Mayotte in few years. Some of them were positive, such as the modernization of the island’s infrastructure, visible and appreciated cleanliness, modern roads, a high percentage of people with access to education, and increased household incomes. However, the status and image of the woman had hardly changed in my opinion. Women are still second-class citizens, even though they are the ones who succeeds at school the most in the island. In spite of that, they still live in the shadow of men for fear of being isolated. The oppression of women in the society is rather sadistic and discouraging for all women who would be tempted to claim a little bit freedom and respect. The weapons used to prevent women from being emancipated are rather terrifying i.e very little or no social life. Bearing in mind that Mayotte is still a very community based society,  people will make a point of not inviting anyone who goes against the culture therefore those people will not be invited to any social or religious manifestations such as weddings, celebration of any religious activities and Ramadan being the biggest one.

The island is full of contradictions, Why? Because it is a society dominated by women (matriarchal society), who are responsible for the entire education of children, who dominate election campaigns to elect any politicians but who isolate other women for defying traditions.

I am not pointing the finger at Mayotte necessary because whatever the society modern or traditional, parity between men and women is non-existent but the only difference is that in  Europe for instance the gap is starting to be reduced. It seems that in European societies there is an understanding and acceptance that there is a problem and that it must be remedied, that is the main difference! The aim of my blog is not to stigmatize people, but to understand and to start a debate on how we as citizens of the world can help build better societies and communities.
I must admit that I have an unheard-of opportunity to have unconditional support from my parents to receive an education that would allow me to choose my path, my career and above all not to depend on a man. I hope that by sharing my story, my experience, my misadventures, it will inspire men and women to move things in the right direction to achieve equality of opportunity for all.

I have been waiting this moment all my life. The moment when I will be able to express myself without fear of retaliation and I can finally say loud and clear: I am a woman from Mayotte and I managed to fulfill some of my ambitions, I am saying some because there are more ambitions to achieve and challenges to be overcome every day.

My life is far from perfect, it is normal because I am only a human being but I have achieved things that were way beyond my expectations. I am multilingual, I have a master in Negotiation of International Projects, I have successfully passed my driving license in England (where people drive in the opposite direction of most countries) then I bought my very first car with my own money.  I have a very fulfilling professional career as I get to travel and meet extraordinary people and I am blessed to have found the most extraordinary man of my life and I am surrounded by loyal friends and family, which helps tremendously to have the drive to surpass my current and future goals.