Queen Ahan Kalidji Béatrice, UN Women ambassador for the fight against early marriage and female genital mutilation, moderated a panel at the media forum of the African Media Network for Health and Environment (REMAPSEN). She shared her kingdom’s experience in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV). In the kingdom of Oussouye, it is strictly forbidden for a man to raise his hand on his wife.
Inducted as queen at the age of 14 in August 2000, Ahan Kalidji Béatrice had just passed her 6th grade entrance exam. Since then, she has co-ruled the 17 villages of her kingdom alongside her husband, King Sibilumbaï Diédhiou. Although she dreamed of continuing her studies, the kingdom was against it, fearing to lose its sovereign. Traditionally, each village sends a young girl and a young boy to the royal court, but Beatrice insisted that these children remain with their families and be able to continue their education.
She has made the defense of the rights of women and girls, particularly the fight against GBV, her hobby horse. This commitment led to her appointment as UN Women Ambassador.
As part of the management of GBV, particularly verbal violence, it summons the parties concerned – men and women – for mediation. For her, it is unacceptable for a man to hit his wife: “If you hit your wife, it’s like hitting your mother,” she reminds firmly.
Each year, during the kingdom’s annual festival, a day is dedicated to denouncing violence such as theft, rape, and other abuses. The Queen encourages her community to break the silence around GBV: “Until we break the silence, it will be difficult to fight against GBV,” she insists.
Having herself been the victim of early marriage, Ahan Kalidji Béatrice actively campaigns against this practice as well as against female genital mutilation. She sees these traditions as sources of many problems for young girls. As an ambassador for UN Women, she works to eradicate them through awareness and education campaigns.
“We encourage the education of young girls so that they can find decent employment and meet their needs. We want an end to early marriages and violence against women, because women are sacred. Men should take care of them, not abuse or rape them. Today, thanks to UN Women, I travel across the continent to champion this cause. I went to Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zambia, and I also participated in a week of activities in Dakar,” she confides in an interview with the newspaper Investigation+.
Her husband, King Sibilumbaï, says he is proud of her activism: “She has a lot of connections, she is open and available. Today, she travels across Africa to transmit good news and defend the causes of the kingdom of Oussouye. he testifies in the same newspaper.
Boureima SANGA