Leaders: Gisèle Rabesahala

Episode Summary

Giselle Rabesahala was a pioneering female politician in Madagascar who dedicated her life to fighting for her country's independence and cultural heritage. Born in 1929 when Madagascar was a French colony, Rabesahala became involved in politics at a young age. She actively campaigned for the release of political prisoners during the 1947 Malagasy Uprising against French rule. In 1956, Rabesahala became the first woman elected as a municipal councilor in Madagascar. She later founded the first Malagasy political party led by a woman and united nationalist groups to form the Congress Party for the Independence of Madagascar. After Madagascar gained independence in 1960, Rabesahala served as Minister of Culture and Revolutionary Art for over 30 years. She founded a national library, published works in the Malagasy language, restored national monuments, and promoted the arts. Rabesahala never married or had children, dedicating herself fully to public service instead. After her death in 2011, she was remembered as a courageous "Mother of the Nation."

Episode Show Notes

Gisèle Rabesahala (1929-2011) was a celebrated politician, who was devoted to fighting for freedom and Madagascar.

Episode Transcript

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SPEAKER_05: You and your dog are close, like watch each other go to the bathroom close, but you could be even closer with BarkBox. Every month BarkBox brings dogs and their humans together with original toys and delicious treats. Sign up now at BarkBox.com slash iHeart. SPEAKER_00: Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Encyclopedia Wamanica. Today's leader was a celebrated politician who was devoted to fighting for freedom and her country. She lived through eras of both colonialism and independence. Let's talk about Giselle Rabasahala. Giselle Rabasahala was born on May 7th, 1929 in Antananarivo, Madagascar. At that point, Madagascar was a French colony. Giselle's family was very politically involved. Her father was an officer in the French army, so she spent most of her childhood moving between his different postings in France, Tunisia, and Mali. When he died in 1942, Giselle and her family returned to Madagascar. Though Giselle initially dreamed of becoming a nun, she decided against it. By the age of 17, she was deeply involved in politics herself. In the mid-1940s, some political leaders in Madagascar led efforts to become independent. When they failed to do so through legal channels, some became radicalized and decided to take more violent measures. In 1947, Malagasy nationalists, armed mostly with spears, attacked French military bases across the island. It became known as the 1947 Malagasy Uprising. In response, the French killed many of the nationals. Estimates from the French said they killed around 1,100 Malagasy nationals, while Malagasy estimates were way higher, around 100,000 casualties. Giselle was actively involved in a campaign for the rights of political prisoners from the uprising. She fought to free thousands of prisoners. She gathered a committee to support prisoners' families, wrote news articles to attract international attention, and worked with members of parliament to petition the French president. In 1956, Giselle became the first woman elected as a municipal councilor. She was also the first woman to lead a Malagasy political party, having founded a party called the Union of the Malagasy People. In 1958, Giselle united five nationalist organizations to help create the Congress Party for the Independence of Madagascar. After a series of revolts, Madagascar gained full independence in 1960, when France agreed to let it become autonomous. Giselle then shifted roles from general secretary of the Congress Party to minister of culture and revolutionary art. In that role, she committed herself to protecting her people's heritage. She founded a national library in 1979, oversaw the publication of 50 works in the Malagasy language, restored more than 25 national monuments, organized artistic competitions, and created the Malagasy Copyright Office in 1985. Her policies helped promote national creativity. Giselle served as minister of culture until 1991. Ten years later, she was also appointed deputy speaker of the Senate. In addition to her roles in government, Giselle was also on the editorial board of a nationalist newspaper that opposed French colonial rule for much of her life. Giselle never got married or had any children. When she was asked about her decision not to do so, she said that she preferred to serve her country instead. Giselle Rabasahala passed away on June 27th, 2011, one day after the 50th anniversary of Madagascar's independence. After her death, local reporters described her as Mother Courage, Mother of the Nation. 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