Sophie Kanza

Sophie Lihau-Kanza
Personal details
Born Sophie Madeline Kanza
8 February 1940
Léopoldville, Belgian Congo
Died 2 April 1999
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Political party Mouvement Populaire de la Révolution
Spouse(s) Marcel Lihau
Children 6
Alma mater University of Geneva
Harvard University

Sophie Lihau-Kanza or Zala Lusibu N'Kanza (8 February 1940 – 2 April 1999) was a Congolese politician and sociologist. She was the first woman of her country to receive a secondary education, the first to graduate from a university, and the first to hold a government office in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In her later life she held positions within the United Nations.

Early life and education

Sophie Madeline Kanza was born on 8 February 1940 in Léopoldville, Belgian Congo, the sixth of seven children[1][2] to Élisabeth Mansangaza and Daniel Kanza.[3] Her brother, Thomas Kanza, would go on to become the Republic of the Congo's first ambassador to the United Nations.

At the time of Congolese independence in 1960, Kanza was the only woman in the country who had been enrolled in secondary education, eventually graduating from Lycée du Sacré Cœur (Sacred Heart High School) in June 1961.[4] In 1964, she became the first Congolese woman to graduate from a university[5] when she received her diploma from the University of Geneva with a degree in sociology, working in the same department for the university until 1966.[1]

Kanza studied at Harvard University from 1973–1976, earning a master's degree and a PhD in sociology.[6]

Political career

On 31 October 1966 Kanza was appointed Minister of Social Affairs,[7] becoming the first woman in the country to hold government office.[8] She was made a member of the political bureau of the Mouvement Populaire de la Révolution on 13 October 1967.[7] She also served as Minister for Community Development and Minister for Work, Social Welfare and Habitat.[2] She later served as a representative to the United Nations.[5]

From 1973 until 1977, Kanza was a member of the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). She was Deputy Assistant Director-General at UNESCO from 1981–1985 and Head of Mission to the Director-General of UNESCO from 1985–1988.[2][6]

Personal life

Kanza married Marcel Lihau, future the President of the Supreme Court of Justice, on 26 December 1964, and they had six daughters.[2] However, he fled political persecution in the Congo and they spent most of their later lives separated.[5]

In 1998, Kanza was in a car accident in Paris, and she became a paraplegic. After this, she left her job at UNESCO and traveled abroad to advocate for the disabled.[9]

Death and legacy

Kanza suffered cardiac arrest[1] and died on 2 April 1999. She was buried in the Luozi Territory.[3]

In 2004, Kanza was inducted into the DRC's Pantheon of National History, one of the first women to be accorded the honour. Her bust is displayed in a building known as the Gallery of Memory.[9] The "Cercle Sophie Kanza", an association of female professors in the Congo, was named in her honour.[10]

Three of Kanza's daughters organized a mass of thanksgiving in honor of herself and her husband in Gombe on 28 March 2015. Several important politicians attended the ceremony, including Léon Kengo and José Endundo Bononge.[11]

See also

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 Auzias & Labourdette 2015, p. 139
  2. 1 2 3 4 Luka, Michel (27 March 2015). "Une messe de suffrages en mémoire de Marcel Lihau et Sophie N'Kanza". Le Phare (in French). Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Samedi dernier au Sacré-Cœur de la Gombe: Pensée pieuse en mémoire de Marcel Lihau et Sophie Kanza" (in French). Groupe L'Avenir. 6 April 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  4. ↑ Coquery-Vidrovitch 1997, p. 143
  5. 1 2 3 Fox 2011, p. 173
  6. 1 2 Nduka, Abadengo (11 April 2011). "L'Observateur - 1ère universitaire congolaise et 1ère femme ministre : Mme Sophie Lihau Kanza remémorée". Congo Forum (in French). Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  7. 1 2 Lang 2010, p. 383.
  8. ↑ LaFontaine 1986, p. 222
  9. 1 2 Kambale, Juakali (15 July 2004). "Pantheon of National History Expands to Include Women". Inter Press Service. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  10. ↑ "Sortie officielle de l'Association des Femmes Professeurs d'Université" (in French). Le Phare. 30 April 2010. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  11. ↑ Enyimo, Martin (31 March 2015). "Hommage: une messe d'action de grâces en mémoire de Marcel Lihau et Sophie N'Kanza" (in French). Agence d'information d'afrique centrale. Retrieved 12 February 2017.

References

  • Auzias, Dominique; Labourdette, Jean-Paul (2015). Congo RDC 2015 (avec cartes, photos + avis des lecteurs) (in French). Petit Futé. ISBN 9782746987203.
  • Coquery-Vidrovitch, Catherine (1997). African Women: A Modern History (illustrated ed.). WestviewPress. ISBN 9780813323602.
  • Lang, Peter, ed. (2010). Documents diplomatiques Français: 1968-Tome II (1er juillet-31 Décembre) (in French). 2. Ministere Des Affaires Etrangeres. ISBN 9789052015576.
  • LaFontaine, J.S. (1986). City Politics: A Study of Léopoldville 1962–63. American Studies. Cambridge University Press Archive.
  • Fox, Renee C. (2011). In the Field: A Sociologist's Journey. Transaction Publishers. ISBN 9781412843201.
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