New Parti Lepep Women’s League launched |06 March 2010

During the ceremony at the International Conference Centre, which was attended by the party’s secretary-general Mr Danny Faure, Vice-President Joseph Belmont, National Assembly speaker Dr Patrick Herminie, members of the party’s central committee and women from Mahe, Praslin and La Digue, the organisation’s logo and slogan were unveiled.

The new logo represents a fairy tern flying towards a shining sun. The bird symbolises peace, maturity and the kindness of women, and the logo as a whole shows the strength of the Seychellois women.
The slogan reads: Nanryen pa pou bar nou (Nothing Will Stop Us).

It was also announced that the league’s new chairperson is Mrs Mitcy Larue, Member of the National Assembly for Baie Ste Anne, Praslin.

The new executive committee is made up of a member from each district plus five young women chosen by the party.

Mr Michel said behind all the success of the Seychelles People’s United Party (SPUP), then the Seychelles People’s Progressive Front (SPPF) and now the Parti Lepep, there has always been a force of strong and solid women.

He said women have played an important role in the history of the party and the country, and today they hold important positions, taking key decisions at all levels.

 “Yesterday the women fought for equal opportunities, the right to vote and universal suffrage, for maternity leave, for dignity, for emancipation and for education,” said Mr Michel.

“Today we have achieved much success as a party and as a government to overcome many of the obstacles that slowed down the emancipation of women.”

The President said he is proud to see that on the new executive committee there is a mixture of older and younger women, and he called on the youths to learn from the elderly.

He also paid tribute to all those women who contributed in the party’s struggle to improve the lives of the Seychellois people, especially Rita Sinon, Seychelles’ first woman minister.

On behalf of the Parti Lepep, Mr Michel thanked Mrs Sylvette Pool, the first SPUP women’s chairperson, for her long, devoted service and hard work, and he presented her with a bouquet.

He called on the new chairperson to ensure that all the women who fight for their rights become part of the party’s history so that the younger generation will know about their struggle.

Mr Michel said he is proud to see that today Seychellois women hold key positions not only in the government but in the private sector too. He said today Seychelles boasts qualified women doctors, architects, nurses, engineers, pilots, businesswomen and politicians.

Saying that the economic reforms have affected many women, he stressed that his government has come up with many measures to help them.

He also took the opportunity to congratulate all women and wish them a happy Women’s Day on Monday March 8.

In her address, Mrs Larue retraced the struggle of the SPUP women from 1964 and paid tribute to all her colleagues who have fought for the rights of women.

She said the reality of today is not the same as in 1964 when they fought for their dignity, but today they need to keep that dignity and continue to fight for other social achievements like education and health.

Mrs Larue then spoke about the organisation’s new mission to tackle social ills that are affecting young people.

Yesterday’s ceremony was also marked by song performances by various artists.