Reckya Madougou

Reckya Madougou (born 30 April 1974) is a Beninese politician. She served in the Boni Yayi cabinet twice: first as Minister of Microfinance, Youth and Women's Employment; and then as Minister of Justice.

Early life Madougou was born on 30 April 1974. In elementary school, she was interested in scouting. As an adult, she joined the Benin chapter of Jeune Chambre Internationale (JCI), eventually becoming a vice president.

Madougou graduated from the Institut National d'Economie (now the Ecole Nationale d'Economie appliquée et de Management) in Benin in 1997. then a Doctorate in International Business from the Institute of Higher International Studies in 2000. She was chosen to represent Benin in the 2007 International Visitor Leadership Program.

Political involvement Madougou initiated and led the civil society campaign "Don't touch my Constitution" (French: ) in Benin from 2004 to 2006, which inspired similar campaigns in Senegal, Burkina Faso and Cameroon. On 4 April 2021, a Beninese judge who had gone into exile told Radio France Internationale that Madougou's arrest was solely political.

On 9 July 2021, Reckya Madougou's lawyers filed a request for the provisional release of their client with the prosecutor of the Court for the Repression of Economic Offenses and Terrorism.

Prison sentence On 11 December 2021, Madougou was found guilty of "complicity in terrorist acts" by the Economic Crime and Terrorism Court in the capital Porto-Novo and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Publications

Soigner les certitudes (with Stephens Akplogan). Éditions Jean-Jacques Wuillaume, 2020. Mon combat pour la parole : les défis d'une mobilisation citoyenne pour la promotion de la gouvernance démocratique. L'Harmattan, 2008.