Sheila Bappoo

Sheilabai Bappoo (née Rama; born 16 June 1947) is a Mauritius politician and diplomat. She served as Minister of Social Security, National Solidarity and Senior Citizens Welfare & Reform Institutions in Mauritius from 2005 to 2010. She also held the ministry of Gender Equality, Child Protection and Family Planning from 1983 to 1995 and from 2010 to 2011.

Biography

Sheila Bappoo completed her graduation in teaching from Queen Elizabeth College. She was a teacher until 1977.

She was a leader of the Mauritian Militant Movement and was General-Secretary of the party until 1975. She decided to step down in favor of Anerood Jugnauth, who went on to become the President.

In 1996 Rama Sithanen, Alain Laridon and Sheila Bappoo formed a new party named Rally for Reform or Rassemblement Pour la Réforme (RPR). The RPR allied with PMSD for the municipal elections, going on to win 25% of the votes. From 1991 to 1995, she served as the Minister for Women's Rights, Child Development and Family Welfare.

She joined MSM in 2003 and subsequently served as the Minister of Labour and Industrial Relations and Women's Rights, Child Development and Family Welfare. At the subsequent elections in 2010 she was again elected in the same Constituency under the banner of Labour Party (coalition of PTR-PMSD-MSM). From July 2005 to 11 May 2010, she held the ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity and Senior Citizens Welfare & Reform Institutions. Her portfolio was changed to Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare on 11 May 2010 and she continued till 7 August 2011.

On 18 August 2011, she became the Minister of Social Security, National Solidarity and Reforms Institutions Welfare.

On 15 March 2015, Sheila Bappoo withdrew from politics.

Scandals 2012 cover up of paedophilia at MITD As Minister of Social Security in 2012, Sheila Bappoo figured in the US Department of State annual Country Report on Human Rights Practices for persecuting Pravind Jugnauth. Provisional charges of sedition were laid against the latter following Bappoo's complaint, but police failed to promptly provide Jugnauth with details of these charges. This followed a press conference held at the Sun Trust on 22 December 2012 during which Jugnauth decried minister Bappoo's lack of action after news broke out about a pedophilia scandal at the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development (MITD). In fact, the MITD fitness instructor Narain Chedumbrum (Rishi) was accused of having sexual relationships with a 14 year-old student. His wife, Preety Sham Chedumbrum, also reported that Narain had pressured her to change her previous affidavits which detailed the sexual relationship.

Awards 2007: Grand Officer of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean and set eligible to use post-nominal (GOSK).