About
Michaëlle Jean was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and immigrated to Canada in 1968, fleeing the Duvalier dictatorship. She studied languages and literature at the Université de Montréal and Italian universities. She worked in shelters for battered women before becoming a journalist at Radio-Canada, where she anchored Le Téléjournal. In 2005, she became the 27th Governor General of Canada, the first person of African heritage to hold the office. She later served as UNESCO Special Envoy to Haiti, Chancellor of the University of Ottawa, and Secretary-General of La Francophonie.
* 1957-09-06
Key milestones
- 2005Appointed 27th Governor General of Canada, first person of African heritage to hold the office.
- 2010Appointed UNESCO Special Envoy to Haiti following the 2010 earthquake.
- 2015Elected Secretary-General of La Francophonie, first woman to hold the post.
Themes
Women's rightsDisadvantaged youthFrancophonieSocial justiceCivic engagement
Sources: gg.ca · royal.uk · michaellejean.ca