Dominique Claudine Nouvian Ouattara

Dominique Claudine Nouvian Ouattara is the current First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire, married to President Alassane Ouattara. She is a former businesswoman, social activist, and humanitarian who has dedicated much of her public life to the welfare of children, women’s empowerment, and the fight against child labor and trafficking across Africa.

Early Life and Education
Dominique Claudine Nouvian was born in Constantine, Algeria. She is a French national and a Catholic of Jewish descent through her mother. After receiving a high school diploma from Strasbourg Academy in 1973, she earned a degree in languages and a minor in economics from the University of Paris X in 1975. She later pursued a diploma in property management in 1987 from La Fédération Nationale de l’Immobilier (FNAIM), followed by real estate expert training in 1989.

Business Career
Dominique Ouattara began her professional career in real estate. In 1979, she became CEO of the AICI International Group. In 1993, she founded her own company, Malesherbes Gestion. In 1996, she became CEO of EJD Inc., which managed the Jacques Dessange Institute in Washington, D.C., and acquired the U.S. franchises of Jacques Dessange in 1998, becoming CEO of French Beauty Services. She stepped down from her business roles and sold her interests in 2011 to focus on her responsibilities as First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire.

Role as First Lady
Upon her husband’s election as President of Côte d’Ivoire in 2010, Dominique Ouattara took on a highly active and visible role as First Lady. She ceased all business activities to focus fully on humanitarian initiatives, particularly her foundation, Children of Africa, and national and international advocacy roles supporting children’s and women’s rights.

Children of Africa Foundation
Founded in 1998, the Children of Africa Foundation supports children’s welfare in 11 African countries. Its major initiatives span health, education, and social support. Among its notable achievements is the construction of the Mother and Child Hospital in Bingerville, which opened in 2018 with 130 beds, aimed at improving maternal and child healthcare. The foundation also established child protection shelters in Soubré, Bouaké, and Ferkéssédougou to aid victims of child trafficking and exploitation.

Combatting Child Labor and Trafficking
In 2011, Ouattara became head of the National Oversight Committee of Actions Against Child Trafficking, Exploitation and Labor. Under her leadership, three National Action Plans were implemented to combat the worst forms of child labor. Her work contributed to Côte d’Ivoire being reclassified by the U.S. State Department in 2012 as a Tier 2 country for its efforts to combat human trafficking.

Women’s Empowerment Initiatives
In 2012, Ouattara launched the Support Fund for Women of Côte d’Ivoire (FAFCI), which provides micro-financing for women-led projects. By 2019, over 200,000 women had benefited from the fund, with total capital reaching 12 billion FCFA. Her efforts earned her the U.S.-Africa Business Center Outstanding Leaders’ Award in 2016.

UNAIDS Special Ambassador
In December 2014, she was appointed UNAIDS Special Ambassador for the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV and the Promotion of Pediatric Treatment. She is also active in the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) and the African Synergy Association.

Personal Life
Dominique Ouattara moved to Côte d’Ivoire in 1975 with her first husband, Jean Folloroux, a professor. They had two children together: Loic Folloroux, now a businessman, and Nathalie Folloroux, a program director at Canal+ International. After Jean’s death in 1984, Dominique married Alassane Ouattara in 1991 in Paris. She became First Lady in 2010 when Ouattara was elected President.

Titles and Distinctions

• Commander of the Ivorian National Order

• Officer of the Order of Merit of Solidarity

• Commander of the National Order of the Legion of Honor (France)

• Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit (Lebanon)

• Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (Portugal)

Awards and Honors

• 1989: Honorary President of the Real Estate Agent Organization of Côte d’Ivoire

• 1991: Honorary Chairwoman of Employer’s Union of Real Estate Agents of Côte d’Ivoire

• 2000: Best Business Woman of the Year 2000 (Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World)

• 2008: Best Woman Prize for charitable work in West Africa (International Pan ICS Prize)

• 2009: Officer of the Order of Merit of Solidarity

• 2011: Crans Montana Foundation Prize (with UNESCO & ISESCO)

• 2012: World Cocoa Foundation Prize (WCF)

• 2012: Commander of the National Order of the Legion of Honour (France)

• 2013: Lebanon Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit

• 2014: UNAIDS Special Ambassador

• 2016: U.S.–Africa Business Center Outstanding Leader’s Award

• 2017: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of Portugal

• 2017: Global Impact Leadership Award (Center for Economic and Leadership Development)

• 2018: HEC Paris Advisory Board member

• 2018: All Africa Honor Award for women’s leadership

• 2019: UNFPA Award for child protection and women’s empowerment

Dominique Ouattara is widely respected for her humanitarian impact, especially in child protection, health, and female empowerment.

• Date Of Birth: 16 December 1953
• Country: Ivory Coast
• President/ Head Of State: President Alassane Ouattara
• Years in Office: 4 December 2010 - Present