Najat Vallaud-Belkacem

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Najat Vallaud-Belkacem

| image = Portrait Najat Vallaud-Belkacem-crop.jpg

| office = Minister of National Education, Higher Education and Research

| president = François Hollande

| primeminister = Manuel Valls
Bernard Cazeneuve

| term_start = 27 August 2014

| term_end = 10 May 2017

| predecessor = Benoît Hamon

| successor = Jean-Michel Blanquer
{{small|(National Education)}}
Frédérique Vidal
{{small|(Higher Education and Research)}}

| office1 = Minister of City Affairs, Youth and Sports

| president1 = François Hollande

| primeminister1 = Manuel Valls

| term_start1 = 2 April 2014

| term_end1 = 25 August 2014

| predecessor1 = Herself

| successor1 = Patrick Kanner

| office2 = Minister of Women's Rights, City Affairs, Youth and Sports

| president2 = François Hollande

| primeminister2 = Jean-Marc Ayrault

| term_start2 = 16 May 2012

| term_end2 = 31 March 2014

| predecessor2 = Catherine Vautrin {{small|(indirectly, Women's Rights)}}
François Lamy {{small|(City Affairs)}}
Valérie Fourneyron {{small|(Youth and Sports)}}

| successor2 = Herself {{small|(City Affairs, Youth and Sports}}
Pascale Boistard {{small|(Women's Rights)}}

| office3 = Government's spokesperson

| president3 = François Hollande

| primeminister3 = Jean-Marc Ayrault

| term_start3 = 16 May 2012

| term_end3 = 31 March 2014

| predecessor3 = Valérie Pécresse

| successor3 = Stéphane Le Foll

| office4 = Member of the Regional Council of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

| term_start4 = 2 July 2021

| president4 = Laurent Wauquiez

| constituency4 = Metropolis of Lyon

| office5 = Deputy Mayor of Lyon {{small|(in charge of events, youth and community work}}

| term_start5 = 21 March 2008

| term_end5 = 22 June 2012

| 5blankname5 = Mayor

| 5namedata5 = Gérard Collomb

| predecessor5 = Pascale Bonniel-Chalier {{small|(events)}}
Louis Pelaez {{small|(youth and community work)}}

|successor5 = Georges Képénékian {{small|(events)}}
Anne Brugnera {{small|(youth and community work)}}

| office6 = Member of the Regional Council of Rhône-Alpes

| term_start6 = 28 March 2004

| term_end6 = 12 June 2008

| president6 = Jean-Jack Queyranne

| predecessor6 = Bernadette Laclais {{small|(indirectly)}}

| successor6 = Yvon Deschamps

| office7 = Member of the General Council of the Rhône department

| term_start7 = 16 March 2008

| term_end7 = 31 December 2014

| president7 = Michel Mercier
Danielle Chuzeville

| constituency7 = Canton of Lyon-XIII

| predecessor7 = Jean Flacher

| successor7 = Canton suppressed

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1977|10|04}}{{cite web|title=France: Moroccan-Born Myriam El Khomri Appointed Minister of Labor|url=https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2015/09/166945/france-moroccan-born-myriam-el-khomri-appointed-minister-of-labor/|website=Morocco World News|access-date=13 April 2017|date=2 September 2015}}

| birth_place = Rif, Bni Chiker, Nador, Morocco

| spouse = {{marriage|Boris Vallaud|27 August 2005}}

| children = Louis-Adel Vallaud
Nour-Chloé Vallaud

| party = Socialist Party

| nationality = 18px Moroccan
18px French

| alma_mater = Sciences Po

| profession = Jurist

| birth_name = Najat Belkacem

}}

Najat Vallaud-Belkacem ({{IPA|fr|naʒat valo bɛlkasɛm}}; {{langx|ar|link=no|نجاة فالو بلقاسم}}; Riffian-Berber: ⵏⴰⵊⴰⵜ ⴱⵍⵇⴰⵙⵎ; born 4 October 1977) is a Moroccan-born French former politician and jurist. A member of the Socialist Party (PS), she served in a number of ministerial positions during the presidency of François Hollande. Vallaud-Belkacem was the first woman to serve as Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Research, holding the position from 2014 to 2017 under Prime Ministers Manuel Valls and Bernard Cazeneuve.{{cite news |date=27 August 2014 |title=France's new education minister prompts rightwing protests |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/27/france-education-minister-rightwing-protests-najat-vallaud-belkacem |work=The Guardian}}

In 2014, opinion polling found Vallaud-Belkacem to be among the most popular politicians in the country. Since 2020, she has been the director of the One Campaign in France.Abel Mestre and Sylvia Zappi (18 May 2020), [https://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2020/05/18/najat-vallaud-belkacem-c-est-une-forme-de-nouvelle-lutte-des-classes-qui-se-joue_6039968_823448.html Najat Vallaud-Belkacem : « C’est une forme de nouvelle lutte des classes qui se joue »] Le Monde.

Early life and education

Second in a family of seven children, Vallaud-Belkacem was born on 4 October 1977{{cite web|url=http://africanleadership.co.uk/blog/?p=7627|access-date=13 April 2017|title=Blog}} in the Moroccan countryside in Bni Chiker, a village near Nador in the Rif region. Her grandmothers were respectively Algerian and Spanish, both married to Moroccans.{{Cite news|date=2013-11-30|title=Najat Vallaud Belkacem, du Rif aux bancs de Sciences Po|url=https://www.francetvinfo.fr/replay-radio/itineraires/najat-vallaud-belkacem-du-rif-aux-bancs-de-sciences-po_1758491.html|access-date=2020-06-21|website=France Info|language=fr}} She spent her early years growing up on her grandparents' farm.Aida Alami (20 February 2015), [https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/21/world/europe/a-french-education-minister-who-knows-immigrants-struggle.html A French Education Minister Who Knows Immigrants’ Struggles] The New York Times.

In 1982 Vallaud-Belkacem joined her father, a construction worker, with her mother and elder sister Fatiha.Jacques Bertoin, [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/92508/archives-thematique/najat-belkacem-la-vie-en-rose/ "Najat Belkacem, la vie en rose"], Jeune-afrique.com, 18. From then on, she grew up in a poor neighborhood of Abbeville, a town in northern France, and then in a suburb of Amiens. She got French nationality at 18.Angelique Chrisafis (21 June 2012), [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jun/22/najat-vallaud-belkacem-france Interview: Najat Vallaud-Belkacem – the new face of France] The Guardian.

Vallaud-Belkacem graduated from the Institut d'études politiques de Paris (Sciences Po Paris) in 2002. At Sciences Po, she met Boris Vallaud, whom she married on 27 August 2005.{{cite web|url=http://www.maillm69.com/article/7478/Le-mari-de-Najat-Belkacem-rejoint-Arnaud-Montebourg|title=maillm69.com|url-status=dead|access-date=12 March 2009|archive-date=26 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126113848/http://www.maillm69.com/article/7478/Le-mari-de-Najat-Belkacem-rejoint-Arnaud-Montebourg}}

Career in local politics

Vallaud-Belkacem joined the Socialist Party in 2002 and the team of Lyon mayor Gérard Collomb in 2003, leading actions to strengthen local democracy, the fight against discrimination, promotion of citizen rights, and access to employment and housing.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

Elected to the Regional Council of Rhone-Alpes in 2004, she chaired the Culture Commission until she resigned in 2008. In 2005, she became adviser to the Socialist Party. In 2005 and 2006 she was a columnist for the cultural programme C'est tout vu on Télé Lyon Municipale alongside Stéphane Cayrol.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

In March 2008 Vallaud-Belkacem was elected conseillère générale of the Rhône department in the cantonal elections with 58.52% of the votes in the second round, under the banner of the Socialist Party in the canton of Lyon-XIII. From 2008 until 2014, she also served as a councillor of the city of Lyon, responsible for major events, youth and community life.

Career in national politics

In February 2007, Vallaud-Belkacem joined Ségolène Royal's presidential campaign team as a spokeswoman, serving alongside Vincent Peillon and Arnaud Montebourg. In 2009, Vallaud-Belkacem once again served as Royal's spokesperson ahead of the 2011 French Socialist Party presidential primary, this time alongside Delphine Batho.Jean-Michel Normand (17 March 2009), [https://www.lemonde.fr/parti-socialiste/article/2009/03/17/deux-porte-parole-pour-segolene-royal_5978477_1668438.html Deux porte-parole pour Ségolène Royal] Le Monde. Following François Hollande's victory in the presidential primary, Vallaud-Belkacem became his campaign spokeswoman for the 2012 presidential election.

= Early ministerial career =

On 16 May 2012, Vallaud-Belkacem was appointed by President Hollande as Minister of Women's Rights and spokeswoman for the government in the Ayrault government and later in the First Valls Government. In the First Valls Government, she subsequently served as Minister of City Affairs (2 April 2012 to 25 August 2014) and Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports (2 April 2012 to 25 August 2014).

In her capacity as minister, Vallaud-Belkacem made headlines in 2012 when she introduced anti-sexism courses with presentations on stereotyping, inappropriate language, wage disparity and domestic violence for her fellow cabinet members.Vicky Buffery (26 October 2012), [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-sexism/french-ministers-in-classroom-for-anti-sexism-lessons-idUKBRE89P0L120121026 French ministers in classroom for anti-sexism lessons] Reuters. That same year, she announced that she wanted to abolish prostitution in France and in Europe;Angelique Chrisafis (24 September 2012), [https://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/sep/24/prostitution-france-hottest-social-issue How prostitution became France's hottest social issue] The Guardian. following her initiative, the National Assembly later voted in favour to give France some of the most restrictive legislation on prostitution in Europe.Nicholas Vinocur and Emile Picy (4 December 2013), [https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-france-prostitution/french-lower-house-backs-new-prostitution-law-idUKBRE9B30R220131204 French lower house backs new prostitution law] Reuters.

In 2013, she declared as officially revoked an old bylaw requiring women in Paris to ask permission from city authorities before "dressing as men", including wearing trousers (with exceptions for those "holding a bicycle handlebar or the reins of a horse").{{cite magazine |url= https://newsfeed.time.com/2013/02/04/it-is-now-legal-for-women-to-wear-pants-in-paris/ |title=It Is Now Legal for Women to Wear Pants in Paris |magazine=Time |location= New York |date=4 February 2013}}

= Minister of Education, Higher Education and Research (2014-2017) =

Vallaud-Belkacem was chosen to serve as Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Research on 27 August 2014, becoming the first woman to hold the role.

In late 2014, shortly after her appointment as Minister of Education, Higher Education and Research, opinion polls ranked Vallaud-Belkacem only second in popularity among French politicians, after Alain Juppé.Elsa Freyssenet (4 September 2014), [https://www.lesechos.fr/2014/09/la-fusee-vallaud-belkacem-308971 La fusée Vallaud-Belkacem] Les Échos. In early 2015, The New York Times described her as "one of the rising stars" within her party. By the end of Hollande's presidency, she was one of the few officials who had been a member of his various governments throughout his time in office.Cédric Pietralunga (6 December 2016), [https://www.lemonde.fr/election-presidentielle-2017/article/2016/12/06/bruno-le-roux-recompense-herite-de-beauvau_5044167_4854003.html Remaniement : Bruno Le Roux remplace Bernard Cazeneuve au ministère de l’intérieur] Le Monde.

After 15 years in public office, Vallaud-Belkacem decided to take a break from politics in June 2017. She supported the presidential campaign of Benoît Hamon in the 2017 French presidential election.{{Cite news |last=Willsher |first=Kim |date=2017-03-19 |title=France's divided left looks set for defeat in first-round elections |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/19/rallies-french-left-set-for-presidential-poll-defeat |access-date=2024-01-09 |work=The Observer|issn=0029-7712}} Despite speculation, she announced that she would not seek the leadership of the Socialist Party at the Aubervilliers Congress in 2018.{{cite news|author=Cécile Amar|title=Najat Vallaud-Belkacem ne briguera pas la tête du PS : "Je ne veux pas d'une vie réduite à la politique"|url=https://www.nouvelobs.com/politique/20180103.OBS0068/najat-vallaud-belkacem-ne-briguera-pas-la-tete-du-ps-je-ne-veux-pas-d-une-vie-reduite-a-la-politique.html|newspaper=L'Obs|date=3 January 2018|access-date=16 January 2018}} Instead, she publicly endorsed Olivier Faure as new chairman.Pierre Lepelletier (7 March 2018), [https://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/le-scan/2018/03/07/25001-20180307ARTFIG00142-congres-du-ps-qui-soutient-qui.php Congrès du PS : qui soutient qui ?] Le Figaro.

Career outside politics

In March 2018, Vallaud-Belkacem joined research and polling firm Ipsos as CEO of its Global Affairs division.{{cite web|title=Najat Vallaud-Belkacem embauchée chez Ipsos|url=http://www.leparisien.fr/politique/najat-vallaud-belkacem-embauchee-chez-ipsos-22-02-2018-7573329.php#xtor=AD-1481423553|website=Le Parisien|date = 22 February 2018|access-date=2018-02-22}} The department carries out research (on impact, public policy evaluation...) that helps international institutions, NGOs, international foundations and other actors which act in the global public interest better make decisions.

After two years at Ipsos, Vallaud-Belkacem announced in 2020 that she would be joining the One Campaign as director for France. In addition, she became the president of France terre d’asile in 2022.Julia Pascual (2 July 2022), [https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2022/07/02/najat-vallaud-belkacem-brigue-la-presidence-de-france-terre-d-asile_6133060_3224.html Najat Vallaud-Belkacem élue à la présidence de France terre d’asile] Le Monde.

In addition, Vallaud-Belkacem launched and co-directs the Gender Equality and Public Policy programme at the Paris Institute of Political Studies.{{cite web|title=Certificat Égalité femmes-hommes (École d'affaires publiques)|date=7 November 2018|url=https://www.sciencespo.fr/programme-presage/fr/content/certificat-egalite-femmes-hommes-ecole-daffaires-publiques}} She also heads Raison de Plus, a collection of progressive essays published by Fayard.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fayard.fr/actualites/raison-de-plus-une-collection-dirigee-par-najat-vallaud-belkacem|title=Raison de plus – Une collection dirigée par Najat Vallaud-Belkacem|website=Fayard|date=26 January 2019|access-date=14 September 2019}}

In 2020, Vallaud-Belkacem was appointed as an affiliated professor at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Ben Guerir, Morocco.{{Cite magazine|last=Crétois|first=Jules|date=2020-06-19|title=Najat Vallaud-Belkacem rejoint l'Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique de Marrakech – Jeune Afrique|url=https://www.jeuneafrique.com/1003826/politique/najat-vallaud-belkacem-rejoint-luniversite-mohammed-vi-polytechnique-de-marrakech/|language=fr-FR|access-date=2020-06-21|website=JeuneAfrique.com}}

Other activities

More in Common, Member of the Global Board[https://www.moreincommon.com/about-us/governance/ Global Board] More in Common.
Tent Partnership for Refugees, Co-chair of the Advisory Council[Advisory Council: Najat Vallaud-Belkacem] Tent Partnership for Refugees.

Political positions

Vallaud-Belkacem supports having the French government force Twitter to filter out hate speech that is illegal under French law, such as speech that is homophobic.{{cite news|title=In praise of Vallaud-Belkacem, or why not to tolerate hate speech on Twitter|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/02/praise-vallaud-belkacem-hate-speech-twitter|access-date=4 January 2013| location=London|work=The Guardian|first=Jason|last=Farago|date=2 January 2013}} Regarding same-sex marriage in France, she has stated that its legalisation is a matter of "historic progress".{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/news/europe/21571185-three-articles-look-some-europes-culture-wars-first-frances-battle-over-gay-marriage|title=France and gay marriage: Pink pride in Paris – The Economist|newspaper=The Economist|date=2 February 2013}}Tom Heneghan (6 January 2013), [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-catholic-samesex/frances-hollande-escalates-row-with-catholics-over-gay-marriage-idUSBRE90509620130106 France's Hollande escalates row with Catholics over gay marriage] Reuters.

In 2016, Vallaud-Belkacem was publicly criticized by Prime Minister Manuel Valls after she spoke out against the government's local decrees that ban women from wearing full-body swimsuits – so-called burkinis – on the beach, arguing the ban was "dangerous for national cohesion."Hortense Goulard (25 August 2016), [https://www.politico.eu/article/manuel-valls-slams-minister-criticizing-burkini-ban-najat-vallaud-belkacem-national-cohesion-islam/ Manuel Valls scolds minister for criticizing burkini ban] Reuters.

Personal attacks

In 2015, former president Nicolas Sarkozy was criticized for appealing to racist sentiments when he, without using explicitly racist words, singled out the two non-white female ministers – Vallaud-Belkacem and Christiane Taubira – in a largely white government for charges of gross incompetence.Brian Love (13 May 2015), [https://www.reuters.com/article/france-sarkozy/frances-sarkozy-accused-of-pandering-to-racist-sentiments-idINKBN0NY1I420150513 France's Sarkozy accused of pandering to racist sentiments] Reuters.

Personal life

In 2000, Belkacem met her husband, Boris Vallaud, at Sciences Po Paris where they were both studying.{{Cite web |date=2014-07-21 |title=Qui est Boris Vallaud, le mari de Najat Vallaud-Belkacem ? |url=https://www.planet.fr/politique-qui-est-boris-vallaud-le-mari-de-najat-vallaud-belkacem.662334.29334.html |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=planet.fr |language=fr}} The pair married on 27 August 2005 in Hontanx, and Belkacem officially hyphenated her husband's family name in front of hers. In 2008, the couple welcomed twins, a boy and a girl: Louis-Adel and Nour-Chloé.{{Cite web |last=Média |first=Prisma |date=2022-06-27 |title=Le saviez-vous ? Najat Vallaud-Belkacem et Boris Vallaud sont parents de jumeaux de 13 ans – Gala |url=https://www.gala.fr/l_actu/news_de_stars/le-saviez-vous-najat-vallaud-belkacem-et-boris-vallaud-sont-parents-de-jumeaux-de-13-ans_477753 |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=Gala.fr |language=fr}} As a symbol of the couple's mixed origins, the twins' names each contain one French and one North-African name.{{Cite web |date=2017-03-03 |title=Najat Vallaud-Belkacem : sa fille rêve de devenir la nouvelle Louane |url=https://www.closermag.fr/politique/najat-vallaud-belkacem-sa-fille-reve-de-devenir-la-nouvelle-louane-707533 |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=Closer |language=fr-FR}}

Vallaud-Belkacem describes herself as a "non-practicing Muslim".{{cite web|title=Muslim Minister in French Government Calls for Twitter to Censor Tweets that Don't Respect Human Rights|url=http://www.legal-project.org/3755/muslim-minister-in-french-government-calls-for|access-date=24 January 2013}}

Works

{{cite book|last1=Vallaud-Belkacem|first1=Najat|title=Raison de plus!|date=2012|publisher=Fayard|location=Paris|isbn=9782213666440|oclc=793485794}}
{{cite book|last1=Vallaud-Belkacem|first1=Najat|title=La vie a plus d'imagination que toi|date=2017|publisher=Bernard Grasset|location=Paris|isbn=9782246863847|oclc=974793443}}