Cécile Manorohanta Legion of Honour’s Commander

“Mrs. Cécile Manorohanta, in the name of the French Republic’s president, do receive the   Commander’s medal of the honour Legion’s Order “. Ambassador Jean Marc Châtaigner honoured a Madagascan woman who successfully led a plural professional career, academic and political, and a family life as a mother in charge of a couple of daughters. 

Promoted commander of the honour Legion, this Madagascan woman is being rewarded for her quite exceptional career. “In all of her different jobs, she has been being a French-speaking and Francophile partner, faithful to the end to the values of liberty extolled by the French speaking community everywhere in the World “. This distinction would not be motivated by the political events of 2009, having already dedicated to Manorohanta Cécile back in December 2008. 

Cécile Manorohanta entered the government in 2007 as vice-minister of the national education in charge of scientific research, a position matching her academic formation. “Nothing destined her then to become National Defence secretary in October 2007, apart from being a military’s wife and a military’s daughter”, outlined the French ambassador. Her husband, colonel Jean-Adolf Dominique, is member of the CMDN. 

Appointed by President Marc Ravalomanana, Mrs. Manorohanta is at the head of an essentially male ministry, feminization of the armed services amounting to about fifteen military doctors. Woman of dialogue, constantly opened to her subordinates, she quickly realized the size of the reform entrusted to her by the president. 

Then the minister organized some workgroups to define a defence concept and to propose an in depth restructuring of the Madagascan defence system. “As this reform project has been started, the political crisis by the beginning of the year ruined all this hard work which I hope not quite lost and to be resumed someday “, said Jean Marc Châtaigner. 

“Woman of conviction, firm on her moral principles, she will have been the first to sign a resignation to President Marc Ravalomanana after the slaughter of February 7th in Ambohitsorotra, unwilling to guaranty soldiers shooting on their fellow citizens. This decision is greeted unanimously and deserves our respect “. Jean Marc Châtaigner greets three essential qualities that characterize this state woman: fidelity to true values, faith in Madagascar and the honesty. 

In 2002, Cécile Manorohanta enters as a member the regional commission of experts from the Academic agency of the French speaking countries. “Your action in favour of the French speaking countries was, as I know Milady, totally exemplary “, congratulated ambassador Jean Marc Châtaigner. In 2006, Mrs Manorohanta reaches the direction of the African Educating Women Forum’s Madagascan branch. 

Academically educated, Mrs. Manorohanta endorsed high responsibilities as those of Chief of the French Language Department at the Letters and Sciences Faculty in 1996 or those of the same faculty’s dean two years later. Today retired from political life, she recovered her position as chairwoman of the university of Antsiranana.