Koné Mariatou

Mariatou Koné is an Ivorian politician and university professor of anthropology, born on 25 September 1965. After primary and secondary studies in several towns in Côte d’Ivoire, she graduated in sociology from the National University of Abidjan, obtaining her maîtrise in June 1988. She then continued her education in France at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Marseille, where she obtained a DEA in Social Sciences in 1990. He completed his academic career with a PhD in Anthropology from EHESS in September 1994, under the direction of Professor Jean-Pierre Olivier de Sardan.

Her professional and ministerial career began with roles in the National Social Cohesion Programme (PNCS), first as Coordinating Director in May 2012, then as Director-General in April 2015. She has served in several governments holding important ministries. On 12 January 2016, she was appointed Minister of Solidarity, Social Cohesion and Victim Compensation. On 11 January 2017, she was given the Ministry of Women, Child Protection and Solidarity. On 10 July 2018, she returned as Minister of Solidarity, Social Cohesion and the Fight against Poverty. Since 6 April 2021, she has held the post of Minister of National Education and Literacy in the government led by President Alassane Ouattara and Prime Ministers Patrick Achi and Robert Beugré Mambé.

Mariatou Koné is also recognised as an international expert and consultant, working on issues such as land issues in Africa, rural development, gender, health, education, social cohesion and the vulnerability of Ivorian women. Since 2013, she has also been a peace mediator for CEDEAO and WANEP.

Parallel to her national career, she is active in local politics. She is the current mayor of the municipality of Boundiali and has been an elected MP for the Boundiali-Ganaoni constituency since 2021. In September 2023, as a candidate of the RHDP party, she won re-election as mayor of Boundiali by a wide margin, exceeding 93% of the vote.

In her private life, Mariatou Koné is the mother of three children. She is of Muslim faith and is a member of the Network of Muslim Women of Africa – Ivory Coast Section (REFMA-CIE). Her interests include music, reading, sports and travelling. She is the first of eight siblings.

For her commitment, she was awarded the rank of Commander in the Order of Merit of Ivorian National Education.