Right Pundits

Chantal Biya, Cameroon First Lady went with Michelle Obama to a farm just north of New York City today. The First Lady of Cameroon caught attention because of her flamboyant hairstyle and fashion. Read her biography below and see photos and a video of Chantal Biya. There is also a map of Africa to show the location of Cameroon in Western Africa.

Michelle Obama treated the First Ladies of the The African Union Commission to a tour of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture as a break in United Nations activities today. Included in the group on the day’s field trip was the Republic of Cameroon First Lady Chantel Biya. She grabbed some headlines of her own for photos taken of her with First Lady Michelle Obama. Her hairstyle being front and center in the attention she received today.

However, when reading more about Madame Chantel Biya, one learns there is more to her than hair and flashy outfits.

Chantal Biya was born in 1971 in Dimako, East Province of Cameroon. Her father was a French expatriate, Georges Vigouroux and her mother is Rosette Ndongo Mengolo, a Miss Doumé pageant winner and now Mayor of Bangou. Her mother’s name is now Rosette Marie Mboutchouang. Mrs. Biya grew up in Yaoundé, Cameroon. She is 39-years-old.

Chantal Biya and Paul Biya married on April 23, 1994. She is his second wife. His first wife, Jeanne-Irène Biya died in 1992. President Paul Biya was born on February, 13, 1933, making him 77-years-old and 38-years older than his wife. The couple have two children together. Paul Biya has one older son, Franck Biya, born out of a previous relationship.

Madame Biya has been active in charities while First Lady of Cameroon. She has established several charitable organizations, including African Synergy which focuses on HIV/AIDS initiatives and the Chantal Biya Foundation. She is the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Education and Social inclusion.

She organized and hosted the first First Ladies Summit for African First Ladies. It was held in 1996 in Yaoundé during the Organization of African Unity Summit.

Chantal Biya is known for her original style. She has been both admired and vilified for her fashion sense. Her signature hair style is called the banane. Her overall style, hairstyle and flashy wardrobe, have become known as the Chantal Biya. She favors high-end Western fashion designers such as Chanel and Dior.

Enjoy more pictures and a video of Madame Chantal Biya below. There is also a map showing the location of Cameroon below. You can see more pictures of her on her Facebook page.

Photos: News Pictures / www.wenn.com