Shirin Aumeeruddy-Cziffra (born 15 October 1948) is a Mauritian lawyer,politician and diplomat. She has served as speaker of the National Assembly since 29 November 2024.
Aumeeruddy-Cziffra was the country's first Attorney-General and minister of justice when she was first appointed to the government in 1982. In addition she was also made minister of women’s rights and family affairs. Following the split of the government,she resigned from her ministries in March 1983. Aumeeruddy-Cziffra would remain as member of the assembly until 1991 and became the Mauritian ambassador to France,Italy,Spain and Portugal from 1992 to 1995.
She was the head of the Public Bodies Appeal Tribunal (PBAT),which settles disputes of civil servants and local communities in matters related to recruitment and sanctions since 2009. She became the mayor of Beau Bassin-Rose Hill in 1987. She was Ombudsman for protection of children's rights from 2004 to 2011.
She was the first Muslim woman to be elected as a member of the National Assembly and the first to be appointed to a ministerial position in Mauritius. After her appointment as speaker,she also became the first muslim woman to be speaker of the assembly.
Early life and career
She was born on 15 October 1948.[1] Her native language is Mauritian Creole,while she speaks English and French. Aumeeruddy-Cziffra completed her law degree from the Inns of Court School of Law in Great Britain.
She was a women's activist in her early years and started Ligue Féministe in 1974,SolidaritéFemmes in Mauritius in 1977. Along with 19 other women,she fought against the Immigration and Deportation Acts,which prevented spouses of foreign officials from seeking resident status. The case was argued with two set of victims,namely married women and single women espoused by the foreign officials. The court initially accepted only the case of married women.[2] She eventually won the case in 1981.[3]
Political career
From 1982 to 1983,she was Minister of Women’s Rights and Family Affairs. She was the first Muslim woman to be elected as MP and to serve a ministerial position.[4] During the same years,she served as Ambassador to UNESCO,Member of Parliament in Rose-Hill,and Attorney General for the Government of Mauritius.
She held the position of Ombudsman for protection of children rights from 2004 to 2011. In March 2011,she asked the government to adopt the optional protocol to facilitate collaboration between Mauritius and other countries on the war against sexual child abuse.[7] In 2012,she became head of the Public Bodies Appeal Tribunal (PBAT),which settles disputes of civil servants and local communities in matters related to recruitments and sanctions.[8] In 2015,her mandate was renewed for three more years.[9][10] In March 2018,the PBAT's governance was reshuffled,and Shirin Aumeeruddy-Cziffra's mandate was once again renewed.[11]
Personal life
Aumeeruddy-Cziffra is married to Claude Cziffra,a teacher,and the pair have two children.[12]
Awards
2004:Honorary doctorate from the University of Paris Panthéon-Sorbonne for introducing a faculty of law to Mauritius and service overall.
2006:Tombouctou Award for her peace initiatives in Africa with FAS.
14 July 2015:Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by France’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.[4]
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