Sheila Bappoo

The Hon Mrs. Sheilabai Bappoo, GOSK, MP (Marathi: शीलाबाई बापू), is the Minister of Social Security, National Solidarity and Senior Citizens Welfare & Reform Institutions in Mauritius and she held the same office from 2005 to 2010. She held the ministry of Gender Equality, Child Protection and Family Planning from 1983 to 1995 and from 2010 to 2011. She attended the most prestigious college on the island, The Queen Elizabeth College, and received a diploma in teaching. She was a teacher until 1977, when she became deputy mayor of Beau Bassin. She rapidly climbed the ladder and became minister in 1983 and remained one until 1995, when her party lost in the elections. She changed political views and became part of the Mauritian Labor Party in 2003. She stood for election and was elected and on 5 July 2005 was again elected as minister. She was thus promoted to senior minister.

Mrs Bappoo is the only woman to stay in a Mauritian Cabinet of Ministers for such a long time . She has held office from 1983 to 1995 and from 2005 to now .A total 18 years as Minister. She has worked in many ministries such as Ministry of Women Right's, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Social Security among many others. She was a leader of the Mauritian Militant Movement and was President of the party until 1975. She decided for the sake of the political career of the party that she would step down in favor of a certain Anerood Jugnauth who became President just after .

She did not receive any candidacy in parliamentary elections of 1976 but she was elected councilor of Beau-Bassin & Rose-Hill where she was appointed as Deputy Mayor. She was neither candidate for 1982 elections nor Councilor but she became one of the leading figure when the alliance between Harish Boodhoo and Paul Berenger broke . Anerood Jugnauth who was prime minister since 1982 elections agreed with Boodhoo-who was then Deputy Prime Minister-on some policies while Berenger who as Minister of Finance and leader of the MMM totally disagreed with both of them .

The Split created a rift between the new Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth and the leader of the party being Berenger. In 1983 they finally announced the termination of their alliance. Jugnauth proposed the creation of a new party sister to the MMM with the members who disagreed with Berenger. One of them was Mrs Bappoo.

She finally merged with Jugnauth in the new party called MSM known as the Militant Socialist Movement. They worked together and won the elections of 1983. Jugnauth remained Prime Minister with a new team along with Bappoo as Minister of Women's Right.

Honours

In 2007, Bappoo was promoted to rank of Grand Officer of the Star and Key of Indian Ocean and therefore uses the post-nominal (GOSK). She is highly regarded as a politician and is one of the highest ranked female politicians in the country.