Najat Belkacem is the first woman and the youngest person at 36 in the history of France to ever make it to Minister of Education. As well as first Muslim. She is also an inspirational figure who shows the world that everything is possible to achieve if we are determined.

We live in a crazy world where people are debating whether immigrants are good for the host country or not. While some are too busy shouting ‪#‎BanMuslims‬ or ‪#‎BanMoroccans‬, Najat Belkacem quietly reminds us that immigrants are valuable asset – and that believing in our children and investing in them with the right character traits and the right education literally means the sky is the limit.

Najat Belkacem became determined to succeed in politics when she observed the rise of Le Pen (France’s Donald Trump) and the right wing in France. She recalls how at her first fundraiser, as she welcomed guests and took their coats many mistook her for the house maid. Today, she’s called “The New Face of France.”



HOW IT ALL STARTED

Najat Belkacem was born in a country side of a small village Bni Chiker, Near Nador in Morocco in 1977. She was the second of her seven siblings.

Her father was lived France and worked as a construction worker. He asked Najat and his family to join him in France. So Najat moved to the Suburbs of Amiens with her family to join her father in 1982. She was an Immigrant by status.

Her interest in politics started from an early age. Her father enrolled her into the institute of political studies in Paris. It was in that in that institute she met the love of her life, Boris Vallaud. She graduated from the Paris institute of political studies in 2002, and married Borris Vallaud in August 2005.

In 2002, she joined the Socialist Party and then the team of Lyon Mayor Gerard Collomb in 2003, leading actions to strengthen local democracy, fight against discrimination, promotion of citizen rights and access to employment and housing.

Elected to the Regional Council of Rhone-Alpes in 2004, she chaired the Culture Commission, resigning in 2008. In 2005, she became adviser to the Socialist Party. In 2005 and 2006 she was a columnist for the cultural programme C’est tout vu on Télé Lyon Municipale alongside Stéphane Cayrol. In February 2007, she joined Ségolène Royal’s campaign team as a spokeswoman, alongside Vincent Peillon and Arnaud Montebourg.

In March 2008, she was elected conseillère générale of the Rhône department in the cantonal elections with 58.52% of the votes in the second round, under the banner of the Socialist Party in the canton of Lyon-XIII.

On 16 May, 2012, she was appointed to French President François Hollande’s cabinet as Minister of Women’s Rights and spokeswoman for the government.

And finally on August 25, 2014, she became the first woman and the youngest person ever ( at 36), to be appointed as Minister of Education & Research, in France.

This historical moment was achieved by a muslim, immigrant girl who lived in a village. Najat has proven that there are no boundaries to what you can achieve, if you set your heart on it & work towards it with diligence.

On describing her career advancement she says;

“My path is similar to many young women of my generation. Young women who, like me, have chosen studies to fully exercise a profession, be independent and reach enough responsibility to hope to change society, to make it more just, more caring, more happy.”

Read more @[url]Betamotive.com[/url]