In 2009 the first Miss Woubi beauty pageant was held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire / Ivory Coast. The event takes its name from an Ivorian slang word (‘Woubi’) meaning ‘effeminate’ — the more feminine partner in a relationship, or as Ivorians put it, the one who “plays the role of the woman”. In 2016, 13 …
On 31 October 2006, Alexandra Rubera was granted asylum in South Africa. Rubera, a trans woman from Burundi, faced arrest and death threats from private citizens and the police in her native country on an ongoing basis. Alexandra moved between Burundi and Rwanda as she had a parent from each country, making access easier to …
Featured in international film festivals in 1998, the documentary, Woubi Chéri, directed by Laurent Bocahut and Philip Brooks, focused on the lives of Woubis*, Yossis**, and other members of the Branché*** community in Ivory Coast. The award-winning documentary was featured globally in various film festivals and on a number of documentary platforms. The film won Best …
In the Ivory Coast, the Travesti* was a prominent group, recognised and documented from the early 1990s, but they were most likely active before the 90s**. They formed L’association des Travestis de Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast Transvestites Association), under the leadership of Barbara (full name withheld for safety reasons). The first record of the group …
1994 — First Printed Media Reference to The Travesti, Côte d’Ivoire / Ivory Coast Read More »
