Gracieuse Amah is a Creative Director, Dance Teacher, Performer and
French Qualified Entertainment Lawyer
If you were a super-heroine, what powers would you like to have?
To make everyone experience true happiness.
For you, what’s the best thing about being a woman from an immigrant refugee/ background?
I have a double richness, I am forward thinking, openminded, resilient, optimistic, master at pressure/ stress/emergency management. Cultural diversity is not only a valuable asset for yourself and others; it actually teaches you growth mindset.
Can you describe a time where you felt discriminated against as a woman or as someone with an immigrant and refugee background?
So many examples to choose from! One time, I told a customer that I was a lawyer and he laughed in my face. He then said, ‘are you sure?’, and asked how is it that I could speak English so well. Then, he said had a friend from Senegal. I don’t have any Senegalese background! Another one is when I injured my ankle and was misdiagnosed by a general practitioner but my school didn’t believe me, even though I had a testimonial from my physiotherapist.
I would say these all examples have involved people questioning my abilities or my knowledge and trying to take advantage of me. All those situations always led me to fight for my rights and use legal measures, or language because I knew the prerogatives I was entitled to. I am truly happy and grateful to be a lawyer yet often think that not everyone has a similar background.
Tell us about an amazing woman you know.
My mum is a former French & English teacher, an international trader, and a businesswoman with a positive mindset who loves dancing. Amongst all the good she has done, my mum home-schooled dozens of orphans, she was a great support and adviser to my dad, my brothers and I. Who I have become and what I stand for somehow make sense because of who she is, the values she passed on me and her strong will and resilience. She is a warrior who has created community wherever she was, fostering positive change and forward-thinking projects.
If you could convince the world of one thing, what would it be?
Diversity is a strength and a value, leveraging diversity and inclusion is the way forward. Positivity is a mindset that leads and comes from love, it doesn’t mean everything is perfect but you know how to find beauty and light in the darkness.
Finish this sentence: We need feminism because… all human beings are equal and until we are all treated equally, we will need it”
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