Joséphine Guidy Wandja

Joséphine Guidy Wandja (born 1945, also Guidy-Wandja) is an Ivorian mathematician. She is the first African woman with a PhD in mathematics

Quotes

• I cannot say that I was born to be a mathematician. I followed a path that led me to mathematics. As I went through the steps, I thought why not continue. Also, I must admit that my father was very demanding and followed me closely. I had faith in what I was doing
  • [1]
• But there is no talent without work. Until the end, I did not know what I wanted to be. My parents wanted me to opt for medicine. That subject is above my human capacity. I am very emotional.
  • [2]
• I worked as a team with my girl friends and we said to ourselves: "why not do the maths" and we registered in the preparatory class for "Fontenay-aux-Roses".
  • [3]
• We want to demystify mathematics to make it accessible to as many children as possible. ... Mathematics is at the base of all science and technology, both as a way of thinking and as an instrument of inquiry.
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• I hope that in Africa many women are devoted to science (law, physics, chemistry, etc.). If a woman wants, she can do more
  • [5]