Marie-Madeleine Lachenais

Marie-Madeleine Lachenais, known as Joute, was a politically active and influential Haitian woman. She was the mistress and political advisor of both president Alexandre Pétion and president Jean-Pierre Boyer, and exerted a significant influence over the affairs of state during their presidencies for a period of 36 years (1807-1843). She was called "The President of two Presidents," and regarded to have been the most politically powerful woman in the history of Haiti before the introduction of women's suffrage in 1950.