Yaou was born in Dabou and raised by her aunt in a literary family,[2] and wrote her first poems between the ages of twelve and fourteen.

She attended the technical high school in Cocody, where in 1977 she participated in a literary contest organized by the publishing house Nouvelles éditions africaines; this led to the creation of her first work, a novella entitled La Citadine which has remained unpublished, but which won a prize in the contest.

[3] She was declared a winner of literary competition organized by the new African edition in 1977 [6] Yaou completed her first novel, Lezou Marie ou les écueils de la vie, in 1977, presenting it to an editor in 1981 and publishing it in 1982.

Her work generally focuses on themes of modern life and the role of women in Ivorian society, and includes discussion of domestic violence, infidelity, and maternity, among other issues.

[4] In 2014 she received the excellency award from the president of Cote d' Ivoire, and was the writer in the spotlight at the last international book fair at Abidjan.