Simone Saint-Dénis (1934 – 2008) was a trade union leader from Gabon, who played an active role in politics in the post-independence era.
[2] In 1948 Saint-Dénis completed her secondary education at a Catholic mission school and immediately became engaged to Balé - a timber camp worker.
[1] In 1950 she began to teach at the school of the Catholic mission to Donguila, a village in the remote Estuaire Province, where most of the children spoke Fang.
[1] The poor pay of teachers first drew Saint-Dénis to become involved with unionism through the Confédération Française des Travailleurs Chrétiens (CFTC).
[1] Her work with the CFTC continued after Gabon's independence and from 1960-67 she represented Gabonese unions at a variety of international meetings, travelling to Copenhagen, Rome, and Bucharest.