Blue Chip Foundation Attends African Union Summit

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia—  Blue Chip Foundation founder Jennifer Gross represented her organization at the 24th Annual African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, where Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe was appointed the new chairman of the 54-nation African Union despite controversy among other members. In addition to Mugabe’s appointment, leaders declared 2015 the Year of Women’s Empowerment.

 
“Blue Chip Foundation attended the African Union Summit to continue our work on strengthening the financial sectors within Africa and internationally to help finance Africa's rapid upgrading of infrastructure. Our plan, along with Sustainable Development Solutions Network is to support the Africa Development Bank, work closely with China, Japan, and others on international development banking, and help African cities to start to build municipal financial markets,” said Gross. “Our hope is that we can use the upcoming AU Summit to help build a clear, shared vision in Africa on how to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals . The SDSN , through the new Kigali-based SDG Center for Africa, will also issue a report next spring to build confidence and consensus in African markets.”

Economic growth and the alleviation of poverty are impossible unless all the SDGs are achieved, and Goal 5 – gender equality – must be fulfilled as economic growth continues; that’s perfectly aligned with the Year of Women’s Empowerment.

“Educating women is one of the most important factors in lifting a community out of poverty. We are making great strides, but we have more work to do in this area,” says Gross.

Gross’s work has taken great strides.

“ Blue Chip Foundation and Julian Lennon’s White Feather Foundation have worked on the ground to help girls in Sauri, a Millennium Village in Kenya,” says Gross. After hearing stories of one of the girls walking to school for two hours and being raped on the journey there, Julian and I decided to build the girls a dormitory. The girls are able to focus exclusively on their school work at the dormitory, whereas at home, they were responsible for most of the household duties while their brothers were free to study.”

The gender gap, according to Ngone Diop, Chief of Gender at UNECA, costs Africa about $255 billion each year.

“We need to understand that it is not a favor to women, but it’s their right. And, it is not only a right, but it is the right and smart thing to do,” says Diop.

Ideally, individual governments will foster the empowerment of women through new initiatives being implemented by organizations like Blue Chip Foundation.

“Blue Chip Foundation is passionate about the empowerment of women in Africa. We are continually seeking out new initiatives that fulfill the need and current drive to bring more equality to women in the workforce, in the community, and in the home environments,” says Gross.