networkThe UN Women’s Newsletter, Vol. 9, No. 4 • October, November, December 2005 Letter from the INTERVIEW WITH Focal Point for Women MS. ALBINA DU BOISROUVRAY Dear Readers, Founder and President of the With pleasure we bring to Association François-Xavier Bagnoud your desk and screens the last by Rebeca Dain quarterly issue of network for the year 2005. Albina du Boisrouvray studied psychology and philosophy at the University of Sorbonne in Paris, France. She worked as a journalist and, in The issue contains 1970, together with Juan Goytisolo, founded Libre, a literary magazine. In several interesting items. 1969, she established However, unlike in all previ- Albina Productions, a film company that ous years, the reporting of the produced several Secretary-General’s Report movies and for which on the Improvement of the she was made in 1985 “Chevalier des Status of Women at the UN is Arts et Lettres”. She conspicuous by its absence. also became the first The General Assembly, in film producer to be its attempt at streamlining, awarded “L’Ordre National du Mérite”. resolved, in 2004, to request Since 1980, Ms. du the report every two years Boisrouvray has been instead of every one. Hence, the Chairperson of Albina du Boisrouvray with children in India. SEGH, a family real our office will next report estate and hotel to the General Assembly properties group. She founded, in 1989, the Association François-Xavier in its sixty-first session in Bagnoud (AFXB), an international non-governmental organization that focuses on the AIDS crisis and its orphans, and has programmes in September 2006. Nevertheless, 17 countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia, Europe and North America. to keep you abreast we have In 1992, Albina du Boisrouvray established the FXB Center for Health a short synopsis of the status and Human Rights at the Harvard School of Public Health based on the of women as at June 2006. As work of the late Dr. Jonathan Mann. She has received various awards for her humanitarian work. In 1996, she was made a John Harvard Fellow you will note, progress in gen- by Harvard University and, in 2001, Ms. Du Boisrouvray received the der balance remains limited. “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur” by the French Government for her pioneering work in home palliative care projects. But, we have faith. With the support of the entire constitu- ency, progress and parity is inev- Q: Please share with us your education, work experience. itable. Surely, it will all arrive. A: My mother’s family came originally from Bolivia, and my father from France. After spending my childhood years in New York and my In solidarity, adolescence as a citizen of the world, I settled in Switzerland and after the birth of my son François-Xavier in 1961, I studied psychology and philosophy at the University of Sorbonne in Paris. Then, I started work- ing as a freelance journalist. I am especially proud of my journalistic wire Aparna Mehrotra on the circumstances surrounding the death of Che Guevara, which was network • The UN Women’s Newsletter used by L’Express and by French and Scandinavian From then on, I have devoted all my energy, cred- television channels. However, with a small child I felt ibility and experience to humanitarian service, social I was taking extraordinary risks to cover the news and development and poverty redress through the creation decided to change career track to spend more time of multiple projects throughout the world. with my son. In 1970 together with Juan Goytisolo, we founded Libre, a literary magazine that published Q: Would you explain to our readers the con- the works of several Latin cept of “social entrepreneur” and why you “To me the idea American writers, includ- decided to become one? of charity is not ing Nobel Laureates Gabriel A: A social entrepreneur sees possibilities where oth- acceptable; one Garcia Marquez and Octavio ers see problems and crises. The goal is to help people needs to attack Paz. From 1969 to 1986, I become sustainable, not by doing and giving charity the social ills.” established and ran a film but by empowering them to take control of their lives, company Albina Productions socially and financially. It is also applying innovative that produced 22 movies. I solutions to social, economic, health and environmental have been managing SEGH, a family real estate and issues among others, empowering people and commu- hotel properties group, as its chairperson, since 1980 nities to envision and create positive change. Most of after my father’s death. the problems that affect our societies are based on the My only son, François-Xavier Bagnoud, became a inequalities between the rich and the poor. It is impera- helicopter rescue pilot. He died in Mali during a mis- tive to come up with creative, quick, effective and sus- sion in 1989 at 24 years of age. Right after his death, I tainable solutions. My son taught me the importance of joined Dr. Bernard Kouchner, the then head of Medicin helping others, and I have been lucky to discuss these sans Frontiers, to work on a humanitarian mission in issues with different social entrepreneurs, one of whom, Lebanon, and later volunteered with Doctors of the Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank, had a World-France for two years. I have always been an great impact on my thinking. He taught me that you can activist and after my son’s death I sold my film- really rely on women because they are strong and hard- producing company as well as most of my personal working. They are worth investing in. Microfinance is assets and founded the Association François-Xavier often considered one of the more effective and flexible Bagnoud (AFXB), an international non-governmental strategies in the fight against global poverty. It is sus- organization, with personal funds, to perpetuate the tainable and can be implemented on a massive scale, compassion and generosity that guided François’s life necessary to respond to the urgent needs of the poor. and his commitment and passion to rescue people. Studies have shown that women are more likely to rein- vest their earnings in the business and in their families. Families cross the poverty line and microbusinesses Contents expand, their communities benefit. Jobs are created, knowledge is shared, civic participation increases, and Letter from the Focal Point for Women . 1 women are recognized as valuable members of their Interview with Ms. Albina du Boisrouvray . 1 families and communities. My commitment is to res- Congratulations to . 5 cue people from compounded poverty and economic Around the UN . 6 distress due to AIDS, by empowering them and giving Around the world: gender news . 8 them income-generating activities, not in the form of In your interest . 9 loans but one-time in kind grants. To me the idea of Violence against women . 10 charity is not acceptable; one needs to attack the social Work-life article: The daughter track . 10 ills. In this work a compassion component is necessary, Women's health . 10 but it also requires good governance. It is very impor- Recommended reading . 11 tant for a social entrepreneur to have not only political Websites . 11 skills but a thorough knowledge of business. Business E-mails from readers . 11 involves venture capital, returns and social returns, which in reality is almost like dealing with microgov- 2 Vol. 9, No. 4 • October, November, December 2005 ernance. Through my experience, I believe that giving A: It all ties together! A foundation has an endow- women jobs is empowering those who uphold the social ment programme and seed money and needs to put structures of societies in time of crisis. the money to work and see results. The structure and skills of business helped me tremendously in Q: You set up an organization dedicated to becoming a social entrepreneur and I do not see AIDS orphans and advocacy. Can you tell us a conflict at all if you want to participate in good why you chose this field out of so many other microgovernance in partnership with people. To social problems facing the world at large? the contrary, in order to run a successful NGO one A: At the time I first focused on the AIDS crisis needs to have good business skills. Political activism, a long time ago in the late 1980s, it was a disaster entrepreneurial skills and leadership are necessary emerging. The pandemic had just begun startling the to counteract the root causes of poverty. Because whole world and there was just so much denial. I like of the innovative cost-effective projects that were a challenge and it is more energizing to work on a formulated and directed in AFXB, I was selected a challenging issue where you can make a difference member of the Social Entrepreneurs Group of the than if you are just plodding along with what is being Schwab Foundation. This recognition enables the 54 done. The foundation had enough money. But we social entrepreneurs of the group to participate in the needed to be cautious in how to spend it. Through my Davos World Economic Forum and to present and association with Dr. Kouchner I learned that we have share their expertise with world business leaders in the right to interfere, to go where Governments could the civil and public sectors, creating stronger links not go to fill the gaps. AFXB has the AIDS crisis between the private business world and the political and its orphans as its main focus and it leads 87 pro- leadership. As a woman, it has not been easy to have grammes in 17 countries in Africa, Latin America, my voice heard, but I keep trying and sometimes Asia, Europe and in the United States.