Jessica de Rothschild caught up with Spear’s to discuss her philanthropic journey and her efforts to empower refugee women through education.
‘I have been a trustee of my family’s Eranda Rothschild Foundation for 25 years, which has given me the opportunity to engage with many philanthropic initiatives. Thanks to that, I became really involved with UNHCR [the UN Refugee Agency] around 2016, and was deeply moved by the important yet often unseen work they do.
The UNHCR, which was set up at the end of the Second World War to help the people who had been displaced during the conflict to return home, does its job in a world that’s still at war. I personally felt very drawn to the cause because refugees who are forcibly displaced from their homes are humans just like us. I see it as a privilege to be able to work alongside these people, who are so often articulate, educated and talented. This is why I started working with the agency.
A couple of years ago we started to explore how we could bring women together around a cause that meant something to them – and to enable them to give effectively.
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We wanted to help shift the traditional model of philanthropy toward a more female-centric approach. This is especially important because 85 per cent of women in HNW households make philanthropic decisions, and with the Great Wealth Transfer approaching – during which women are expected to inherit 70 per cent of the wealth in the coming decades – philanthropy is becoming much more women-centric.
We wanted to use these new ideas to engage women in a holistic way. We developed a vision for a cohort that would support one another, and we formed a committee of eight women to discuss the values that were most important for us to uphold. Around this time, we learned about the DAFI Scholarship Programme – the longest-running refugee education programme in the world – and we realised it strongly aligned with our values, so we chose it as the initiative we wanted to support.
Education is a path to empowerment, which is one of the reasons we launched the Building Better Futures campaign.
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The campaign aims to raise $15 million to provide 1,000 university scholarships for young refugee women through the DAFI programme, specifically supporting female scholars who are often not on a par with males because of cultural norms. The campaign will make a direct difference in people’s lives and create a real ripple effect, as the women who receive the scholarships will return to their communities and pass on the benefits of their education to others.
When we support refugee women, we’re strengthening entire communities. We’re investing in their futures and, I promise you, they will take that baton and run with it – they are truly brilliant and committed women. Many are simply waiting for the moment it’s safe to return home so they can help rebuild their countries. For us, education isn’t just about individual advancement; it’s a tool to empower whole communities. Investing in the future of women is about building a better future for everybody.
Women like to lead with impact and often prefer to stay involved in causes they support. They’re also more likely to volunteer, serve on boards, or mentor, because they’re drawn to community and collaboration. This approach encourages long-term giving, because we have to start seeing philanthropy not just as charity but as a legacy.’
This article first appeared in Spear’s Magazine Issue 98. Click here to subscribe
