Edith Brou Bleu
Ivorian writer and activist
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Edith Brou Bleu (born 1984; née Edith Yah Brou) is an Ivorian writer and activist. A co-founder of the volunteer organization Akendewa and the online women's magazine Ayana, she is considered one of the most influential digital activists in Ivory Coast and a "prominent Ivorian blogger."[1]
Edith Brou Bleu | |
|---|---|
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| Born | March 1, 1984 |
| Occupations | Blogger, digital activist |
Biography
Edith Yah Brou was born in Cocody, a suburb of the Ivorian economic capital Abidjan, on March 1, 1984.[2] She graduated with a degree in economics and management from the Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Cocody.[3] She is married to the artist Jacob Bleu.[4][5][6]
Brou Bleu is known for her work as a digital writer, activist, and community manager.[7][8] In 2009, she and nine of her friends co-founded the NGO Akendewa, a volunteer group that organizes high-tech social action campaigns.[9][10] The following year, during the 2010–2011 Ivorian crisis, Brou Bleu helped coordinate relief efforts using hashtags and other digital tools.[11]
In 2011, she co-founded Ayana, the first digital women's magazine in Ivory Coast.[12]
She originated the "Mousser contre Ebola" ("Lather Against Ebola") campaign in August 2014. Inspired by the "Ice Bucket Challenge," it aimed to raise awareness of the Ebola epidemic.[13][14][11] She also organized information-sharing during the June 2014 flooding in her country, helping relay day-to-day updates on risk areas and flooded roads.[2]
In 2015 she was named as president of the Ivory Coast Bloggers Association.[15] That same year, she was named one of the 50 most influential personalities in Ivory Coast by Jeune Afrique.[2][16]
Brou Bleu also founded a startup production company, Africa Contents Group, through which she develops her own productions, notably the web series "Divan numérique" ("Digital Divan") on YouTube.[17][16]
In 2020, she was named one of the 100 most influential women in Africa by the firm Avance Media.[18]