An inspiring evening driving #PressforProgress on gender parity
On 8 March, we had the pleasure to welcome over 80 guests to our International Women’s Day Gala. The Gala was a festive moment to celebrate successes together and to inspire further work towards more gender balanced leadership under the international theme #PressforProgress.
There was great positive energy in the room as we listened to inspiring speakers, connected with like-minded women and men and fostered meaningful connections in a celebratory atmosphere in the beautiful surroundings of Le Châtelain Hotel. Our fantastic sponsors allowed us to ensure the gala was a unique event that will stay with us throughout the year.
Alexander de Croo: I’m a full time feminist.
The evening was keynoted by “Alexander De Croo, Deputy Prime Minister & full-time Feminist” as he introduced himself. He told his story that he was an “unconscious feminist all those years” before he formally came out as feminist last year. Alexander de Croo told the room that he has been surrounded by strong women “my entire life” from his great-grandmother and lawyer mother who helped domestic abuse victims to his wife today. In 2014, he took on the portfolio for international development where he began to travel “mainly to Africa and there I saw that that self-evidence was absolutely not so self-evident” — this lead him to launch the She Decides movement to support sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and women.
After this introduction, Alexander de Croo then laid out his vision of what needs to happen next: “Because there is absolutely more work to be done” and in Belgium that includes the pursuit of the zero pay gap. The pay gap exists because “too few women occupy the better paying jobs” and the solution begins with education”, he said, and that together we must do three things to attain the zero pay gap:
- There must be more women in the sciences, technology, engineering and industry;
- The wages in education and healthcare must increase;
- The most important problem is and remains the gender standard setting: we must invest much more in the guidance of study and professional choices during secondary education to close the striking differences between genders in STEM.
“Let us use the economy as a sledgehammer for gender equality. Rather than focus on the legal dimensions, we must focus on the economic dimensions of gender equality in the coming years.”
Following the keynote, our guests heard from Maria Perdomo, HR Projects Manager EANZ from our corporate member Stanley, Black & Decker, about initiatives the company is leading on. She shared best practices at Stanley, Black & Decker which has an internal women’s network of over 30 chapters across the globe. Maria pledged to commit that Stanley, Black & Decker will #PressforProgress to double the number of girls attending Greenlight for Girls, with which SBD has a global partnership.
“Become lighthouses to advance gender balanced leadership”
Greg Young, VP for Balanced Leadership at PWI Brussels’ sister network PWN London talked about the commercial benefits of balanced leadership. Using business to advance the objective. He referred back to a 2016 White Paper that expands on skills and characteristics that women possess that bring businesses forward. He called on the audience to find male allies in their immediate vicinity to become lighthouses to advance gender balanced leadership.
PWI Brussels’ Honorary President and President of TIAW, Cristina Vicini, spoke about the importance of taking charge for women. ‘The International Alliance for Women’ is a global charitable foundation dedicated to the economic advancement of women across the globe and Cristina called for women to be the actor of their own future.
“Economic empowerment is not just about women’s futures but about exercising powers for their children, families and communities.”
She called on the women in the room to “get onto Boards”, volunteer and take charge of their powers and talents. Associations like PWI Brussels are the place to experiment without being judged, in an environment that is positive and where women can be themselves and grow.
Relive the evening and get involved!
Our photographs captured the sense of belonging, the openness and inclusiveness that PWI Brussels stands for — we are a community of professional women that support and help one another grow and succeed. We create a space for women to share, develop and grow but also celebrate and network in a meaningful way and create friendships. We are what we are for and thanks to our members and volunteers — and that’s why we always welcome all feedback and thoughts on how we can make the association respond to your needs. Tell us also how you will #PressforProgress and make your pledge on the IWD website! We have!
Rebecca Weicht is a Board member of PWI Brussels and its VP Communications and Marketing.
Read more about our association & get in touch any time! If you are interested in contributing to our blog and helping professional women grow and succeed and advance gender balanced leadership, reach out!
See you at the next post!
