BIDs Belgium continues the partnership with City Space Architecture, amongst other supporters of the Empowering Women and Public Space, with continuing the series of talks launched in 2021.

We held our first session of 2022 in February 17th!

ABOUT THIS EVENT

The first session of 2022 of Empowering Women and Public Spaces Talks, we brought together some of our network for this panel discussion.

We were joined by three panellists sharing their work and initiatives – Silvana Hoekstra from L’Oreal Benelux, Bea Ercolini from TPAMP and Rosie Romero from OurB.

Following on from our initiative and discussions in 2021, we continue an informal and organic style of conversations. ‘Empowering Women & Public Spaces’ requires a number of combined actions from variety of multidisciplinary actors across our Cities and Communities. We touched on the ongoing impact of the Pandemic and Climate emergency at varying levels . Addressing how we can translate this into actions from individual – local/neighbourhood – city level with different actors around the table from Corporates, Entrepreneurs, Urbanists, Architects, Designers and active Citizens in our global community.

The session of Empowering Women and Public Spaces Talks, was organised by Rozina Spinnoy, BIDs Belgium and in partnership with Luisa Bravo of City Space Architecture.

WHO JOINED US?

We had the pleasure of the following women joining us and you can read more about each panellists below:

SILVANA HOEKSTRA

Silvana Hoekstra is a Brand Communication Lead for L’Oreal Paris Benelux as well as part of the L’Oreal for the Future Leadership team, responsible for the localization of our brand causes. She is also project lead on Stand Up Against Street Harassment which L’Oreal launched with partners TPAMP/Touch Pas A Ma Pote.

Working at L’Oreal for over 7 years, and previously in multiple brand communication positions within the beauty and fashion industry.

BEA ERCOLINI

Pioneering in the fight against street harassment and sexism, she founds Touche Pas A Ma Pote in 2012, a non profit NGO that sends actors to schools and Planed Parenthood to educate students (from 11 to 20 years) about sexism. TPAMP also creates campaigns to change minds, works with the City and police of Brussels, and lobbies for political solutions.

Believing in a more gender-balanced world, Bea Ercolini launched the Belgian edition of ELLE magazine in 2003. She was the editor in chief and editorial team director and used the title to promote gender equality topics.

As a journalist, she runs chronicle which focuses on gender inequality and women’s advancements. In 2017, she launches a women’s social club in Brussels called BEABEE. Its purpose: empowerment, networking, and fun!

ROSIE ROMERO

Rosaura graduated in Architecture (Urban Projects and Urban Cultures) at the University of Ku Leuven Brussels, Belgium and Judson University in Chicago. She worked at Mayfield Architects in California, and currently she is Co-founder, and leading project manager at OURB; An urban activist collective who helps create: processes, moments, and places through inclusive methods. Building environments and communities around the shared space, in order to create open dialogues on exchanged knowledge, and create connections that will inspire community agency over the built environment.

Research areas: Networked practices, Architectural Design Justice, Performative Urbanism, Decentralized organizations, Spatial agency, Care Practices, Feminist urbanism.

LUISA BRAVO

Luisa Bravo is a global academic scholar and educator, social entrepreneur and public space activist. She has more than 15-years experience in the professional field as urban planner and designer with a specific focus on public space. Her expertise is grounded in extensive academic postdoctoral research and teaching in Italy and Europe, the United States, Middle East, Asia and Australia. Throughout her academic career, she held different academic positions, in Italy and abroad, and she has been the recipient of prestigious grants and awards such as the Marco Polo scholarship for a postdoctoral research period as Visiting Scholar at IURD – Institute of Urban and Regional Development at University of California Berkeley (USA, 2012) and the Australia Award Endeavour Executive Fellowship for professional development, fully funded by the Australian Government, Department of Education and Training, hosted at the Queensland University of Technology, School of Design, Faculty of Creative Industries (Australia, 2018).

Luisa is the Founder and President of City Space Architecture, an Italian-based non-profit organization promoting public space culture at the global level, and she is the Founder and Editor in Chief of The Journal of Public Space, the first, interdisciplinary, academic, open access journal entirely dedicated to public space, that she established through City Space Architecture in partnership with UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme.

ROZINA SPINNOY

Rozina Spinnoy is a Design Strategist and Social Entrepreneur, Owner/Founder of her NGO BIDs Belgium and Design SME’s based in Brussels and working internationally. She is also the Co-Founder of the international/community initiative of Empowering Women and Public Space and also Co-Founder of Brussels based collective W100, which aims at building bridges with diverse women across the Brussels Region. An active member and Leader of the Placemaking Europe Network. Rozina is also an Academician for the Academy of Urbanism and also sitting on a variety of Advisory Councils.Rozina champions a variety of causes, projects and philanthropic activities, ranging from gender equality, urban place-making, inclusion and diversity. Through to advocating for more mental health awareness, inclusive communities and co-designing processes in her wide range of diverse projects. You will find Rozina often sharing her views and passion on the value of Design, Creativity and Foresight for positive impact across our society.

WATCH THE SESSION!

STAND UP CAMPAIGN BY TPAMP SUPPORTED BY L’OREAL BENELUX

You can read more about the collaborative campaign between L’Oreal and TPAMP for the STAND UP campaign against street harassment via the TPAMP website below:

JOIN US SOON FOR MORE UPDATES ON EMPOWERING WOMEN AND PUBLIC SPACES TALKS SOON!