What comes to your mind if we say, Brussels? Of course, the waffle, frites (no, this is not a typo), beers, and the European Union. These are all great stuff, but we looked beyond the surface and collected the best 5+1 women empowerment events that you shouldn’t miss this fall. And it seems, Brussels is showing its serious face in the upcoming months and will be home to high-level conferences, workshops, and meeting. Thus, get prepared to cope with the sweet challenges women face as they start expressing their opinion: ‘When a man gives his opinion, he’s a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she’s a bitch.’ Well. And what to do between meetings? Be active and join a run for a cause or unwind in a yoga retreat. Let’s see what’s on the agenda.
WEstart: Women Social Entrepreneurs Changing Europe Conference
Brussels – Ticket & registration
Date & time: 11 September, 2015 at 10am-4pm
The European Women’s Lobby (EWL) is acting as a vital link between women’s organizations and institutions for 25 years now. Its name is well-known to anybody who stands against gender inequality, aims for the better representation of women in decision-making, fights the violence against women or cares about young women in Europe. EWL has the name and reputation that any organization would need to gain a leading and influential role on an international level. WEstart: Women Social Entrepreneurs Changing Europe Conference is their event. And it aims to give a more comprehensive view on women’s social entrepreneurship in Europe. Through participatory working sessions the event will enable attendees to give their opinions, recommendations to the panel that lines up an exciting list of policy makers from – without giving you the full list – the European Commission, the European Economic and Social Committee, the i-propellor/OECD or the University of Antwerp. And if, after this full day, you feel like easing a bit, then join the WEstart After Party at Kamilou, hosted by UnCivil Society.
Run For Employment
Brussels – Ticket & registration
Date & time: September 13, 2015 at 11am
Project 668, a community of the current and former trainees of the European Union and The Brussels Interns NGO, whose mission is to promote quality internships, joint ventured for a cause this September. And this cause is youth unemployment. You might think that #run4employement is just another move to raise awareness. And you are right. Partially. This event, that takes place in the heart of Brussels at the stunning Leopold Park, does aim to raise awareness of the fact that in 2015, the youth unemployment rate in the EU-28 – though decreased compared to previous years -, is still hitting 20.4 %. But the event also wants to raise a delicate issue, and that is the growing number of young people suffering from mental health problems. The long-term effects of unemployment can lead to broken self-confidence and lessened physical and mental activities. Thus, sport should be used as a weapon to fight the negative effects of the employment crises. The event, check their promo video here, takes place under the umbrella of the European Commission’s European Week of Sport. The money raised from the run goes to an app that is developed to connect employers and employees-to-be more effectively. So, let’s go, #beactive and run for a cause!
Women Empowerment Forum
Brussels – Ticket & registration
Date & time: September 16-17, 2015
Brussels is already loud from the upcoming Women Empowerment Forum, organized by Fleming Europe. Since they announcement of the event, a few month back, most of the local women-focused organizations (including us, MissCareer/Less) joined to back up this event. Why the buzz? Because there is a need for forums as such. There is a need for corporations, like Fleming, to raise awareness of women empowerment subjects. The 2-day-long event will touch upon such questions as whether there is ambition in the corporate culture to encourage women to take on leadership roles, can women have it all, how to cope with work-life balance, or how empowered women lead to social and economic changes. Get prepared for exciting workshops, debate sessions, presentations from stakeholders, and plenty of networking opportunities. We certainly can’t wait to be there.
When Women Thrive, Businesses Thrive
Brussels – Ticket & registration
Date & time: November 9-10, 2015
The leading consultancy firm, Mercer, is back to Brussels with an exciting event and an even more impressive motto: “when women thrive, businesses thrive”. Can it be that we finally give credit to the characteristics, skills and abilities of women in business? As they say on their website, ‘we need tangible solutions, not just talk‘. And we can’t agree more. The endless piles of papers and files will not solve the challenges women face even today, even in Europe, and even when we tend to think we live in (pretty much) equality. The 2-day conference – that unfortunately comes at a rather high price – aims to highlight the importance of gender diversity and how it (positively) affects the competitiveness of any businesses. Expect a high-end event, which opens with Julie Meyer, who is named among the Top 30 Most Influential Women in Europe, and lines up leading employers, academics, and influential leaders from this special niche.
Move It Forward – digital starter event for women
Brussels – Ticket & registration
Date & time: November 28-29, 2015
Europe’s First Female Digital Accelerator Network, inQubeEU, is preparing something big this November. The online community that aims to connect girls and women to support each other, find mentorship, share know-how and encourage women-led enterprises in Europe, is announcing its first ever Move It Forward workshop series. The event gives a special focus on building awareness on Cyberviolence against Girls & Women. Move It Forward is an umbrella term that includes three workshops throughout this fall and closes with a digital starter event providing tools against cyber violence and an Awards dinner. The first workshop, Navigating the Online Landscape for Women, is held in September, and followed by two others, Building a Safe Online Environment for women and Tackling Threats to Online Safety for women in October and November, respectively.
+1
Weekend Yoga Retreat in Belgium
Brussels – Ticket & registration
Date & time: October 1-5, 2015
And now the +1; an event for the trio of body-mind-soul. Standing up for a cause, aiming to make the world a better place are all necessary elements of our lives. But without an occasional unwind you will soon join the millions of burned-out zombie walkers out there. Don’t wait until total exhaustion. A father-daughter duo invites you to a weekend of pure relaxation by a scenic venue in Salmchâteau. The run-away mini-retreat includes daily yoga classes, guided meditation sessions, exciting workshops and, of course, free time. And if this wasn’t enough, you can hike through the forest, visit the nearby lake, or get the tennis racket and hit the court. While you take care of your soul, a professional chef will cook for you nourishing your body with a great variety of healthy food. Sounds like a perfect set up, doesn’t it?
