Credit: Yevgenia Doluda, Chronicle.lu
On Wednesday 19 June 2024, The NETWORK hosted an event in the BGL BNP Paribas Lobby in Luxembourg-Kirchberg featuring a panel of professional women who shared their journeys of parenthood and employment.
The event began with an introduction from the board welcoming members and first-time attendees. It was also an opportunity for some women to highlight their businesses, asserting that this is "an important time to share".
Moderator Diana Trisca-Rusu was welcomed on stage to announce the panellists, saying this environment is for "celebrating amazing women who balance parenthood and work-life". The event's speakers included: Julie Mangen, physiotherapist and founder of ShapeUp; Violaine Couturier, independent director and a lawyer currently studying for her Master's degree; Astrid Mayrhofer, Human Resources leader and entrepreneur; and Marise Hyman, a doula and self-empowerment coach-healer. They are also all mothers to children of various ages.
Marise Hyman invited all the guests, around 30 in total, to participate in "a dance for mental well-being" before the discussion and explained the emotional benefits of exercise and creative activities.
The conversation covered a range of topics such as the meaning of success and motherhood, as well as the necessity for self-care routines. Each panellist was able to provide their unique insight into the topics considering their diverse profiles. It was noted that being an expat parent can be challenging at times, especially in an international country like Luxembourg. The panel also discussed the need for companies to implement policy changes regarding staffing and educate their employees to prevent social stigma surrounding working mothers.
Each speaker highlighted the benefits of building a community, one much like The NETWORK, in order to gather support. Julie Mangen shared a saying, "you cannot pour from an empty cup", to illustrate the need for mothers to motivate one another.
The NETWORK is an environment fostering networking and career development opportunities among women in Luxembourg, hosting numerous events throughout the year to provide opportunities for women to connect.
The event concluded with an opportunity for questions and a possibility to network afterwards.
