Women of the NEB (New European Bauhaus) is an initiative of BIDs Belgium, community partner of the European Commission initiative of the New European Bauhaus and Partners
Women of the NEB, aligns with the New European Values of Inclusive, Sustainable and Beautiful and will initially focus on three specific project streams related to advancing the discussions around Gender Equality and highlighting related topics.
These projects streams are important topics to include a wide arrange of extended partners that take into account all women, including the intersectionality / diverse women who are active in a variety of fields from the Arts to Technology, Sciences and Policy Making. Including those in the Creative and Cultural Industries, as we use our collective critical thinking to understand better how we can co-design inclusive, sustainable and beautiful way of living in across our Cities and Communities.
What are our Women of the NEB Project Topic Streams and Why are These Topics Important to contribute to an 'Inclusive, Sustainable and Beautiful' Way of Living?
Women and Public Space
Storytelling
Financing
We need to ensure safe public spaces for women and girls in both the urban and rural communities and cities across Europe and beyond.
With initiatives from UN Women, UN Habitat’s Her City programme to Empowering Women, Public Space and Climate Change, the topic of women and public space is important for several reasons. Here are some key points:
– Safety: Women often face safety concerns when navigating public spaces. These concerns can be physical, such as harassment or assault, or psychological, such as the fear of harassment or assault. Addresing safety concerns is crucial for women’s ability to access and enjoy public spaces.
– Access and participation: Women’s abiltiy to access and participate in public spaces can be limited by various factors, such as cultural norms, physical barriers, and discriminatory policies or practices. Ensuring that public spaces are accessible and inclusive is important for women’s ability to participate fully in social, cultural and economic life.
– Representation: Women are often underrepresented in public spaces, such as in leadership positions or as decision- makers in urban planning and design. This can limit women’s ability to shape th espaces they inhabit and contribute to a lack of diversity in public life.
– Health and well-being: Access to safe and inclusive public spaces is important for women’s physical and mental health and well-being. Public spaces can provide opportunities for physical activity, social interaction and relaxation., which are all important for maintaining good health.
Overall, the topic of women and public space is important and gaining more traction. The topic conveys the issues of safety, access, participation, representation, health and well-being. As well as contributing to eco-feminist cities, with consideration to spatial, racial and social justice. Addressing these issues is crucial for creating more equitable, inclusive, sustainable and thriving communties.
Storytelling is important for Women at the NEB, to take global perspectives of the diverse women living across Europe.
Firstly, storytelling allows individuals to share their experiences, perspectives and insights in a way that is accessible and engaging. By listening to stories from diverse women in Europe, we can gain a deeper understanding of their unique cultural and social contexts, as well as the challenges and opportunities they face.
Secondly, storytelling can help to challenge stereotypes and prejudices about diverse women in Europe. By sharing their stories, women can break down the barriers and misconceptions that have been perpetuated by dominant narratives in society.
Thirdly, storytelling can serve as a powerful tool for building empathy and connection across diverse communities. By hearing stories from women who come from different backgrounds and experiences, we can cultivate a greater understanding and compassion for one another.
Overall, storytelling places a crucial role in taking a global perspective of diverse women in Europe. Through storytelling, we can amplify diverse voices, challenge steriotypes, and build empathy and understanding across cultures and communities.
We plan to work, share and exchange with our extended network of partners.
The statistics on funding for women-led initiatives in Europe show that there is a significant gender gap in access to funding, particularly in the startup and entrepreneurship sectors. Women of the NEB wishes to encourage the dialogue and awareness around this topic, with our extended network. Here are some key statistics:
– In 2019, only 2.8% of venture capital funding in Europe went to female-led startups compared to 97.2% that went to male-led startups. (Atomica, 2019)
– Women-led startups in Europe receive an average €4.8 million in fuding, while male-led startups receive an average of €6million. (Sifted 2021).
– Only 16% of angel investors in Europe are women. (European Women in VC, 2019)
These above mentioned statistics are important because funding is crucial for the success of startups and entrepreneurship initiatives. Without access to funding, women-led initiatives may struggle to get off the ground or grow to their full potential. The gender gap in fundingcan also perpetuate gender inequalities in the business qorld and limit the diversity of ideas and perspectives that are represented in the marketplace.
Moreover, funding is not just important for individual women-led initiatives but also for the braoder economy. Women-led initiatives can create jobs, stimulate innovation and contribute to economic growth. Therefore, addressig the gender gap in funding is not only a matter of fairness and equality, but also has braoder economic implications.
The New European Bauhaus Community and extended network of partners, can play a vital role in advancing women's empowerment and gender equality.
Women and Public Space - Call to Action
– We call upon the New European Bauhaus Community partners, the European Commission and City leaders to prioritize initiatives that promote gender equality in public spaces. This can include increasing the visibility of women in public life, creating safe and inclusive spaces for women and girls, and promoting women’s leadership in urban planning and design. By promoting gender equality in the public sphere, we an create more equitable and sustainable communities for all. Let us work together to ensure that women have equal access to public spaces and are empowered to shape the public sphere in meaningful ways. Together we can build a more inclusive, equitable, sustainable future for all.
Women and Storytelling - Call to Action
We call upon the New European Bauhaus community partners, the European Commission and extended community to prioritize the voices and stories of all women, particularly those that highlight the role of migration in building an inclusive Europe and those that are vulnerable in our society. By amplifying these stories, we can create a more inclusive narrative of Europe that celebrates diversity and promotes inclusion and social cohesion. Let us work together to ensure that all women’s voices are heard and their stories are told, particularly those that have been historically marginalized and those that have faced discrimination. Together, we can build a more inclusive, sustainable and equitable future for all, one that embraces our shared heritage of migration and diversity.
Women and Financing - Call to Action
We call upon the New European Bauhaus community partners, the European Commission and extended community to prioritize women and financing as an important topic for gender equality. Financial empowerment plays a crucial role in advancing gender equality, as it enables women to have greater control over their economic lives, fosters entrepreneurship and innovation, and promotes social and economic progress. Historically, women have faced significant barriers in accessing financial resources, ranging from limited access to capital and credit to discriminatory lending practices. These barriers disproportionately affect women from minority backgrounds, those that are have physical or psycho-social disabilities, further exacerbating the existing gender, racial, discriminatory, inequalities in our society. Let’s together address these disparities and promote financial inclusivity, where we can create a more equitable, sustainable and just society for all.