3 April 2025 – Building a Respectful Workplace
Last week, LDIA hosted a powerful panel discussion centered on “Building a Respectful Workplace,” addressing issues of transgressive behavior in professional environments.
The evening kicked off with a warm welcome from our Chair, Kat Van Nuffel, followed by a thought-provoking video featuring Jane Elliott, which underscored the importance of the evening’s theme.
Yasmina El Kaddouri then delivered a compelling keynote speech, highlighting the importance of understanding and addressing issues of transgressive behavior.
The panelists Crรฉpine Uwashema, Patrick Charlier, Sovanna Hem and Mila Paspalanova explored the significant impact of microaggressions on mental health and how various forms of discrimination shape personal well-being. The conversation brought to light the detrimental effects of behaviors such as racism and tokenism in the workplace, emphasizing the urgent need for awareness and change. Disturbing statistics on sexism, discrimination, and racism within the legal sector were shared, challenging the perception of justice in a field that is supposed to embody it.
The discussion delved further into the power dynamics within organizations, emphasizing the necessity for leaders to demonstrate their commitment to DEI through actionable measures. The significance of unconscious bias training was underscored, along with calls for mandatory training on recognizing and reporting transgressive behavior.ย Additionally,ย the concept of establishing safe spaces for open dialogue about discrimination was highlighted as a crucial step toward fostering conversations without fear of retribution.
During the Q&A session, the audience actively engaged through a Mentimeter questionnaire. The sincerity with which the questions were answered was hopeful, setting a positive tone to continue the conversation.
Els Koninckx concluded the evening with an insightful presentation on the Trust Person initiative launched by the OVB. She highlighted the ongoing efforts in promoting DEI through the establishment of an advisory council.
Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to this essential conversation. Together, we can work towards creating safer and more inclusive workplaces for all!
#BuildingARespectfulWorkplace #DEI #PanelDiscussion #Inclusion #WorkplaceCulture
See photos below – Photographer MaximuZ
๐๐๐ฒ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ค๐๐ซ๐ฌ
๐ Yasmina El Kaddouri is a legal expert specialized in human rights, anti-discrimination law, EU law, and criminal law. Her expertise lies at the intersection of law and inclusion, where she develops legal and policy strategies to address structural inequalities.
๐ Els Koninckx is managing partner at Koninckx & Broekmans Advocaten.ย She is also a board member of the Order of the Flemish Bars, overseeing key areas such as training, internships, quality, and well-being.
๐๐๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ
๐ Crepine Uwashema is a lawyer at the Dutch-speaking bar in Brussels. She came to Belgium with her family as a refugee at an early age and grew up in Flanders. After completing her law studies at VUB, Crรฉpine Uwashema chose to work as a lawyer in 2013.ย She is currently a partner at the Brussels-based firm Juscogens, where she focuses mainly on criminal law and public international law, with a particular focus on discrimination in all its forms.
๐ Mila Paspalanova is a psychologist, specialized in organizational, personality and clinical psychology. Holding postgraduate diploma in neurophysiology and psychopharmacology. Doctor in social and political sciences from the Catholic University of Leuven, and Master in Statistics. She has served for over 17 years with the UN, first with UNHCR in Mexico and then with OHCHR where she was in charge of in the design of human rights policies and monitoring human rights with special focus on vulnerable populations in multiple Latin American Countries. She is currently the OHCHR Anti-racial Discrimination Advisor for Europe.
๐ Patrick Charlier is a lawyer by training. He has worked for the Ligue des droits humains (Human Rights Ligue), first as legal advisor (1992-1996), then as director (1996-2001). In 2001 he joined Unia, where he has held various positions: first within the Racism Department and the Migration Observatory, then as coordinator of the Discrimination Department and finally as director.ย Patrick has been chair of Equinet (European network of equality bodies) since October 2023. He is also an alternate member of the Central Supervisory Board for the Prison System.
๐ Sovanna Hem is a true people person with over 15 years experience in all aspects of Human Resources and DEI.ย No matter what topic he’s interested in like inclusion, talent development or change management, Sovanna will always challenge the norm and rewrite the narrative. His mantra: dare to change.
30 January 2025 – 6th anniversary celebration of the launch of LDIA
๐ Celebrating 6 Years of LDIA and Promoting LGBTQIA+ Equality ๐
We are thrilled to share the success of our ๐ฒ๐๐ต ๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ต ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐๐๐ on January 30th. This special evening was dedicated to celebrating DEI and fundamental LGBQTIA+ human rights in the European Union and an inclusive legal sector.
Our event was inspired by a recent EU report on LGBTQIA+ Equality, which highlighted that acceptance is at a critical point within the 27-country bloc. While progress has been made in many areas, significant challenges remain, particularly concerning the bullying of LGBTQIA+ students. The report revealed that in Belgium and the Netherlands, traditionally leaders in LGBTQIA+ rights, over 60% of LGBTQIA+ students have faced ridicule, teasing, insults, or threats โ an alarming increase compared to a 2019 poll.
As the legal industry hires many students each year, our seminar and networking event aimed to: (i) Celebrate diversity and inclusion; (ii) Raise awareness of ongoing challenges; (iii) Show our relentless support for LGBTQIA+ students; and (iv) Identify concrete, urgent actions for change.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Bird & Bird and ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ for spearheading the organization of this impactful event. We are deeply thankful to our inspiring panel members for sharing their invaluable insights, and to our moderators, Hein Hobbelen and Chris Noordam, for their exceptional contributions.
Our appreciation also goes out to all ๐๐๐๐ members for their unwavering dedication to fostering a safe and supportive environment for everyone. And of course, a big thank you to our enthusiastic audience.
The evening featured inspiring contributions from:
๐ญ Live Your Story, whose actors vividly brought to life the importance of creating an inclusive and empathetic society through theater and storytelling.
๐ถ Talented musicians from the Brussels Conservatoire, adding a creative music and theatre vibe to the event.
Our Chair, Kathleen M. (Kat) Van Nuffel, concluded the evening with a powerful reminder that DEI is here to stay. We will continue to advocate for equality and strive towards a future where everyone can live authentically and without fear.
See photos belowย (Photographer Maximuz)
