In the run-up to International Women's Day in Rotterdam, a special route has been mapped out through Rotterdam Centre. Last week we kicked off with columnist and journalist Debby Gerritsen and Urban Department Store Rotterdam director Dominique van Elsacker. Watch the video and follow the route yourself!
Dominique Elsacker, the director of Urban Department Store Rotterdam, kicked off with columnist and journalist Debby Gerritsen. They were the first women to walk the International Women's Day Route in Rotterdam Centre last week.
The fact that Debby is one of the first to walk the route is a logical choice. As a real taboo breaker, she does not mince her words about women-related topics. She previously worked as editor-in-chief for the Viva, now she writes outspoken columns for the AD and has her own podcast 'Over de liefde' (translation: About love).
Debby lives in Amsterdam herself, but can often be found in Rotterdam because of her work as a columnist for the AD. "Amsterdam is very cosy, but Rotterdam has something cosmopolitan about it. It feels more like a big city with all the iconic buildings. I definitely like the atmosphere here."
During the International Women's Day Route you walk along ten beautiful places in Rotterdam Centre, including the City Hall, Depot of Boijmans van Beuningen and the Koopgoot. In these places you will find a sign where you can scan a QR code, after which you will see a video of an inspiring woman from Rotterdam.
For these videos, #RotterdamCentre entered into a conversation with ten Rotterdam women about various topics, such as women whom they find inspiring and their message for the younger generation of Rotterdam women.
Debby: "The route is a really fun way to see the city. In addition, it is a diverse group of inspiring women who speak well, each with strong stories. I would have liked to have spoken to them myself," says Debby about the route.
Something that the women unanimously agree on is that celebrating International Women's Day is still very important. Petra Kevenaar, one of the beautiful and powerful women interviewed for the route, says: "The battle has been won, but we are certainly not there yet."
Debby sees that women are increasingly taking up space and taking their place on stage. "It's nice to see that International Women's Day is becoming more and more widespread. It should be even bigger."
Watch the fun teaser video about the International Women's Day Route below. Walk along yourself and download the map here to find all the beautiful stories of inspiring women in our city centre. The International Women's Day Route can be followed until 13 March in the centre of our city.