On the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8th, Vienna’s largest shopping center invites a large number of organizations to present their projects and offers for girls and women in the center. The all-day event in the Arena event area will be opened at 10 a.m. by Center Manager Julia Gattringer together with District Manager Ernst Nevrivy. As part of the diverse supporting program, university professor Dr. in Beate Wimmer-Puchinger with a lecture on “What makes women sick”. Also on the programme: an entertaining reading by the well-known writer Elfriede Hammerl from her socially critical columns. Similar to a trade fair, the invited organizations have the opportunity to present their offers and services that they offer specifically for women. The organizations include the NGO Plan International, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the SPÖ women, the Donaustadt adult education center, the aid organization, the Donaustadt learning center, the Vienna Youth Centers Association, the Vienna police and the social-democratic business association.
“Retail is largely female: both the majority of our visitors and employees in the stores are girls and women. For this reason, it is all the more important to me personally and my entire team to create a positive and safe environment for women create,” says Julia Gattringer, Center Manager of the Westfield Donau Zentrum.
Live act and exhibition by an artist
Musical entertainment will be provided at 12:30 p.m. by the only 14-year-old Viennese singer Mirjam Catal, who will be presenting her new single “Strong” for the first time. In addition, the Chilean-Austrian artist Agostina Suazo is exhibiting some of her work, which portrays strong women in all their colors and forms. Furthermore, all visitors have the opportunity to try their luck on the wheel of fortune and win attractive gifts from the shops of the Westfield Donau Zentrum.
A silent sign for more safety
As the first shopping center in Austria, the Westfield Donau Zentrum is launching a new initiative for girls and women on the occasion of this year’s International Women’s Day. From March 8th, all visitors will have the opportunity to get discreet help at the reception if necessary with a code word or hand signal. “In order to be able to offer discreet help in critical situations, we have trained all employees in non-verbal communication and how to use the “Signal for help” over the past few weeks. In this way, we want to ensure that emergency situations are recognized and that we can of the case, we can offer adequate assistance depending on the situation,” says Julia Gattringer, Center Manager of the Westfield Donau Zentrum.
The sign “Signal for help” is a small, simple gesture with a big effect: by signing or pronouncing the code question: “Is Luisa here?” visitors can be helped quickly and discreetly if necessary. The hand movement, established by the Canadian Women’s Association or the code question from a women’s emergency call in Münster (Germany), is intended to draw the attention of the employees at the center receptions and the security team to the emergency situation of a woman. Other initiatives such as the free provision of feminine hygiene items are being implemented as a new service.
About the WESTFIELD DONAU CENTER
With a leasable area of 133,000 square meters, around 3,600 employees in 262 shops and 19 million visitors per year, the Westfield Donau Zentrum is the largest shopping center in Vienna. With “The Kitchen” it offers an entertainment center with the largest cinema in Austria, a Cineplexx cinema including IMAX® technology and 20 restaurants. As part of the group-wide sustainability initiative “Better Places 2030”, new initiatives (including since 2019: social market with the Samaritan Association and photovoltaic system) are implemented every year in the areas of sustainability and environmental protection. It is owned by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, the world’s leading developer and operator of flagship shopping centers.