This Knowledge Exchange is based on a joint webinar by BSR HERproject and SVRI, which discussed the role of private sector in VAW prevention and response.
Lucia manages the implementation of HERproject in Vietnam and oversees our HERrespect programming.
Prior to joining BSR, Lucia was an independent consultant in Mexico for two microfinance organizations serving women in rural and indigenous communities. In this role, she developed an impact assessment model to help the organizations measure their contribution to financial inclusion and women’s empowerment. Before that, she was a financial services consultant at PwC in Paris where she led implementation of risk and compliance programs for multinational banks.
Lucia holds a Master’s in Management and an M.A. in Political Philosophy and Ethics, both from Paris-Sorbonne University. She has B.A. in Philosophy from Toulouse University and is fluent in Spanish, French, and English.
HERproject Team
Lauren Shields
Associate Director | France
Lauren is responsible for the global implementation and quality of HERproject programming.
She also oversees HERproject’s strategy for monitoring and evaluation and program sustainability and contributes to BSR’s women’s empowerment practice.
Previously, Lauren worked at the Social Science Research Council in New York, where she conducted research on migration, development, and human rights. Lauren’s consulting experience includes giving advice on best practices for monitoring and evaluation for the Center for Socio-Economic Development and developing recommendations on the post-2015 Millennium Development Goals agenda for UNDP. With a focus on sustainability in emerging markets, Lauren has led research projects on value chain development and women’s empowerment in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Vietnam.
Lauren holds an M.A. in Public Affairs from Sciences Po and a B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University.
Lucia manages the implementation of HERproject in Vietnam and oversees our HERrespect programming.
Prior to joining BSR, Lucia was an independent consultant in Mexico for two microfinance organizations serving women in rural and indigenous communities. In this role, she developed an impact assessment model to help the organizations measure their contribution to financial inclusion and women’s empowerment. Before that, she was a financial services consultant at PwC in Paris where she led implementation of risk and compliance programs for multinational banks.
Lucia holds a Master’s in Management and an M.A. in Political Philosophy and Ethics, both from Paris-Sorbonne University. She has B.A. in Philosophy from Toulouse University and is fluent in Spanish, French, and English.
Lauren is responsible for the global implementation and quality of HERproject programming.
She also oversees HERproject’s strategy for monitoring and evaluation and program sustainability and contributes to BSR’s women’s empowerment practice.
Previously, Lauren worked at the Social Science Research Council in New York, where she conducted research on migration, development, and human rights. Lauren’s consulting experience includes giving advice on best practices for monitoring and evaluation for the Center for Socio-Economic Development and developing recommendations on the post-2015 Millennium Development Goals agenda for UNDP. With a focus on sustainability in emerging markets, Lauren has led research projects on value chain development and women’s empowerment in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Vietnam.
Lauren holds an M.A. in Public Affairs from Sciences Po and a B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University.
HERproject Team
Lucia Flores
Manager | France
Lucia manages the implementation of HERproject in Vietnam and oversees our HERrespect programming.
Prior to joining BSR, Lucia was an independent consultant in Mexico for two microfinance organizations serving women in rural and indigenous communities. In this role, she developed an impact assessment model to help the organizations measure their contribution to financial inclusion and women’s empowerment. Before that, she was a financial services consultant at PwC in Paris where she led implementation of risk and compliance programs for multinational banks.
Lucia holds a Master’s in Management and an M.A. in Political Philosophy and Ethics, both from Paris-Sorbonne University. She has B.A. in Philosophy from Toulouse University and is fluent in Spanish, French, and English.
Jeremy is a senior advisor to HERproject. He is also is in charge of serving and expanding BSR’s member base in Asia and integrating the work there into our global approach.
Jeremy has extensive experience in supply chain management, business integration, external communications, government relations and compliance operations. Prior to joining BSR in 2006, he spent more than 10 years on equipment sourcing, footwear production and corporate responsibility for Nike, Inc. He also worked in China for five years as the North Asia Regional Compliance Director, covering sustainability issues in Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
Jeremy holds an M.S. in Economic Development from the Patterson School of Diplomacy, and an M.S. in International Commerce from the University of Kentucky.
HERproject Team
Christine Svarer
Director, HERproject | France
Christine leads BSR’s HERproject—our women's empowerment workplace program that brings together global and local companies, business associations, and donors to support women in global supply chains through health, finance, and other curricula.
With more than 15 years working in international development, Christine has substantial global experience in women’s economic empowerment, private-sector development, financial inclusion, value chain development, enterpreneurship, cross-sector partnerships, and social enterprise.
Prior to BSR, Christine was the director of women’s economic empowerment at CARE International, leading the organization’s global work to support 30 million women and give them greater access to and control over economic resources and opportunities. Before that, Christine led CARE International’s work on private-sector development, focusing on inclusive business models and bottom-of-the-pyramid social enterprise development, and significantly expanding CARE’s strategic engagement with companies. Christine also previously worked on building leadership training programs for sustainable development at Lead International and for the United Nations Development Programme. She speaks English, Spanish and Danish.
Christine holds an M.S. in International Development and Business and a B.S. in International Business and Modern Languages, both from Copenhagen Business School. She also holds an Advanced Business Management degree from IESE Business School.
HERproject and IDH, The Sustainable Trade Initiative, are pleased to release a new brief on the importance of integrating a gender lens into financial inclusion programs.
Lauren is responsible for the global implementation and quality of HERproject programming.
She also oversees HERproject’s strategy for monitoring and evaluation and program sustainability and contributes to BSR’s women’s empowerment practice.
Previously, Lauren worked at the Social Science Research Council in New York, where she conducted research on migration, development, and human rights. Lauren’s consulting experience includes giving advice on best practices for monitoring and evaluation for the Center for Socio-Economic Development and developing recommendations on the post-2015 Millennium Development Goals agenda for UNDP. With a focus on sustainability in emerging markets, Lauren has led research projects on value chain development and women’s empowerment in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Vietnam.
Lauren holds an M.A. in Public Affairs from Sciences Po and a B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University.
HERproject Team
Lucia Flores
Manager | France
Lucia manages the implementation of HERproject in Vietnam and oversees our HERrespect programming.
Prior to joining BSR, Lucia was an independent consultant in Mexico for two microfinance organizations serving women in rural and indigenous communities. In this role, she developed an impact assessment model to help the organizations measure their contribution to financial inclusion and women’s empowerment. Before that, she was a financial services consultant at PwC in Paris where she led implementation of risk and compliance programs for multinational banks.
Lucia holds a Master’s in Management and an M.A. in Political Philosophy and Ethics, both from Paris-Sorbonne University. She has B.A. in Philosophy from Toulouse University and is fluent in Spanish, French, and English.
HERproject Team
Margaux Yost
Manager | France
Margaux is the global lead for HERproject’s health pillar and oversees the program’s expansion in East Africa by strengthening multistakeholder partnerships to open industry-level roundtable dialogues in supply chains. Furthermore, she develops HERproject’s monitoring and evaluation framework.
She also supports BSR’s wider women’s empowerment practice by applying a gender-sensitive lens to research and social auditing methodologies and conducting field research in frontier markets.
Margaux has global health experience in program management, design, and monitoring and evaluation, with a particular interest in behavior change communication development programs. Her expertise draws from field experience as a health advisor in the U.S. Peace Corps and social research and program management positions at M&C Saatchi World Services, The Hunger Project, and the International Medical Corps.
Margaux holds an M.S. in Social Psychology from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Toronto.
Dominic Kotas, Communications Associate, Collaborative Initiatives | Paris; Lauren Shields, Associate Director | France
Leading global brands and their suppliers are putting their weight behind efforts to address violence against women through workplace-based interventions.
Lauren is responsible for the global implementation and quality of HERproject programming.
She also oversees HERproject’s strategy for monitoring and evaluation and program sustainability and contributes to BSR’s women’s empowerment practice.
Previously, Lauren worked at the Social Science Research Council in New York, where she conducted research on migration, development, and human rights. Lauren’s consulting experience includes giving advice on best practices for monitoring and evaluation for the Center for Socio-Economic Development and developing recommendations on the post-2015 Millennium Development Goals agenda for UNDP. With a focus on sustainability in emerging markets, Lauren has led research projects on value chain development and women’s empowerment in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Vietnam.
Lauren holds an M.A. in Public Affairs from Sciences Po and a B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University.
We are proud to launch a new strategy for HERproject to double our impact and improve the well-being, confidence, and economic potential of women working in global supply chains.
Christine leads BSR’s HERproject—our women's empowerment workplace program that brings together global and local companies, business associations, and donors to support women in global supply chains through health, finance, and other curricula.
With more than 15 years working in international development, Christine has substantial global experience in women’s economic empowerment, private-sector development, financial inclusion, value chain development, enterpreneurship, cross-sector partnerships, and social enterprise.
Prior to BSR, Christine was the director of women’s economic empowerment at CARE International, leading the organization’s global work to support 30 million women and give them greater access to and control over economic resources and opportunities. Before that, Christine led CARE International’s work on private-sector development, focusing on inclusive business models and bottom-of-the-pyramid social enterprise development, and significantly expanding CARE’s strategic engagement with companies. Christine also previously worked on building leadership training programs for sustainable development at Lead International and for the United Nations Development Programme. She speaks English, Spanish and Danish.
Christine holds an M.S. in International Development and Business and a B.S. in International Business and Modern Languages, both from Copenhagen Business School. She also holds an Advanced Business Management degree from IESE Business School.
Dominic Kotas, Communications Associate, Collaborative Initiatives | Paris
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is high in Bangladesh (27% during the last 12 months), new study reveals even higher rates, almost double, amongst female garment workers (53%) and of those 40% are reporting symptoms of depression. The UK aid-funded study released today by the icddr,b and BSR’s HERproject reveal business can play a leading role in preventing and addressing IPV, by leveraging the workplace as platforms of positive social change.
Marat Yu, Former Manager | Hong Kong; Dominic Kotas, Communications Associate, Collaborative Initiatives | Paris
Business has a key role to play in addressing the systemic issue of violence against women in and beyond the workplace. Here are some examples of how to lead.
