Anne Beffort Prize

For the 2023 Anne Beffort Prize, which focuses on women's empowerment in society, the College of Aldermen has chosen to honour the "Local Sheroes" initiative, a community project that spotlights women who live or work in the northern districts of Luxembourg City – Beggen, Dommeldange, Eich, Mühlenbach and Weimerskirch. In harnessing their superpowers – which include courage, skill, empathy and self-sacrifice – these women are invaluable members of our diverse society. The project was coordinated by the Lycée des Arts et Métiers and ASTI's "Community Social Work" team, which strives to encourage participatory projects and foster networking among the residents of Luxembourg City's northern districts. The project culminated in a photo exhibition – displayed around the multi-use sports field in Laval Park – showing eight portraits of women from different backgrounds, accompanied by brief captions recounting their inspiring stories.

In awarding the 2022 Anne Beffort Prize to IMS – Inspiring More Sustainability, an independent, apolitical, non-profit organization, the City was keen to honour the this organisation's commitment to gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights, among its many missions. Over the years, this organisation has become a national leader in corporate social responsibility. Thanks to its collaborative approach, IMS manages to initiate pragmatic, effective and sustainable solutions to the real problems that face our society, giving companies and institutions the tools needed to develop projects with a positive social impact as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives.

In awarding the Anne Beffort Prize 2021 to the Centre LGBTIQ+ CIGALE, the College of Aldermen wished to acknowledge this association's tireless commitment and the valuable work it carries out in Luxembourg City to advance equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community, which continues to face discrimination and prejudice in all areas of daily life.

In awarding the Anne Beffort Prize 2020 to ANIL, the College of Aldermen wished to acknowledge the exemplary commitment and tireless efforts of healthcare personnel during the Covid-19 pandemic, and to highlight the importance of healthcare and care professions in general. We as a society do not express near enough appreciation for nurses, most of whom are women. This prize is therefore awarded to the ANIL in order raise public awareness of the profession, and to given our female and male nurses the recognition they so thoroughly deserve.

For its boys' dance class in its performing arts section. The College of Aldermen awarded the 2019 Anne Beffort Prize to the Luxembourg City Conservatoire, acknowledging the Conservatoire's efforts in promoting gender equality in the cultural sphere. This class offers real encouragement to boys who want to dance, and has even opened the door for several to study dance abroad.

"Voix de jeunes femmes" (The Voice of Young Women) is a group for young men and women aged 16 to 30. It was created to involve young people in the fight against sexism and to condemn the inequality that affects young people. The City recognised the association's commitment to promoting equal opportunities, equal rights and equal treatment of men and women.

The City wished to acknowledge Ms Flesch's leading role as a politician in promoting Luxembourg City, the Grand Duchy and Europe; she was the first female mayor of the capital in 1970, at a time when women were still somewhat rare in politics; she was a member of the Chamber of Deputies in the 1960s, 1980s and 2000s, and served as Deputy Prime Minister under the Werner government from 1980 to 1984. In addition, she was a member of the European Parliament and Director-General of the European Commission, in the areas of culture, communication, sport and translation.

In recognition of its health cafés drop-in programme for female refugees and women seeking international protection. The association is committed to combating violence against female refugees and to promoting their integration.

ALUPSE, the Luxembourg association for social paediatrics, was founded in 1984 to reflect and act on child abuse issues in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. During her paediatrics studies, with ALUPSE and her team, Dr Idoya Perez focused on researching and creating structures for learning about mother–child attachment, especially in situations where women find themselves isolated, suffering from psychiatric illnesses, experiencing hardship or victims of violence, with the aim of establishing a social approach to paediatrics in Luxembourg.

Girls in Tech Luxembourg, a young and dynamic association set up in January 2014, is committed to the technological education of women: mastering new technologies and tools gives women access to job opportunities in this area, and is essential in the modern work place. Thus, the association supports women at a range of levels, helping them to remain competitive in the job market, gain self-confidence in a field with which they are sometimes not too familiar, develop networks and acquire IT skills.

In awarding the 2013 Anne Beffort Prize to Planning Familial Luxembourg, the City wished to acknowledge the association's commitment to gender equality in the health sector.

The City wished to acknowledge the association's commitment to a better balance between work and home life, through their "Krank Kanner Doheem" service, which offers home care for sick children by qualified staff. This service allows both parents to go to work, safe in the knowledge that their sick child is in good hands and thus actively helps improve working conditions for working women.

Since its creation in 1984, SaF has worked tirelessly for gender equality through a series of initiatives. In 1998, for example, Gaston Zangerlé, an SaF member, paid homage to Elsy Jacobs, the world women's cycling champion, in his book "Elsy Jacobs, la grande-duchesse de la petite reine" (Elsy Jacobs, Grand Duchess of the Little Queen). Three years later, SaF organised its first "Randonnée Elsy Jacobs" for touring cyclists, which has since become extremely popular and is now traditionally held every year on 1 May in Garnich, Elsy's birthplace. In 2008, the non-profit association set up an international women's cycling race.

In addition, in 2010, SaF introduced the "Mérite Elsy Jacobs" prize for the promotion of women's sport, which is awarded to individuals who are particularly committed to encouraging women's sport. Other SaF events, including a round table session on the challenges faced by women cyclists and the differences between cycling for women and men, and the "City Trophy Elsy Jacobs", organised for the first time in Luxembourg City, were a resounding success in 2011.

Journalist and author of fifteen books of poems, play scripts, short stories, a humorous and satirical tourist book about the City of Luxembourg and even a children's book, Josiane Kartheiser started to write and publish at a time when not many female authors were published. Kartheiser's work reflects a very fine and sensitive analysis of Luxembourg society in general, and of the place of women, their struggle, and their efforts to gain emancipation and to find their place in all areas of life.

This non-profit association, founded in 2004, now includes over 100 female business leaders from across a wide range of sectors. Its purpose is to bring together female business leaders with a view to providing them with support, training and information, improving their visibility, offering them local and international business opportunities, and developing a sense of solidarity and mutual support. It also undertakes initiatives to raise public awareness of female business leaders and to encourage more women to pursue careers in that direction.

A lawyer committed to raising awareness of the issue of the emancipation of women in Luxembourg, through her writings on the achievements of Aline Mayrisch in the field of women's rights.

Actress, director and artistic director of the Théâtre du Centaure, recognised for her commitment to women's issues in her theatrical work and for the creation of a contemporary repertoire of works that touch on different aspects of women's lives to encourage reflection, help raise awareness and sometimes also inform or give a voice to those who have never had one.

For its educational initiatives and activities, such as the creation of a public library in the city with some 12,400 documents showcasing the lives and achievements of those women who have influenced the course of European and world history, and whose efforts deserve to be remembered by future generations. Other initiatives include the "mädchenfreundlicher Bücherkoffer" (book box for girls) and "KeK – Kinder entdecken Künstlerinnen" (kids discover women artists) projects. Cid-Femmes has also developed various initiatives aimed at raising awareness of gender issues and advocating a more tolerant and egalitarian society. Girls' Day, in particular, aims to show people that men and women can have the same career path, regardless of their gender.

For its initiative "Neen – géint d'Gewalt" ("No to Violence"). Carried out in collaboration with the school commission in several of the city's schools, this project had two components: prevention workshops in elementary schools and help for children exposed to domestic violence. Both teachers and children were involved.

For its "Schläifmillen" project aimed at getting unemployed young people back on the job market, which helped to get many unemployed young women enrolled in a re-employment scheme at an electronic waste treatment workshop and find a job afterwards.