Rina Bovrisse

Rina Bovrisse (born 1974, Japan) is a fashion executive, gender equality activist and entrepreneur. Bovrisse is known for her involvement in the Prada gender discrimination case, wherein she sought the involvement of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Education

In 1990, she moved to New York City for United Nations International School, but attended Lawrence Academy at Groton boarding school in New England for housing issue.

In 1992, she moved to Paris and attended American University of Paris, Parsons Paris and University of Paris. She also lived in London for Central Saint Martins in Fashion Design. In 1998, she graduated with BBA in Design Marketing from Parsons The New School for Design in New York City.^[1]

Fashion career

Her fashion career started during her teen years in the early 1990s in Paris. She opened her small purchasing office and worked as liaison for shops carrying Vivienne Westwood and Martin Margiela products. She appeared at events at Les Bains Douches in Paris. She started working in the showroom of Comme des Garçons in New York City.

After graduating from Parsons The New School for Design, she continued working at Comme des Garçons executive office. She was recruited to Prada Marketing in New York City and represented Prada and Miu Miu runway collections in Milan showroom. In 2001, she began working at Chanel headquarters in New York City.

Most of her fashion career, she worked for Chanel Fashion Division in New York City and Paris.

In 2009, she was accepted to American University of Paris to finish her masters degree, but while traveling to Paris, a friend at Prada in New York recommended a job at Prada Japan, which Bovrisse took instead.

Public roles

Bovrisse has lectured on gender equality and positive action at law schools, universities, fashion schools and TED.

Public recognition

On April, 2010, Elle France selected Bovrisse as “The Woman Of The Week”.^[2] On September, 2010, Bloomberg featured Bovrisse as “Heroine of the Global Economy”.^[3] On January, 2011, she was featured as “Female Icon Of The Year” alongside Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni in a Spanish newspaper Correio da Manhã.^[4]

TV interviews

On August 6, 2013, she was interviewed by CBS Los Angeles news by CBS TV reporter, Andrea Fujii and commented, “I want to eliminate any discrimination and harassment in the fashion industry because it’s not beautiful”.^[5]

On December 2, 2013, Bovrisse appeared on live American TV show, D.N.A. on Fusion (TV channel) launched with President Barack Obama on October 28, 2013.

Fusion (TV channel) is owned by Disney–ABC Television Group and Univision Communications.^[6] The show features news, lifestyle, pop culture, and entertainment by anchor Derrick Ashong, a musician, artist, activist and Oprah Radio host^[7] interviewed with Oprah Winfrey.^[8] Bovrisse was a guest speaker for Fashion Week Special and commented, “No one should feel uncomfortable about themselves. How you present yourself is who you are, what you wear and how you look is who you are. Everyone should be comfortable with that.”^[9]

Media coverage

Bovrisse reached global media attention from breaking news and cover stories, eventually the first female executive to bring a fashion case to the United Nations for human rights of women.^[10]

On March 2010, Bovrisse became a global recognition when Prada Gender Discrimination Case went public by The Japan Times.^[11]

Activism

United Nations

The UN has backed Bovrisse and The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for Japan's State party to introduce new regulations that would make sexual harassment in the workplace illegal.

The Committee also recommended that the State party ensure that victims can lodge complaints without fear of retaliation.^[12] In 2013, Bovrisse pointed out that Japan, has the 3rd largest economy of the world and 42% of the nation's workers being females, but gender equality was ranked 101st out of 135 countries measured by Global Gender Gap Report 2012.^[13][14][15] Global Gender Gap Report 2013 reported Japan ranked 105th between Cambodia and Nigeria, 20 ranks apart to Pakistan.^[16] In 2014, Japan remained one of the worst levels of gender equality in the developed world, below that of Tajikistan and Indonesia, coming in 104th.^[17]

American Chamber of Commerce

In 2013, American Chamber of Commerce in Japan The Women in Business Committee welcomed Bovrisse as spokesperson of Global Advocate for Women in Business at Tokyo American Club.^[18]

Hong Kong Legislative Council

On May 2011, Bovrisse was invited to The Hong Kong Legislative Council to meet with the council members and lawmakers. Bovrisse met with the Chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Hong Kong, Emily Lau, and the General Secretary of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, Lee Cheuk-yan, on IPO regulations.^[19][20] Hong Kong Stock Exchange IPO regulation was later updated to include compliance monitoring before approved for IPO.

On May 8, 2012, Asian Transnational Corporations Monitoring Network sent a letter against LVMH Group in hiring Sebastian Suhl for Givenchy who was the key player of sexual harassment and discrimination case. ^[21]

On June 7, 2013, 15 Hong Kong NGOs co-signed a "Statement for Press" which backed Bovrisse to support improve gender equality and empowering women around the world.^[22]

On October 2013, Bovrisse presented to advocate the promotion of women’s human rights in Hong Kong with Pramila Patten, Vice Chairperson of the CEDAW Committee organized by the Center for Comparative and Public Law (CCPL) of the University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Women's Coalition on Equal Opportunities and the Women’s Studies Research Centre (WSRC), joined by Emily Lau and Hong Kong NGOs. She spoke about the due diligence of the Hong Kong Exchange in implementing to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. ^[23]

New fashion culture

She was the first fashion executive to voice against gender discrimination in luxury fashion industry and brought a case to the United Nations.

In April–August 2013, a Change.org petition calling for Prada to drop its countersuit against Bovrisse collected over 222,000 signatures.^[24] A report detailing Bovrisse's case was accepted by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR).^[25][26]

References