Step by Step: Everyday Gestures for Women

8 March 2025 · Place du Moulin · Heritage Resorts & Golf, Mauritius

That morning at Place du Moulin, there were no formal speeches. Instead, two women, two complementary voices, chose to speak plainly. To speak truthfully. The audience gathered by Heritage Resorts & Golf included employees of the property, scouts from the region, Lions Club Mauritius members and partners from the Bel Ombre community. Together, they listened as Dr Émilie Rivet-Duval and Gaëlle Schluchter posed two simple questions to mark International Women's Day... but not easy ones.

Who am I, really? And what do I actually consent to?

Two hours of themed talks that resembled nothing like a ceremonial address.

Dr Émilie Rivet-Duval (Konekte) — "Who am I?"

The clinical psychologist and CEO of Konekte didn't arrive with slogans. She arrived with an image: Russian dolls. Every woman carries within her the child she once was, the teenager she grew through, the professional she has become. Knowing yourself means opening those layers... without judgment.

Her central message: don't wait for government action, don't wait for inequalities to disappear. Act today, at your own scale. "Tipa tipa, step by step, every day, a word, a gesture, can change a woman's life."

She also named a reality that often goes unspoken: in Mauritius, mental health resources remain drastically insufficient. Too few psychologists, too little public investment. And yet that is where everything begins: the ability to set limits, name what you feel, refuse what is unacceptable.

« We cannot wait for the right moment to protect women. Each day is enough on its own. Tipa tipa. »

Gaëlle Schluchter (LespriSEXY) — "Learning to Respect Yourself"

Gaëlle Schluchter chose to address consent. Not as an abstract legal concept, but as a daily tool. To make it tangible, she offered an acronym: R.E.E.L.S.

• Reversible and revocable: an agreement given today can be withdrawn tomorrow, with no explanation required.

• Enlightened: you only consent to what you genuinely understand.

• Enthusiastic: the 'yes' must be clear, frank, unambiguous... never reluctant.

• Liberty: no pressure, no coercion, whether emotional, hierarchical, or otherwise.

• Specific: saying yes to one thing does not mean saying yes to everything. Every situation requires its own agreement.

In hospitality, where hierarchical dynamics run deep and guest interactions are constant, this framework is not optional. It is essential.

Gaëlle Schluchter was direct about it: conditioning women to always smile, always say yes, exposes them to harm. Unlearning that attitude takes time...

« An enthusiastic 'yes' is not a resigned 'yes'. You feel the difference. You have to learn to name it. »

What this morning says about Mauritian hospitality

Heritage Resorts chose to create this space, not to tick a box, but to offer genuine, open conversation.

Women's empowerment in hospitality will not come through HR policies or value charters alone. It will come through mornings like this one, through words like these, spoken simply. Two specialists, two difficult subjects, an audience that listened. Tipa tipa nu avance.