Over the last month we have been working hard on our partnerships. No BPW members exhibited during the Vicenzaoro exhibition, but we are in the process of preparing for member participation in January 2023. Similarly, we held discussions with engineers on the use of machinery in Africa. Contact the > President's Office if you have a wholesale company, are used to exhibitions and would like to participate in Vicenza.
Our projects for Ukraine have also moved forward. I would like to take this opportunity to thank from the bottom of my heart all members, clubs and federations who are donating and have donated to Ukraine. As the geopolitical situation stands, the war will keep us busy for a long time. The aid on the ground and for the refugees is highly topical, but also the projects for the integration of the refugee women and children in the host countries of Europe will be a long-lasting process.
BPW International continues with its webinar series: on 28 April 2022 at 4pm CET, our Executive Secretary, Jenny Gulamany Abdulla, will continue the series with a webinar entitled Understanding BPW's International Statutes.
I hope you have all had a chance to relax a little over the Easter period and I extend my warmest greetings to you.
Dr. Catherine Bosshart
BPW International President 2021-2024
We are still in contact with the Chernihiv club. The situation is catastrophic. President Julia has written to us saying that she has returned to her half-destroyed house at short notice:
«I thought I was strong … but the last days were too hard to accept. The condition of cities and towns and most importantly the people, after the retreat of the Russian army is shocking. […] Hundreds, thousands of civilians were ruthlessly killed, tortured, raped […] Those who survived are in critical conditions, both physically and psychologically […] It is sad to see that many systems do not work. This applies to both government and business, as well as the volunteer movement. […] We need to react instantly to change, readjust processes, admit mistakes and form strong teams of like-minded people. Humanitarian-aid is being stolen, logistics are not set up, in some regions there is a surplus and work in reserve, in others – famine and death…»
Recently, a Swiss-Ukranian helper talked to her on the phone. Julia and all the BPW members are alive. Some of the members sought refuge in a more secure area of Ukraine. In Chernihiv, she can again buy things. The surrounding villages are in a worse situation.
Goods Transport to Ukraine
Thursday April 21, 2022, a goods transport left Switzerland for the Polish border and will be forwarded from there to Chernihiv and Charkov. We have been able to give a first comprehensive shipment to our club in Chernihiv. This has been done in cooperation with Ukrainehilfe in Graubünden. I would like to thank Lydia Buchli and Beatrice Meisser from BPW Davos Klosters for the cooperation.
BPW Bern is collecting for our former members in Eastern Ukraine. Also a big thank you to the Bern Twinning Working Group.
We have also been able to support the transit station for refugees in Lviv with a contribution so that they can continue to offer women and children on the run a place to go with food, sleeping facilities and medical care. The station is intact and working at full speed. According to the latest information, there are around 400,000 refugees in Lviv.
We are also in contact with BPW Arad in Romania, President Dana Sas and Moldova who have to cope with a large number of refugees. At the moment we are clarifying how we can best be effective.
In Europe, more projects are in the pipeline.
BPW Italy has submitted a project for Ukrainian female students. FIDAPA BPW Italy is in contact with various universities and has achieved that they want to waive the registration fees for Ukrainian refugees. A scholarship will help 7 students to continue their studies.
BPW Madrid has developed a project to help Ukrainian women to regain a foothold in professional life.
Please send projects that help Ukrainian refugees to rebuild their lives in the West to the > President's Office.
BPW Made a Difference
Support for BPW Lebanon after the explosion on 4 August 2020 After the terrible explosion in Beirut, BPW International launched a campaign to collect money for the people who had lost their homes. BPW Australia showed its sympathy and solidarity by donating a 40ft. container of 93 sewing machines, 420 rolls of textiles and 265 cardboard boxes of haberdashery. With the donated material, BPW Lebanon helped women in need of work to sew blankets and offer them to those affected in the worst way by the blast at the beginning of autumn. The salary of the seamstresses was paid with the money donated by BPW International and ABWOC. After that, BPW Lebanon members organized special workshops in Jounieh, in Abey and in Yahchouch including as many seamstresses as possible to create and to sell handmade designs, thus making a difference to their lives. Four exhibitions for the purpose of widening the circle of customers took place in France. So far 200 families in need were able to be helped. The project continues and will hopefully be effective for more families. > Website
bpw.webinars
bpw.webinar Membership
The webinar was held on 29 March 2022 with a large attendance. Giuseppina Seidita explored the questions of where in the world BPW is represented, how the association has developed in this triennium, which partnerships offer new business opportunities to our members and what her goals are as VP Membership. The webinar is available as a video, the link can be found on our > website.
On 28 April 2022, a webinar is planned by Jenny Gulamani-Abdulla, JD, BPW International Executive Secretary 2021-2024, Canada. She will dedicate herself to the topic Understanding BPW International's Constitution. The link to register can be found on our > website.
The webinars organised by the Executive are each hosted by the holders of the different portfolios who speak about their own topic.
Equal Pay - Gender Pension Gap
Roundtable “Equal Pension Day”: Your retirement is determined today.
This year, BPW Switzerland's Equal Pay Day focuses on the issue of pensions in general and 2nd pillar pensions in particular. In this area, women are especially discriminated against through unequal salaries. This imbalance is perpetuated throughout the period of retirement. In their working life, many women are not aware of the consequences a reduction in the time of their working life will have during their pensionable life. This roundtable intends to make the consequences visible. This Gender Pension Gap is much more significant than the salary gap.
It is important that the attention to this problem is raised at the beginning of professional life and that concrete proposals can be implemented.
Recent studies show that women tend to worry about their pension plans later than men and that they are generally unaware of this area. This roundtable will allow us to raise women's awareness so that they can grasp the complex facets of this issue at an earlier stage. In this way, they will be better able to lay the groundwork for a retirement that is as comfortable as possible.
This round table is organized by BPW Fribourg in connection with the Swiss Equal Pay Day and will take place at the University of Fribourg in French with simultaneous translation. > Invitation
News from the Executive Board
Partnerships
During the Vicenza Jewellery Fair (17-21 March 2022), International President Dr Catherine Bosshart and Immediate Past President Dr Amany Asfour, in her capacity as President of the African Business Council, held talks with the CEO of the Italian Exhibition Group (IEG) on further cooperation to be extended to sectors other than precious metals and jewellery: Clothing, Fitness, Cosmetics and Food. We are planning a conference within the Jewellery Fair in January 2023 on sustainable mining and processing of precious metals and jewels.
With the CEO of IEG Italian Exhibition Group Corrado Peraboni
March 2021 Congress Accounts
In the next few days the revised 2021 Virtual Congress Statement of Accounts will be sent to the Board. As some members may not be aware, the Congress Accounts are always done by the President of the then Congress together with her Chief Financial Officer. Congress accounting and BPW International accounting are totally separated. The current President and her Chief Financial Officer will be responsible for the 2024 Congress. The Congress Accounts must be sent to the International Board after the first year of the new triennium.
Constitutional Corner
Know your constitution #5
Membership
by Jenny Gulamani-Abdulla, JD, BPW International Executive Secretary 2021-2024, Canada > Website
BPW International is one of the most influential international networks of business and professional women with affiliates in over 100 countries in five continents. You can view our Affiliate Federations and Clubs on this map. By clicking on the country, you will be able to access their status, region and contact details.
Based on our Constitution under R5. Affiliates, you will find the following:
R5.1. Affiliate Federations
There can only be one Affiliate Federation in each country;
Where a country has at least 3 Affiliate Clubs and at least 100 named members, the Affiliate Clubs may apply to become an Affiliate Federation of BPW International;
Where a country has 5 Affiliate Clubs and at least 100 named members, the Affiliate Clubs must work towards becoming an Affiliate Federation of BPW International;
If the membership of an Affiliate Federation falls below 100 then the clubs which make up that Federation may become Affiliate Clubs until the number of members rises to at least 100.
We understand that, in some cases, the global pandemic and other predicaments may have impacted numbers and, therefore, it is important to candidly communicate these concerns to the Regional Coordinators. They are equipped to provide regional supports to co-create a plan to achieve the targeted outcomes over time based on regional nuances while observing the regional constitution.
Based on the International Constitution under R24. Principle, you will find the following:
R24.1. The Constitution and Regulations are permissive rather than restrictive.
This allows the executive to advise on specific matters that are not necessarily covered by the Constitution, Regulations or Procedure Manual. Of course, we will always be guided by aims that are consistent with our governance documents.
Administrative Corner
UNESCO Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education
The 2022 Call for Nominations is open until 20 May 2022.
The Prize contributes directly to the attainment of the 2030 Sustainable Development agenda, particularly SDG 4 on education and SDG 5 on gender equality. Find more information on our > website. If you have a project and are interested in getting a nomination for the Prize, please contact > President Catherine Bosshart.
bpw.projects
We are asking Clubs and Federations to register their projects on the BPW International platform
> bpw.projects. The projects will be registered and linked; in addition, a note on each newly registered project will appear under > News. By visiting the > website regularly, you as a club or country leader can check the registered projects again and report any changes or ambiguities.
As the news on the UNESCO Education Prize shows, prizes or support contributions are awarded by the UN and other institutions from time to time; if your projects are registered on the BPW International platform, we can also inform you directly about such calls for proposals.
Membership
New Affiliate Club
BPW Jasmin, Syria, Asia Pacific President Alya Turjman January 2022 > Website News
Member Development Statistics
Form your own clear view of our membership situation - Membership Statistics after Year 1 of the Triennium 2021-2024
> Website News
International Theme
bpw.directory
Kudoboard
Have you already visited our > Kudoboard on bpw.directory? We look forward to your entries on why you have created a profile in bpw.directory. Fun is allowed!
Motivate your BPW colleagues to create a fancy business card in the > bpw.directory with lots of good or fun reasons.
Registered Members in the BPW International Business & Services Directory per31.03.2022
> Website
Events
Review CSW66
Together with the Federations, BPW International organized ten parallel events during the Women's Rights Commission, some of which were very well attended. You can find the final report on our > website. We will publish a commentary on the final report in the next newsletter.
BPW International Regional Conference Europe 27-29 May 2022 in Reykjavik The preparations for the European Regional Conference are progressing well. More than 200 presidents and members have registered. BPW International will be almost fully represented by the Executive. As the President of BPW Reykjavik reports, the club has changed the halls somewhat to accommodate the number of participants and thus also to keep the finances balanced. BPW International would like to thank the club and organization team in advance. It is really a great achievement to organize such a conference with one club! We are very proud of our Icelandic women.
> Conference website
Earth Day Campaign 2022 22 April 2022 in Lauslasmaa, Estland On April 22, 2022, within the framework of the BPW’s Entrepreneurship Conference “We Make Green Happen” (22-23/04/2022) in Laulasmaa (Estonia), with a special Earth Day performance and pledging event, live-streamed internationally. > Website
Earth Day - The Breath of Life
This Earth Day Event The breath of life is organized by the Rome Section of FIDAPA BPW Italy in synergy with the international theme New actions through cooperation.
> Website
Vicenzaoro / Partnerships
From 17-12 March, a delegation from the Executive was at the Vicenzaoro Jewellery Exhibition with President Dr Catherine Bosshart and Dr Amany Asfour in her capacity as President of the African Business Council. In various meetings we met with the CEO of the Italian Exhibition Group IEG, Dr Corrado Peraboni, and various engineers to discuss further cooperation.
Workshop with the District South-East, FIDAPA, at the University in Bari on March 25, 2022.
Maria Nuccio, the President of the District South-East of BPW Italy, invited the President to a workshop at the University of Bari where also the National President, Fiammetta Perrone, was present. BPW International President Catherine spoke about New Actions for Cooperation, the bpw.directory, the Projects of Clubs and Federations and supporting the Ukrainian Refugees. The Executive Finance Officer Eufemia Ippolito introduced and coordinated the meeting. The day ended with a dinner with the Presidents and members of the District. The International President received a very warm welcome. Fotos:
1) University of Bari: (from left) Fiammetta Perrone, President FIDAPA BPW Italy, Dr. Catherine Bosshart, BPW International President 2021-2024, Maria Nuccio, President of the District South-East, Eufemia Ippolito, BPW International EFO 2021-2024
2) Galadinner
3) (from left) Fiammetta Perrone, President FIDAPA BPW Italy, Dr. Catherine Bosshart, BPW International President 2021-2024
Visit of FIDAPA Matera, Lecce and Gallipoli, March 26 - 27, 2022
The next day, the District President introduced International President Catherine to the beautiful cities of Matera and Lecce. The day ended with another festive dinner in Lecce and a presentation of a “Pizzica” dance which is typical of the region of Salento in Puglia. The visit continued with a guided tour of the baroque pearl of Lecce the next day and the quaint city of Gallipoli where the participants were given an introduction into religious traditions of the region. Thanks to the whole District for their warm welcome and their hospitality. Fotos: Matera - Lecce Santa Croce and Galadinner - Gallipoli Oratorio
Preparing the Leaders' Summit in Orvieto on 30 April 2022
On 30 March 2022, the International President met with the Past National President Pia Petrucci, the President of the District Centro Anna Maria Turchetti and her secretary for coffee and discussed the programme.
Visit with the Club Presidents of the Roma & Roma Campidoglio Clubs, Rome,
On 30 March 2022, the President of BPW International met with the President of the Rome Club and the Rome Campidoglio Club, Dr. Annamaria Nassisi and Maria Antonelli. The International President was invited to the event on April 22, 2022, and to the Candle Lighting Ceremony on the same day.
Candle lighting ceremonies in Sicily (Bagheria) and District Assembly of Sicily (Santo Stefano), March 31 – April 3, 2022
On 31 March 2022, International President Catherine was invited to a Candle Lighting Ceremony of the seven Clubs Altavilla Milicia, Bagheria, Caccamo, Casteldaccia, Palermo Felicissima, Palermo Mondello and Villabate in the gorgeous villa Ramacca in Bagheria. On April 1 the Candle Lighting Ceremony followed for the Club Termini Imerese in Palazzo Villarosa in Bagheria. On April 2-3 the District Assembly of Sicily followed in Santo Stefano where the International President presented the new initiatives of BPW International, the directory, the projects and the help for the Ukrainian refugees. The VP Membership Dr. Giuseppina Seidita introduced and coordinated the meeting. It was a wonderful experience to connect again with our Sicilian members. As always, the Clubs excelled in hospitality and the warmth of their welcome.
President's Travels
April 22, 2022
Earthday: Il Respiro della Vita, il Respiro del Mare, il Respiro dell’aria – Conference at the University of Roma III 09:00-13:00, Italy April 22, 2022
Sezione Roma: Ceremonia delle Candele, Hotel Villa Pamphili in Rome, Italy April 23, 2022
National Convention: La Regia Associativa per Lo Sviluppo di Genere, Hotel NH in Rome, Italy April 30, 2022
Leaders’ Summit with the District Center in Orvieto with VP Dr. Giuseppina Seidita and EFO Dr. Eufemia Ippolito, Italy May 12, 2022
Gender Pension Gap. Roundtable at the University of Fribourg, organized by BPW Fribourg within the framework of BPW Switzerand’s event with regard to the Gender Pay Gap, Switzerland May 14, 2022
Leaders’ Summit with the FIDAPA District of Nord-East in Verona (whole day event) followed by a Candle Lighting Ceremony, Italy May 27-29, 2022
BPW International Regional Conference Europe in Reykjavik, Iceland May 27-June 11, 2022
110thSession of the International Labour Conference, Geneva, Switzerland Juni 23-25, 2022 Global Summit of Women, Bangkok, Thailand August 5-7, 2022 National Conference NFBPWC USA in Sacramento, USA August 12-14, 2022 National Conference BPW Canada, Toronto, Canada August 26-28, 2022 Regional Conference of Africa in Arusha, Tanzania September 8-12, 2022 Vicenzaoro, Jewel Exhibition in Vicenza, Italy Oktober 1-8, 2022 BPW International Executive Meeting in Saanenmöser, Switzerland Oktober 14-16, 2022 Deutsche Bundestagung BPW Germany, Munich, Germany
