Opening Ceremony - Foto: All fotos from Reykjavik by Anna Bender
Dear Presidents of BPW
Dear Members
The following text is part of my speech at the Opening of the European Regional Conference on May 27, 2022 in Reykjavik. “BPW Reykjavik chose the theme of Equality for this conference. Looking at the history of Iceland and the fact that the first parliament assembled as early as 930 in Thingvellir, this topic corresponds to one of the main themes of your country. Equality is only possible on the basis of inclusiveness of all ethnic groups, religions and political directions. Equality is also the foundation of our international theme New Actions through Cooperation. Cooperation can only happen on the basis of mutual respect, trust and acceptance.
We are all very interested in the different plenaries and workshops which will talk about good practices to achieve equality.
Before I close, I would like to answer a question that is often asked: What do we get from BPW International? You will receive a flyer with 6 major tangible benefits from BPW International:
We have totally remodelled our website and we update it daily. Have a look at it once a week and get all the newest information.
From May 2021, you receive a Newsletter every month with what is happening at international level. It appears in the 5 languages E, F, S, I and German. Due to the European data protection law you will have to enroll yourself to receive it.
BPW International offers you an international Business Card at membership level. The only thing a Club President has to do is to confirm that you are a club member and have paid your dues.
Each member who sees the necessity and is willing to invest in a special action can launch a project in accordance with her president. Please register your project on our data base.
All the Clubs and Federation projects are collated together in an international Database on our website. Register your projects as they give our organization visibility.
Since the beginning of this year, each month BPW International organizes a webinar on the various topics which are important to our organization.
These are 6 very concrete benefits without even mentioning the international outreach each member has through the international organization. Wishing you a fruitful conference, I thank you for your attention.”
We all feel it: summer is here ☀️, a lot of people are in holidays either in July or August. The Newsletter Team is also taking some days of rest. We will see you for the Newsletter of the month of August.
Dr. Catherine Bosshart
BPW International President 2021-2024
BPW Topical
BPW International Help for Ukraine
Who has connections to pharmaceutical firms? The situation for the people in Ukraine is characterized by distress. Another consignment of goods should be transported soon leaving from Chur/Switzerland. According to the list of President Julia, BPW Chernihiv, BPW International is looking for certain medicines that are needed. This is not so easy because many medicines are prescription only. We are still up to our ears in the search. We will continue to report here. If you have connections to Pharmaceutical Companies, please let us know.
The donation account is still open and every donation is more than welcome. Also welcome are projects with budgets from European countries that give refugees a jump-start with their careers. Please send them to the
> President's Office.
BPW International Regional Conference in Reykjavik
On the occasion of the opening ceremony Dr. Catherine Bosshart, BPW International President 2021-2024, gave a short speech. In this speech she emphasized, especially in view of the political uncertainties in Europe, that according to the Constitution BPW International is defined as a non-partisan, non-profit organization of unlimited duration with voluntary membership and leadership. Find the speech in your preferred language on the > website.
She brought the greetings of BPW International to the participants and distributed the new flyer BPW International Tools (> pdf on the website).
BPW International Leaders’ Summit in Reykjavik
The Leaders' Summit was allotted a short 2 hours; usually a half day is scheduled for this work. Nevertheless, many participants accepted the invitation and worked in a concentrated and intensive manner. In the breakout sessions on the burning questions, a lot of information was collected, which was then summarized and presented in the plenary Leaders’ Summit group.
> Website
Spotlights from Reykjavik
Young BPW from Switzerland, Sandra Fischer, BPW Winterthur, is a craftswoman and works in a machine factory. She identifies her work environment as male and often feels quite lonely in it as a female employee. She has therefore founded the network www.handwerknetz.ch, which female craftspeople can join to network.
> Webiste
Commitment to BPW worldwide is a matter close to the heart of Géraldine Crevat, BPW France. At her workshop in Reykjavik, she captivated the participants with a report on her work in her BPW International Member Projects and on her new Task Force Intercontinental Mobility.
> Website
BPW International – Women7
G7 PRESIDENCY: Women7 hands over W7 Communiqué to Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz It is time to deliver!
BPW Germany is contributing to the Women7 process through the involvement of its long-term member, Christine Heinze, who was nominated W7 Advisor during Germany’s W7 Presidency and acts as one of two Co-Chairs of the Working Group onEconomic Empowerment, Justice and Rights. Women7 (W7) is a group of civil society organizations to promote proposals on gender equality and women’s rights within the G7. Its objective is to ensure that G7 leaders make concrete political and financial commitments with a tangible, lasting and transformative impact on the lives of women and girls in all their diversity. Please > join us in our lobbying efforts to implement the W7 demands into policy by G7 governments. Please find all W7 demands in the Communique and the Implementation Plan on the > website. It´s time to deliver!
bpw.webinars
We had to rerun the webinar with Cristina Gorajski Visconti, SC Chair of Agriculture and Representative at FAO. A technical defect caused an outage that we could not bridge in time.
The webinar was then held without a glitch on June 2 and is now available as a
> video. Please contact the speaker
> Cristina Gorajski Visconti for questions and contributions to the topic BPW International Standing Committee Agriculture - Information, Actions, Business
The webinar with Eufemia Ippolito, BPW International Executive Secretary, Financial & Dues Policies had to be postponed to 7 September 2022.
> Registration
Two more webinars were held in cooperation with Géraldine Crevat from Intercontinental Online Meetings, both on the same subject, but in different languages. Dr. Catherine Bosshart, BPW International President 2021-2024, was speaking about the relations between BPW and the UN.
The two videos (en and fr) are linked on the > website.
News from the Executive Board
The Finances of BPW International
In the context of the Regional Conference Europe it became apparent that the finances of BPW International are a topic that gives rise to much speculation. Dr. Catherine Bosshart handed over a statement about this to the participants at the Presidents' Meeting, which put forward factual information on the 2 significant points (finances of the association and congress accounts 2017). The International President will inform the Members of the International Board about the financial situation of BPW International in the very near future.
Asia Pacific Region – Newsletter 1/2022
Dr. Narudee Kiengsiri, Regional Coordinator Asia Pacific, sent us the information and the > newsletter #1/2022 from her region. Asia Pacific Region is subdivided into 5 Sub-Regions with Sub-regional Coordinators who reported from their sub-regions. You will find also the report of the Young BPW Representative for Asia Pacific. The Regional Coordinator starts the newsletter with her report and a Presidential Message and with the presentation of the Triennium Goals and Strategies 2021-2024. > Website News
Regional Conference Africa in Arusha, Tanzania
Regional Conference of Africa 25th to 27th of August 2022 in Arusha, Tanzania
The President of the Club Mwanza, Tanzania, Bertiller James Massawe, has organized the Regional Conference in Arusha from 25 to 27 of August 2022. Preceding the Conference is a Safari to the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti from 21 to 24August 2022. The Conference will comprise a Leaders’ Summit, a Young BPW Symposium and High Level Panels. If you are interested, please find more information and the link to register on the > website.
Conference Website: www.bpw-international.org/africaconference2022
Constitutional Corner
Know your constitution #7
BPW International Regions
by Jenny Gulamani-Abdulla, JD, BPW International Executive Secretary 2021-2024, Canada > Website
It is clear in BPW International’s Constitution in C5, that the International Federation of Business and Professional Women consists of “Affiliate Federations, Affiliate Clubs, and Individual Affiliate Members of Business and Professional Women.” This is remarkable because we represent women in business and decision-making in about 100 countries and five regions. What is even more impressive is that our members are at the core of our organization and are strongly tackling today’s societal issues and global challenges around the world. This makes it even more important that our federations, clubs and individuals remain consistent not only in our overall aims through the constitution, but we also regulate ourselves through our accepted structures (locally, nationally and regionally) in a manner that truly showcases “cooperation between business and professional women” as per one of BPW International’s aims in the Constitution under Section C3(4).
One way that members can display steadfast cooperation is aligning our structures in a systematic and methodical manner. In fact, in our Procedure Manual in Section 4.3 under “Affiliate Constitutions and by-laws of Federations and Clubs”, it is explicitly stated that “these constitutions and by-laws must comply with the BPW International model constitution.” It is therefore imperative that we coordinate and organize our constitutions and by-laws to allow us to govern ourselves in a professional and uniform manner at all levels of BPW. The Regions do not have a Constitution as such, but they do have Regulations which are a means of assisting in the organization of BPW International.
Within the framework of the Regional Regulations, the following requirements must be fulfilled:
Processes for selecting and nominating a Regional Coordinator
Processes for selecting a Regional Committee
Requiring the Regional Coordinator to conduct an annual meeting
Allowing for regional dues
Permitting the Regional Coordinator to seek sponsorship and grants
Permitting partnerships with regional agencies and institutions
Requiring transparent reporting and accountability (PM 5.7)
Of course, it is reasonable that some regions may need to amend or update their Regulations while others may not have had a chance to prioritize this area of governance. The objective is to equip every region with the appropriate resources and assistance to govern themselves in a manner consistent with BPW International while adhering to their own Regional Regulations and national constitutions.
According to our Procedure Manual in Section 2.3.8 it is the duty of the Regional Coordinators “to raise awareness of BPW International aims at the regional level.” We hope that members will reach out to the Regional Coordinators, in a spirit of cooperation, to update their structures and regulate themselves to align with BPW International to support the theme of “New Actions Through Cooperation.”
Administrative Corner
Membership Fees
The 2022 membership fees have been paid by the majority of the member Federations and Affiliate Clubs. We expect the missing contributions in the next days. Anyone having problems paying their membership fees, be it as a result of Covid or other adversity, should contact the > President's Office. The President will check if and to what extent support can be paid.
Standing Committees
Standing Committee Membership
SC Membership
Affiliate Satisfaction Plan
An Initiative of the Standing Committee Membership with Dr. Giuseppina Seidita, Chair 2021-2024 > Website
Events
Review CSW 66
Analyzing the gains made in the CSW66 Agreed Conclusions 26 May 2022, Video
This meeting offers a complete plunge into the > CSW66 Agreed Conclusion on the priority theme: Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes. > Website
Regional Conference Europe in Reykjavik
President Jóhanna Kristín Tómasdóttir from BPW Reykjavik thanked everybody for their participation and the gifts. “I am so proud of my team, of BPW Iceland as a whole, and yes, myself, for having achieved this task so beautifully. […] My dear BPW sisters, thank you for making this conference a success. See you at the latest in Malta in 2025.
Now all the pictures from the photo booth and the photos taken by > Anna Bender, our photographer have been put up on our > website. Do visit. I think there are photos of almost every one of us. Enjoy 😊 (you can use these photographs as you like but we would appreciate if you named Anna Bender as the photographer)." > Website News
Visit to FIDAPA District of North-East in Verona with the National President of Italy and the International President: Comparison of the National and the International Constitutions, followed by a Candle Lighting Ceremony - 14 May 2022
This educational meeting was very fruitful. The President of the North-East District, Dr. Carla Laura Petruzzelli, had sent the International and the National Constitution to the Presidents of the district. They asked questions after having studied both. We had a very animated and fruitful discussion. In the afternoon, the district members who are involved in one of the International Standing Committees or Task Forces presented their projects. We were all satisfied with this interesting meeting. Thank you North-East District President! You had a wonderful idea. > Photos on the website
BPW International Executive Board in Reykjavik
BPW International Executive Board at the Regional Conference Europe in Reykjavik
27-29 May 2022 From the Executive, all but Hadia Gondji, Regional Coordinator Africa, were able to attend the Regional Conference Europe in Reykjavik. After the opening ceremony, most of the Executive members present attended a dinner in a wonderful fish restaurant where we exchanged ideas and enjoyed our company.
All Executive Board Members attended the Leaders' Summit where they were able to network with the members and Presidents in attendance. They also took the opportunity of presenting the activities planned for their departments. Read about the Leaders’ Summit on the > website.
110th Session of the International Labour Conference
110th Session of the International Labour Conference, 27 May to 11 June 2022,held in virtual form
Drafting group of the committee: decent work and the social and solidarity economy (SSE). The SSE is not new, and its policy importance and visibility have grown significantly since the beginning of the new century.
In 2008 the declaration on social justice for a fair Globalization recognizes a strong social economy as critical for sustainable economic development and employment opportunities. The ILO centenary declaration for the Future of Work (2019) acknowledges the role of the SSE in generating decent work, productive employment and improving living standards for all. It is necessary now to discuss the value added by the SSE in advancing social justice through decent work and in promoting sustainable development for arriving at generally agreed conclusions and resolution to provide further guidance for the ILO.
What are the expected outcomes?
Provide a universal definition of social and solidarity economy with associated principles and values;
assess the SSE to decent work,
promoting the support for people challenging their working lives,
provide policy guidelines,
equip the office with guidance on how to engage in the promotion of the SSE worldwide, including through development cooperation,
maintaining a wide range of partnerships with institutions, organizations and agencies representing the SSE, or involved in the promotion of the SSE.
All the points have been discussed and have been submitted
The report is a basis of the discussion between the ILO’s tripartite constituents with the SSE, using examples from around the world. It discusses ways to strengthen in the direction of decent work and sustainable development. It means the linkage between the SSE and the future of work.
The adoption of draft resolution and conclusions will be made on June 9th. > Read more on the website
BPW Switzerland National Conference
BPW Switzerland National Conference, Lausanne - 11 May 2022
At its delegates' meeting, BPW Switzerland was also able to celebrate its 75th anniversary. In my speech, I brought the greetings of BPW International to this great Federation in Europe. The history of the first 50 years of BPW Switzerland was written by one of my students under my aegis. It is a matter of concern to me that the history of the second 50 years will also be preserved and then processed. I wish BPW Switzerland continued success in pursuing its goals. With the flyer BPW International Tools (> Website), I was able to point out the many opportunities to get involved with BPW International. The visit to the gala dinner offered a worthy closing of this anniversary meeting. > Website Foto: Brigitte Rindlisbacher, BPW Bern, Switzerland
President's Travels
Juni 23-25, 2022
Global Summit of Women, Bangkok, Thailand July 1, 2022
BPW Essen celebrates its 15th anniversary, Essen, Germany July 9-12, 2022
BPW Arad celebrates its 30th anniversary, Arad, Romania August 5-7, 2022
National Conference NFBPWC USA in Sacramento, USA August 12-14, 2022
National Conference BPW Canada, Toronto, Canada August 25-27, 2022
Regional Conference of Africa in Arusha, Tanzania, and 92nd anniversary of BPW International September 23-24, 2022
DACH-Conference in St. Gallen, Switzerland Oktober 1-8, 2022
BPW International Executive Meeting in Saanenmöser, Switzerland Oktober 14-16, 2022
Deutsche Bundestagung BPW Germany, Munich, Germany
✝︎ Judith van Unen, BPW Australia President 2000-2004 Judith was a force of nature, a large woman in every sense, with the warmest, most infectious laugh, which she could direct at all the absurdities of life, especially when it was most threatening. Her reaction to the death sentence she was given in 2019 was to invite everyone to high tea to in honor of her 70th birthday, and though I could not attend, I am sure it was a celebratory event, with lots of laughter and high spirits. In 2020, against all odds and with looming fears of a global pandemic, she undertook a trip to New York for the annual meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), and she continued to advocate for the things she believed in – Justice, Equality, Rights and Access (JERA) — to bring about positive change for women, men and communities. She made appointments with anyone who was still around before the lockdown forced the cancellation of the entire conference. She had no illusions about being cured of the cancer that would eventually kill her, but in the meantime, she was going to get things done, make use of every single minute that she could squeeze out of life, and live it fully. She never let anyone off the hook, least of all herself, with mealy-mouthed obfuscations, and she was direct, truthful and, when needed, even confrontational in her advocacy as in her many friendships. Her involvement with the United Nations reflected her very down-to-earth, practical approach. She truly believed in the large ideals of the UN, and she worked tirelessly for the development of the Global Compact and the dissemination of its Ten Principles, for the SDGs, and especially at the CSW for gender equality and women’s rights with all their implications. But she realized fully that ideals alone and even compacts and resolutions are not enough, and that action is required on the regional, national, local and grassroots levels to bring about the changes that affect individual lives and help one to live free and with dignity. She saw JERA, the organization she established, as “a conduit between community and decision-makers, providing opportunity, access, training, and expertise linkages,” all of these essential to the basic practice by individuals in their communities of ideals generated for the public good. She was a committed member of the United Nations Association of Australia, recognizing the international obligations enshrined in the country’s Federal, State and Territory laws, and she wanted a say in creating those laws at every level. She looked for inclusion and for variety in points of view, even while advocating for women’s rights within a feminist perspective. In 2015, for example, she put together a wonderful workshop at CSW on men and boys and brought together government officials from Australia, civil society representatives from the Marshall Islands and Tonga, and academics from the United States. If she was involved in a workshop or panel, one could be sure it would have solid substance and spark animated discussion. She knew what she wanted, and she generally got a respectful hearing from governments and members of civil society for her clear presentations and her passionate and persistent advocacy. At the CSW we will all miss her strong voice, her no-nonsense approach, her grasp of detail and organizational skill. Most of all, I will miss her laughter and her abiding friendship. She was a truly wonderful woman, and we were lucky to have had her inspirational presence with us for as long as we did. Eva Richter
BPW International, National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs New York NFBPWC NY > Online Condolence Book > Website
