The International Federation of Business and Professional Women is an influential international network of business and professional women from over 90 countries in 5 continents with Consultative Status at ECOSOC/United Nations. Founded in 1930, BPW International develops the professional, leadership and business potential of women on all levels through our mentoring, networking, skill building and economic empowerment programs and projects around the world. Visit our website at: www.bpw-international.org and bpw-europe.org

1. Business & Professional Women
Empowered Women
Leading Business
www.bpw-europe.org

2. Our founder: Dr. Lena Madesin Phillips
www.bpw-europe.org

3. 1st Conference 1930 in Geneva:
163 participants!
Our founders were pioneers!
Coming from Austria, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany
Hungary, Italy, UK, USA. www.bpw-europe.org

4. Goals of BPW are
To advocate and lobby for working women
To ensure equality and equal opportunity
To develop the professional, business and leadership
potential of women
To empower women in the ecomony, networking and skill
building
To support young women
www.bpw-europe.org

5. What is a Business and
Professional Woman like?
Takes responsibility in business, politics or society
Thinks and acts on the local, national and international level
Practices networking, mentoring and lobbying
Cultivates friendships
Practices lifelong learning
Is a leader and rolemodel
www.bpw-europe.org

6. All that is
Advocacy for BPW!
professional women
Local Professional +
Friendships
personal development
International National
Learning environment
Supportive
for «practical
Network
leadership»
www.bpw-europe.org

7. BPW Structure
BPW
International 5 Regions
North Latein
Europe Africa Asia/Pacific
America America
Italy Switzerland Germany … Federations
Clubs
Clubs
www.bpw-europe.org

8. BPW International
An active network for women’s issues!
www.bpw-europe.org

9. BPW International has
representatives or consultative status:
 UNO – ECOSOC
 CSW Commission on the status of women
 ILO International Labour Organization
 EWL European Women‘s Lobby
 WHO World Health Organization
 FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
www.bpw-europe.org

10. www.bpw-europe.org
CSW Conference on the Status of Women 2010, New York

11. Equal Pay Day is international
 Equal Pay Day was initiated in 2009 by BPW
International as an international awareness campaign
 All across the globe – from Australia to Taiwan, Korea via
13 European countries to Brazil and Canada. All these
BPW federations are organizing an equal pay day in
their countries.
www.bpw-europe.org

12. Equal Pay Day
12 www.bpw-europe.org

13. Women’s Empowerment Principles –
Equality means Business
 An initiative by UN Women and  BPW International
UN Global Compact supported developed a toolkit to
by BPW International to bring
Equality to the
support the activities for
workplace, marketplace and the WEPs
community.
 Quote of George Kell,
Executive Director of UN Global
Compact:
«BPW brings the voice of
women to the economy.»
www.bpw-europe.org

14. Women’s Empowerment
Principles
1. Establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality.
2. Treat all women and men fairly at work – respect and support
human rights and nondiscrimination.
3. Ensure the health, safety and well-being of all women and men
workers.
4. Promote education, training and professional development for
women.
5. Implement enterprise development, supply chain and marketing
practices that empower women.
6. Promote equality through community initiatives and advocacy.
7. Measure and publicly report on progress to achieve gender equality.
www.bpw-europe.org

15. International Congress 2008 in Mexico www.bpw-europe.org

16. European Congress 2009 in Munich www.bpw-europe.org

17. International Congress 2011 in Helsinki www.bpw-europe.org

18. Next Events BPW International
 Leaders Summit in New York 24th/25th Februar 2012
 2012 European Congress in Sorrento, Italy (28 – 30
September)
 2014 International Congress in Jeju, Korea
 2016 European Congress in Zuerich, Switzerland
 2017 International Congress in Egypt
www.bpw-europe.org

19. BPW on the national
and the local level
You can benefit from all activities and
events for your personal and
professional development.
www.bpw-europe.org

20. www.bpw-europe.org

21. Activities on club level
Monthly events:
 Presentations, speeches and networking
Annually:
 General assembly
 Candlelight ceremony
Other activities:
 Visits to other clubs
 Participation in national and international
conferences and congresses
 Taskforces (e. g. Equal Pay Day)
www.bpw-europe.org

22. Mentoring: a program where you
can benefit from each other
 Each BPW can become a mentor and help other
women with her experience and knowledge
 Each BPW can become a mentee
 The mentee needs a specific goal,
and she can have a mentor for one
year
 Benefits:
– Transfering your experiences and
knowledge for support
– Learning from each other
– Seeing your mentee develop
22
www.bpw-europe.org

23. BPW: The ideal learning
environment
 Peer-to-peer learning (from each other)
 Through rolemodels
 Learning by doing
 Just-in-time learning
 Lifelong learning
– Monthly presentations and events
– Workshops at national/international events
– Try out and learn new skills
 Learning by teaching or mentoring
www.bpw-europe.org

24. Train your leadership skills in
BPW!
By taking an office as president or member of the board or
leader of a taskforce:
 Learn to give speeches and presentations
 Learn to chair meetings and to delegate tasks
 Develop strategies for your club and implement them
 Practice team building
 Learn to deal with the media to promote your club
 Represent your club and deal with VIPs
 Learn conflict management and diplomacy in practice
 Learn to act as a leader and become a rolemodel
www.bpw-europe.org

25. You can develop your skills on
different levels
International
National
Local
www.bpw-europe.org

26. Do not only lay back, …
… the more active you are,
the more you get.
www.bpw-europe.org

27. Would you like to have contacts
all over the world
or develop your skills?
www.bpw-europe.org
www.bpw-international.org
www.bpw-europe.org