SPRING CLEANING!!!

April is an AMAZING Month! Flowers are blooming. Birds are singing. People are traveling more and spending more time outside. It is also a month for reviewing and analyzing your finances and submitting your tax returns.

This is also a good time to review what you have done so far this year and what you plan to do for the next 9 months and make a budget if you haven’t already done one or revise what you had already set up for this year.

My family does “Spring Cleaning.” We go through all of the winter clothes we have to determine which clothes we want to keep and which clothes we will be donating. We also go through all of our Spring/Summer clothes to decide what we want to keep for this year and what to donate. I encourage you all to do your own version of Spring Cleaning and decide what you need to keep in your life and what you would like to let go.

Dr. Jo Naylor
NFBPWC Treasurer
2024-2026

My email – secretary@nfbpwc.org is always open!

March is always exciting in NYC because of the Commission on the Status of Women – an event hosted at the United Nations, in its 69th year. This year, with our new Vice President for the UN, Neelima Basnet, our IF BPW sisters arrived in large numbers, well prepared and ready for action. There were countless side events, organized by organizations in collaboration with country hosts, usually in the UN Headquarters but often in venues across the city. Parallel events – there were more than 750 of these (with about half on zoom) – were in a few off-site locations, open to anyone who was interested.

The NGO CSW sign-in page is open to all interested people, and sign-up for a WHOVA account enables registrants to see all the events, and sign up for those of interest, or those on zoom. Sign-ups are more important to give hosts an idea of attendees and were less used as a form of attendance control.

It was wonderful to be surrounded by so many remarkable women collaborating or laboring individually on improving lives of women around the world. Violence against Women, equal access, rights and pay for women, investing in women entrepreneurs, empowering women and girls, highlighting human trafficking and the big business it represents were some of the continuing subjects I followed; however – All as a way to close the gender gap (or widen it), climate change education, including boys and supportive men in the dialogues, giving a voice to young women and girls, recovering from the deleterious impact of COVID on female rights were some of the newly emphasized subjects.

After a long day of meetings, it was a joy to meet up with IFBPW members from across the globe, and get to know them better, see what they were engaged with, and how IFBPW is seen as a force for good, with extensive projects directly assisting women in various types of need.

A consensus was that especially young women yearned for better financial literacy, that many women did not even know the questions they needed to ask to be able to succeed, and that mentoring made a world of difference to all women.

It is impossible to know how many women from abroad will be able to get visas for CSW70. If it is as well attended as CSW69, there may be a need to consider new venues – rooms were over-filled, and there were nearly no accommodations made for people who were blind, had hearing issues, mobility issues or required other forms of assistance. There are a significant number of women in their 80’s and 90’s who are vigorously present, but cannot stand for an entire session, and who did, as there was no seating. A blind colleague could only get personal assistance by asking for and paying for it outside the UN. I saw no one providing signing for the deaf. I fear that we inadvertently exclude too many people but hope that through online and hybrid events we will increasingly be able to find ways to be inclusive.

It was a privilege to be there.

I personally feel more engaged with IF BPW, as well as NFBPWC, and it was encouraging to speak to so many women interested in joining our organization. We have excellent new trifolds, in English, French, Spanish and Italian that we were able to distribute – in meetings, in corridors, on the street. There are many people who seem to be looking for membership in an organization that provides support and sisterhood.

Nermin K. Ahmad
NFBPWC Secretary
2024-2026

Hi friends! I don’t know about you, but March couldn’t have been busier for me. It was chock full of advocacy and BPW work. We kicked off strong at the Leader’s Summit where BPW members from around the world got together to learn more about our organization and the work being done across our vast network. Learning about other BPW chapters is always inspiring - and I’m excited to cultivate those relationships to grow our Federation.

After two packed days at the Leader’s Summit we dove right into the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women which provided an overview to the Beijing Declaration on its 30th anniversary. However, in the words of one of my favorite quotes of the two weeklong session “an anniversary is not an accomplishment.” In other words, just because we’ve reached the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration does not mean we’ve made any real strides towards gender equality. It was a powerful reminder that in the global fight for women’s rights, we still have a long way to go. What’s more, in another session one of the panelists noted that the goals set in the Beijing Declaration have not evolved over time. While AI and tech advances pose more issues for women’s rights, our demands for equality have not adapted with the time. We’re constantly fighting roll backs on rights and new forms of discrimination. Ladies - we’ve got our work cut out for us.

The good news is we aren’t backing down. We continue marching forward in our mission, and as a great mentor of mine reminded me, we do what we can every day. For me, I take any chance I can to make noise and educate others. Most of the time that comes in the form of social media posts, but every once in a while, my schedule allows me to take to the streets and protest. I was proud to head out and represent my union on March 15th to protest rising fascism and oligarchy we’ve witnessed in the last two months.

As we move into April, we observe National Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). This month we raise awareness about sexual assault and support survivors. Sexual assault is still a widespread issue affecting millions. 1 in 3 women worldwide has experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, most often by an intimate partner. In the United States alone, someone is sexually assaulted every 68 seconds. Sexual Assault Awareness Month ends on Denim Day which was inspired over outrage in a 1999 Italian Supreme Court verdict that overturned a rape ruling because the victim was wearing tight denim jeans. The court argued that because the victim wore very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them, and by removing the jeans it was no longer rape but consensual sex. Wear your jeans with pride and protest on April 30th.

Other noteworthy advocacy dates in April are World Health Day on April 7th and International Girls in ICT Day on April 24th. In observance of World Health Day, the World Health Organization will be hosting a virtual event titled “Healthy beginnings, hopeful future: global action for women and newborns.” International Girls in ICT Day, which is observed annually on the fourth Thursday in April, encourages girls and young women to pursue careers in information and communication technology. Keep an eye out for some exciting developments from the advocacy committee. Our team has been working hard to get the Advocacy Hub ready for you and we’re excited to share it soon!

Emily VanVleck
2nd Vice President of ADVOCACY
NFBPWC 2024-2026

I was honored to be invited to be a speaker at the International Conference 2025 at Rama Devi Women’s University, organized by Maa Rama Devi Chair, in Bhubaneswar, Orissa India.

The title of the conference was: Women’s Journeys of Resilience and Empowerment, Stories and Strategies: Spiritual Strength” on Feb 28th and March 1st, 2025.

I spoke on my life journey and the role of forgiveness on March 1, 2025.

MARIA CECILIA DESOUSA
1ST VICE PRESIDENT OF MEMBERSHIP NFBPWC
2024-2026

Welcome April!

I’m not sure about the rest of you, but I can say March definitely came in like a lion and as of this writing, I haven’t seen the lamb yet…. 

Leading up to CSW69 (10 March – 21 March), BPW International hosted the annual Leaders’ Summit in New York City at the Harmonie Club. 

In very grand surroundings, more than 80 women from each of the 5 regions and 32 countries gathered to share experiences and exchange insights, best practices and explore new ideas all to enhance our efforts to bring equity, inclusion and empowerment worldwide. 

Here is a link to the Leaders’ Summit News (March 9, 2025):

https://www.bpw-international.org/2025/03/09/bpw-international-leaders-summit-2025-a-gathering-of-global-women-leaders-in-new-york/

With only one day between the end of the Leaders’ Summit and the beginning of CSW69, some took advantage to do a little sightseeing, others braved the long line to get their passes before the start.  Thankfully, though a little chilly, NYC smiled on us and did not share rain or snow or bitter winds. 

One of the significant highlights of our year includes the Commission on the Status of Women, held in New York City.  According to current information, more than 100 members of BPW International attended, including 15 from NFBPWC attending some or most of the two weeks in person.  

From our 1^st Vice President United Nations, Neelima Basnet:  this CSW saw more than 13,000 participants from 186 member states, one Vice President, 3 Deputy Prime Ministers, 97 Ministers 5845 NGOs, with 283 side events. This does not include the parallel events that were held over the course of the two week – both in person and virtually, the number of registered parallel events was listed at approximately 700+ events. 

Despite the current decisions and announcements made in recent days by our administration – which definitely knocked a bit of wind out of some sails, I can say without reservation, the voice of women in the US was heard, supporting their beliefs and the missions of their agencies.  The support we have shown women, organizations and other nations in their times of struggle and trouble was reflected back on us by this amazing group of women and men who, like we do, champion the purpose and mission of the Commission on the Status of Women. 

I am sharing a very discouraging message today – though likely most of you have read it already or were there when the statement was made.  Here is the link to the statement delivered by Jonathan Shrier, Acting US Representative to the UN Economic and Social Council. 

https://usun.usmission.gov/u-s-national-statement-delivered-at-the-69th-session-on-the-un-commission-of-the-status-of-women/

When you bump that statement up against our mission statement and our Advocacy Platform, the first words that come to mind are “discouraging” and “disheartening” But those words are wrong!  I’m going to go with “uncomfortably opposing.” 

I say that because I have faith in what we are doing. 

I will not lose heart because of this opposition and challenge – and neither should you. 

I will not allow my courage to be dissuaded – and neither should you. 

It feels a bit grandiose for me to quote Thomas Paine, but we are truly immersed in our own version of his famous statement made in December of 1776.

THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.

But I have confidence that NFBPWC is not made up of summer soldiers and sunshine patriots.  As an organization and as individuals, we are the progeny of women who had no history to guide them, no precedents of law to support them - but they knew what was right and they fought for it.  We have the benefit of those honorable, hard-fought, hard-won victories to help us as we move forward in these uncertain times. 

There are truly so many other things I would like to share with you all that happened in March and will be happening in April, but I feel this is the right place to close for now. 

I encourage you to support our committees as they move forward this year.

Thank you for your dedication and passion.

With gratitude and determination,

Barbara J. Bozeman

NFBPWC President
2024-2026

We Need More Molly Browns!

Margaret “Molly” Brown was born Margaret Tobin in 1867 to Irish immigrants in Missouri, never referredto herself as “Molly Brown.” Her story is one full of incredible true stories from surviving the Titanicand striking it rich in Leadville, Coloradoto participating in various progressive passions, especially women’s rights. The mythology surrounding the character “Molly Brown” is credited to her theatrical nature and the American imagination, especially regarding the women of the West.

“She is a magnificent example of when you seesomething and have the ability to fix it, that’s whatyou do,” saidBeth Malone, playing MargaretBrown in the musical, The Unsinkable MollyBrown (http://transportgroup.org/project/the-unsinkable-molly-brown/)

As a child of immigrants, Margaret Brown believed in sharing her wealth after she and her husband, James Joseph “J.J.” Brown, became multimillionaires. She invested her time and newly acquired affluence in causes like homes for pregnant girls, immigration rights, labor rights, juvenile defenders, and women’s suffrage. According to the Molly Brown House Museum in Denver, Colorado:

“Margaret had been a staunch supporter of thewomen’s rights movement from the verybeginning in Leadville, and made no qualmsabout the fact that she believed in her right to beheard on varying subjects, whether her opinionwas solicited or not, because simply enough,she was a grown woman, living in America.”

The National American Woman Suffrage Organization was formed in 1890 and Margaret Brown had been active in the National Women’s Suffrage Association even in her days in Leadville, Colorado (she moved there in 1885). Margaret’s work continued when she moved to Denver. She was notorious for holding fundraisers benefiting humanitarian causes and was credited as a woman who could “show the iron hand beneath the glove of glistening silk.”

One of the survivors of the Titanic in 1912, Margaret was famous for using her language and leadership skills to help lifeboat #6 to safety. Margaret Brown used her moment in the limelight to continue to propel social justice in America. Despite the nation’s lack of progression for women’s rights, she remained an instrumental suffragist for over 30 years. According to Women’s Public Leadership, “Brown made several runs for Congress years before all women were guaranteed the right to vote, and in 1914, she ran for Colorado’s U.S. Senate seat and organized the International Women’s Rights Conference that same year.”

At the end of her life, Margaret Brown was awarded the French Legion of Honor for her courageous actions aboard the Titanic and other internationally acclaimed work. David Aron Damane, who played Brown’s husband JJ in The Unsinkable Molly Brown, said it best,

“She was strong, opinionated and would fight furiously to right any wrong. The world needs more Molly Browns.”

Please continue to reach out to me personally or professionally as we continue our work to make NFBPWC a better organization, because together we are stronger.

Best Personal Wishes,

Megan Shellman-Rickard

Immediate Past National President

immpastpresident@nfbpwc.org

Sources for reference:

https://mollybrown.org/about-us/about-molly-brown/

https://womenspublicleadership.net/blog/womenshistorymonth-the-unsinkable-molly-brown

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Molly-Brown

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jerylbrunner/2020/02/28/decades-before-women-had-the-right-to-vote-margaret-molly-brown-was-a-fierce-bandit-for-human-rights/

Remarkable Woman – Nancy K. Loane

Nancy K. Loane, is the author of the book Following the Drum: Women at the Valley Forge Encampment, published in 2020.

Nancy provided research collected from written orders, personal diaries from the women who spent time at the Valley Forge Encampment. She is an author who brought information about visitors to a place I enjoy visiting every time I am in the area or need a place to ponder my life issues. Nancy is a native of Valley Forge, PA, a former seasonal ranger at Valley Forge National Park, a founding member of the American Revolution Round Table of Philadelphia, and an honorary lifetime member of the Society of the Descendants of Washington’s Army at Valley Forge (2020). I have always wondered about the daily events that occurred at Valley Forge National Historical Park during the winter of 1777 and purchased the book to learn about the events that have not been included in History books. I chose Nancy because she decided that the women who spent time at Valley Forge along with the soldiers. She has given part of the spotlight on the women who were brave enough work along side of the men who fought for our freedom. I encourage you to visit your library or purchase this book to learn about the women of Valley Forge.

Bio information:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B002Y9LJB4/about

Book information on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Following-Drum-Women-Valley-Encampment-

ebook/dp/B09MRHQ7JC?ref_=ast_author_mpbQR code for book.

Dr. Jo Naylor

NFBPWC Treasurer

2024-2026

Remarkable Woman – Josephine Garis Cochrane

I come from a long line of can do women, but was among the first women in my family to become a professional businesswoman as opposed to a civil servant, lawyer or doctor. I truly admire women who led the way such as the one I pay homage to here, today and who lived according the the old saw: Necessity is the Mother of Invention.

Josephine Garis Cochrane (also Cochran) -

American Inventor – The Dishwasher U.S. Patent No. 355,139

Born March 8, 1839 - Died Aug. 3, 1913

“If nobody else is going to invent a dishwashing machine, I'll do it myself.”

Josephine Cochrane

She married William A. Cochrane at age 19 in 1858 and was widowed in 1883. In 1886 she designed a dishwasher, after noting how many plates were easily chipped through hand washing. She had

become a widow, had significant debt, and needed to achieve everything, as a woman on her own, without a male figure to ease the way. She more than managed!

She received a patent to manufacture a hand- powered dishwasher, and immediately founded a manufacturing company to build her machines, but they were too expensive for normal households. She showed them at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, installing nine of them in restaurants and pavilions of the fair. She won the prize for “best mechanical construction, durability and adaptability to its line of work”. Her company began to focus on scaling the equipment for commercial customers and was renamed Cochran’s Crescent Washing Machine Company in 1897. It was later acquired by Kitchen Aid in 1926, after her death from exhaustion in 1913. In 2006, she was posthumously inducted into the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame for her patent.

Josephine Cochrane has never been honored on a United States stamp, but she is commemorated on a 3.30-leu stamp issued by Romania in 2013, part of a set of three honoring famous women.

More details: Josephine Cochrane -Wikipedia.

Nermin K. AHMAD

NFBPWC SECRETARY 2024-2026

Remarkable Woman – Kate Quinn

Happy Women’s History Month BPW friends!

March brings us a time to reflect and honor the trailblazing women who have paved the way before us. I was tasked by President Bozeman to spotlight a lesser-known woman for Women’s History Month, and as chance would have it, I had just finished a book that had been on my reading list for ages – The Alice Network by Kate Quinn.

Inspired by true events during World War I, The Alice Network pays tribute to thebrave women who served as spies, risking their lives togather intelligence needed to turn the tide of the warforthe Allies. The real- life Alice Network was the largest spy network in France and was led by Louise de Bettignies, who operated under the alias Alice Dubois. Louise, dubbed The Queen of Spies’, successfully coordinated 80-100 spies passing critical messages from German- occupied France to England and beyond.

Using women as spies was incredibly controversial in WWI and many people, including Louise’s superior’s, believed espionage was no job for a woman. Nevertheless, Louise and her fellow operatives shattered expectations of a woman’s role in the war, proving that women could do more to help than nurse or stay brave for their boys. Kate Quinn’s novel brings light to the often-overlooked contributions of women in times of war and finally gives The Queen of Spies the tribute she deserves. I can’t recommend The Alice Network enough, and for more information on The Queen of Spies, you can read La Guerre des Femmes.

March is also a major advocacy month for BPW as the 69th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) kicks off at the United Nations, effectively taking over New York City for two weeks. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration, making CSW69’s theme Beijing+30, a critical review of the implementation and outcomes of the Beijing Declaration.

As always, NGOCSW/NY will host hundreds of parallel events led by NGOs, nonprofits, and other civil society changemakers. These events are free to attend, with many available virtually. Check out NGO CSW69 |NGO CSW/NYfor more information!

This will be my first CSW as an official United Nations Representative for IFBPW, and I look forward to sharing more information in my April article.

Wishing you all an inspiring Women’s History Month!

Emily VanVleck

2nd Vice President of Advocacy,

NFBPWC 2024-2026

Dear Members: 

Welcome to Women’s History Month! 

Let this month be a catalyst for ongoing engagement, advocacy and commitment to the mission of empowering women everywhere. 

March is a time of reflection, celebration and action. (isn’t every month??) 

As we honor Women’s History Month, we recognized remarkable contributions of women past and present.  This is the time to celebrate those who paved the way, learn and share the progress made and gear ourselves up to battle the challenges that remain. 

A significant highlight of this month is the annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations in New York City, where people from around the world (including around 100 people from BPW) will gather for two weeks of advocacy, discussion and collaboration.  CSW provides a unique opportunity to engage with global leaders, policy makers and activists as they address critical issues impacting women’s rights and gender equity.  For those who are unable to attend in person, I strongly encourage you to participate virtually.  Many sessions and events are accessible online, permitting you to be part of the conversation from wherever and “whenever” you are

Leading us into CSW,  March 8^th is International Women’s Day.  The first IWD was held in 1911.  Learn more about IWD at:

https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

March 25 is Equal Pay Day 2025 – a stark reminder of the persistent gender wage gap.  BPW is responsible for initiating the Red Purse Campaign.  This campaign is a powerful visual symbol of the economic disparities women still face.  I encourage you to engage in discussions, share resources and advocate for policies that move us toward wage equity.  Let’s use this time to raise awareness and push for change.

Beyond CSW, International Women’s Day and Equal Pay Day, March is an invitation for all of us to find ways to celebrate, educate and learn about women.  Included in the Virtual article, you will find 31 Ways for 31 Days, suggestions of thing you and or your club might want to do to celebrate women this month.  Host a local event, spotlight women’s achievements in your community, mentor a young woman, or simply take the time to explore the stories of those who have shaped our world.  Every action, no matter how small, contributes to greater empowerment and recognition. 

Thank you for your dedication and passion.  I look forward to seeing how each of you will honor this important month in your own unique way. 

With gratitude and determination,

Barbara Bozeman

NFBPWC President, 2024-2026