Representing BPW-International at the UN is an honor – but when I get to meet extraordinary individuals, it becomes a moment of personal growth. This article showcases women and men who do amazing work, despite odds that would make many people lose trust in God, in good, and in one another. In their own words, they are certainly Women on the Move! Their piece is lightly edited, but I think it can resonate with each one of us.

Please contact me directly for more information:

Womenonthemove@nfbpwc.org

The rest of this content is from the presentation delivered at the event.

organisation rooted in Love, led by visionaries, and powered by inclusion.

In Rwanda, where community and resilience shape the rhythm of everyday life, a quiet revolution has unfolded – one that is redefining how society sees and supports children with intellectual disabilities. At the heart of this transformation is the Izere Mubyeyi Organisation (IMO), a local NGO founded in 2004 by Agnes Mukashyaka, a mother whose personal journey became a catalyst for national change.

Agnes’s story is deeply personal. When her son was diagnosed with an intellectual disability, she faced not only the emotional weight of the diagnosis but also the societal stigma that isolated families and denied children their right to education and dignity. Refusing to accept this reality, Agnes mobilized fellow parents and educators to create a space where children with intellectual disabilities could be seen, heard, and supported. Thus, IMO was born with a mission to promote the rights, potential, and well-being of these children through inclusive education, health, and community engagement.

Over the past two decades, Agnes has led IMO with unwavering commitment. Holding a bachelor’s degree in education and a diploma in special needs education, she has challenged societal perceptions, trained educators, and built bridges between families and institutions. Her leadership was internationally recognized when she was selected for the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) in 2022.

A year later, she received the IVLP Impact Award for her project “Unlocking Opportunities for Children and Youth with Intellectual Disabilities,” which reached hundreds across Kigali City. But Agnes is not alone. IMO is guided by a board of visionary and expert leaders. Felicien Turatsinze, Chair of the Board of Trustees, is a distinguished development expert with over a decade of experience in inclusive programming and international cooperation.

As Country Director for Chance for Childhood/Rwanda and Head of Operations for East Africa, Felicien brings strategic insight and policy acumen to IMO’s work. His background in physiotherapy and Masters  in  Public Health, combined with his global network, has helped IMO align its programs with international standards and foster cross- border collaboration.

Dr. Donatilla Kanimba, a trailblazer in disability rights, lends her wisdom as a trustee. Founder of the Rwanda Union of the Blind, Dr. Kanimba has spent decades advocating for the full inclusion of persons with disabilities. Her work helped shape Rwanda’s national disability policy and secure the country’s adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). She has received multiple honors for her contributions, including the Leitner Center Award and the Woman of Courage Award. In retirement, she continues to champion inclusive education through IMO, mentoring the next generation of advocates.

Jean Damascene Ntihinyuzwa, a seasoned educator and communications professional, serves as an advisor to the board, overseeing fundraising efforts. With a Master of Science in Internet Systems and a strong background in ICT education, Jean has contributed to media, academia, and public engagement. His technical expertise and storytelling abilities have helped IMO amplify its impact and connect with supporters across continents. 

Since 2021, through targeted interventions, IMO has impacted over 15,000  community  members,  including 260 children with intellectual disabilities, through inclusive education, vocational training, and physical rehabilitation. These programs have helped children gain independence in daily living and empowered families to advocate for their rights. Yet the need remains immense. The demand for special and inclusive education continues to grow, especially among primary school-aged children, mainly those with intellectual disabilities. Families are eager for support, and communities are ready to embrace change – but resources are limited. To meet this demand, IMO must expand its infrastructure, strengthen vocational skilling, scale economic resilience programs for families, and deepen its evidence-based advocacy and research.

This is why IMO joined Spotlight Africa, a platform created by the Segal Family Foundation to connect African changemakers with global partners. The board sent four delegates to New York to share IMO’s story, build relationships, and seek support. It was a moment of courage and hope – stepping into unfamiliar spaces to speak on behalf of children whose voices are often unheard.We are deeply grateful to everyone who paused to listen to our story. Now, we invite you to join us.

For academicians, IMO offers a living laboratory for inclusive education and community-based development. Your research, mentorship, and collaboration can help us refine our models and scale our impact.

Chair Women on the Move
Nermin K. Ahmad
2024-2026

Photos for this article are from https://izeremubyeyi.org.

Katrina 20 Years Later

Twenty years ago, Hurricane Katrina reshaped Louisiana, physically, emotionally, and politically. Aswe reflect on its impact today, we also honor the resilience of the Louisiana Federation of Business and Professional Women and the women who rose to rebuild, lead, and advocate for lasting change.

In June 2005, I was installed as State President of BPW/Louisiana with a clear vision and a call to action anchored by our theme: BPW/LA Gems are “RARE.” A path to refocusing on BPW/USA’s mission to help women achieve work-life balance and workplace equity:

• Activate our membership to engage with policymakers and drive systemic change
• Renew our dedication to supporting this mission through every challenge
• Execute a strategic plan aligned with our values and vision

My term as President began with a tremendous trip to Philadelphia. Energized and focused, we were able to respond swiftly and effectively to the concerns of our Local Organizations.

In August, I began my tour of all our Local Organizations. I was warmly welcomed by the Northwest Louisiana and Natchitoches Locals. In Natchitoches, President Theresa Gibson and I visited with then-Mayor Wayne McCullen, (a BPW member) who honored me with the keys to the city.

Then came Baton Rouge for the Women’s Equality Day Summit at the LSU Women’s Center in celebration of the 85th Anniversary of the Passage of the 19th Amendment. Immediate Past State President and ERA Chair Camille Moran and her dedicated committee delivered an outstanding program that honored our shared legacy and ongoing advocacy.

This was just days before the storm hit.

The chaos and heartbreak that swept across Louisiana were unlike anything we had ever faced. Yet our resilience shone through.

As soon as conditions allowed, members of the Board of Directors from North and Central Louisiana convened at my home to discuss how we could best help our sisters in the hardest hit areas.

We checked on members all over the state and learned that some had evacuated north. Past President Cynthia Edwards (New Orleans) and her husband Gilbert, stayed briefly at a hotel in West Monroe, while Martha Gremillion (New Orleans) found refuge in Bastrop with her niece.

The outpouring of support from BPW clubs across the country was deeply moving. BPW Arizona adopted a New Orleans member and provided personal assistance throughout her recovery.

BPW Virginia contributed the largest monetary donation, an extraordinary gesture of solidarity.

While we were not able to execute the strategic plan we’d envisioned, we stood strong for the Southeast when they needed us most. That, to me, is the true measure of leadership: being present, being compassionate, and rising to meet the moment.

This is the heart of NFBPWC.

Despite the ravages of Katrina and later Rita, we were still able to host the Mid-Year Board Meeting in Lafayette on January 13,

2006, where members from the areas hardest hit by Katrina and Rita shared their stories of recovery and the locations of some of our members who had moved out of state to be with relatives until they could return home. Of course, many had no homes to return to. In addition, Joe Berry, a Louisiana Professional Lobbyist spoke at the Legislative luncheon.

In March, Roslyn Ridgeway (GA) visited Louisiana in her capacity as BPW/USA National President. She was hosted by clubs in St. Bernard Parish, Slidell, and West St. Tammany, and met with members in Mandeville.

Our Clubs in Metairie-Kenner, New Orleans, and Lafitte came together to host a reception at a local recreation center, creating a rare space for healing and reconnection amid the devastation.

In April, we gathered to observe Equal Pay Day – a joint venture with the Louisiana ERA Coalition – at which State Representative Sydnie Mae M. Durand of Louisiana District 46 gave the keynote address before Representative Willie Hunter, author of HB144 Louisiana Equal Pay for Women Act, led an advocacy training.

On May 20th, Immediate Past State President, Camille Moran officially presented the Northwest Louisiana Local Organization with their charter. This represents a flowering of the seeds NFBPWC’s members in Louisianna and throughout the country planted together during and after the hurricanes, and is further proof that, as an organization, we are resilient, and we remain Rooted in Purpose – Rising in Power.

By Angie Jackson-Wilson, Louisianna State President 2005-2006

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Women on the Move

Eva Richter Finds Her Way Home

A Review of SEEKING HOME: A World War II Refugee Childhood in War-torn China. We first meet Eva on Empire Day, May 24, 1937. She is four years old and knows she is not meant to be where she is. Her father has just handed her over the fence to sit with her aunt in the bleachers to see the celebration on a huge movie screen. She’s trying to be inconspicuous. She is in Tientsin, China, in the British Compound, celebrating the coronations of King George IV and Queen Elizabeth.

She does not belong there because she is not a British subject. She and her parents fled Germany when she was two and they are stateless – a difficult and potentially dangerous status any time, but more so in this particular time and place.

Eva is a precocious child. She is naturally intelligent and inquisitive – often causing consternation at school by questioning the received wisdom as set forth by her teachers. The fact that she was usually right endeared her to no one but her loving parents. Having spent her life as a refugee seems to have heightened her need to understand things, to belong, and to be aware of her surroundings in a way that most children, even adolescents and teens, are not.

That’s a good thing for her – and a great thing for us. As clear as it is that adult Eva did some research on specific dates and names and political intrigues, it is equally clear that she has an astonishing recall of the events of her childhood – a childhood that she said seemed utterly unremarkable as she was living it, as most childhoods do, yet continues to elicit incredulity whenever she speaks of it. She wrote this book in response to those responses, and because her children and grandchildren begged her to. I’m not giving anything away to tell you that we follow Eva and her brilliant and compassionate parents through the complex life of foreigners living in China under both Chinese and Japanese rule, then making it to the end of the war and not finding what they’d anticipated when the smoke cleared.

They moved to America, and, eventually, Eva joined BPW.

As we travel through time with the Lewison family, we receive a brief history of local and world events along the  way.  After background on Eva’s   maternal and paternal families, we get a crash course the history of Tientsin and what it was like to live there during the days when Britian, Italy, and several other nations had their own concessions – large areas that operated as their own independent fiefdoms, accountable to the laws of their own home nations, and occupied only by citizens.

With Eva as a guide, we go to markets, attend numerous schools of varying pedagogies and qualities, experience the attack on Pearl Harbor from a different perspective, make it through the Japanese occupation, witness the condescension and racism inherent in the lives and actions of foreign nationals toward their Chinese hosts, make and lose friends, move to America and discover that the streets are not all paved with gold and there are poor and hungry disenfranchised people there too.

Throughout, Eva is a charming companion who faces difficulties with a pragmatic approach and a stiff upper lip – for most of her youth she is, in her heart, a British subject. The reader is occasionally much more worried about her than she is. She is such a straight- forward child, so sure that right will prevail and that she can manage things just fine, thank you.

When she leaves us, she is an American citizen, making a life for herself and her own family, and we are sure she, and they, are indeed going to be just fine, thank you.

Both articles by Lisa Dicksteen

Bloomsbury Academic, 2025, 223 pages.

To purchase go to Bloomsbury Academic,Amazon, or Barnes & Nobel

A

Virtual Lunch with Eva Richter: Woman on the Move and Author of “Seeking Home”

September 27, 2025: As part of Women on the Move’s ongoing effort to spotlight NFBPW’s fascinating and far-flung

Forty-two people were riveted as Eva talked about why she wrote the book (her children and grandchildren basically insisted), what it was like (she enjoyed reminiscing and is grateful for the internet and its endless source of fact-checking and images and to her Prussian father and his meticulous record keeping), and how surprised she has been by the interest of so many people outside her family and friends.

Among the attendees were her family, members and non-members of NFBPWC, and at least two old friends. Zhidong Hao was Eva’s student in the 1980s when Eva returned to China to teach. She sponsored his admission to the US to pursue a PhD and they have remained friends. He translated the book into Chinese for release in Taiwan early next year and is negotiating with mainland publishers for its release there.

Zohal Wali credits Eva as her mentor when they were in Afghanistan and asked for her advice for young refugees just getting used to a new country and culture. Eva said her advice is the same for everyone – native or new to the US – listen. Listen to everyone you meet to discover the similarities between your cultures as well as to understand the differences.

There were attendees zooming in from Alberta, California, Colorado, Germany, Italy, Montreal, Morocco, New Jersey, New York City, New York State, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Seattle, Singapore, and Tucson, and more, and everyone was shocked when 90 minutes had passed and it was time to stop.

We Need to Move for Our story

Gender is more equally distributed globally than it has ever been across history, with about 105 boys born for every 100 girls). However, life expectancy for those born female is longer, so that as of 2023, there were

3.9 billion born male and 3.8 billion born female worldwide. Cultural and social factors further influence gender ratios in specific regions, and some countries have significantly skewed ratios due to historical events or policies.

Non cis-males still argue and strive for equal rights. Over the centuries, we inch forward toward equality and slide back. Yet we all emerge from a womb, and many of us are raised, at least initially, by women. Do we need to rethink how we raise and educate males? History, herstory and ourstory cannot be so far apart – and yet they seem to be.

Out of curiosity I asked AI to give me context on relative gender power distribution across history.

• Prehistoric Societies: More egalitarian gender roles due to shared survival tasks.

• Agricultural Revolution: Agriculture from around 10,000 BCE led to men typically taking on labor-intensive tasks.

• Classical Civilizations: In ancient Greece and Rome gender roles became more stratified, limiting women's rights and roles in public life.

• Middle Ages: Women's roles varied from considerable influence in households and trades to becoming restricted.

• Industrial Revolution: The 18th and 19th centuries saw women entering the workforce in factories, leading to gradual shifts in gender roles.

• 20th Century Movements: The suffrage movement and feminist waves significantly advanced women's rights and participation in various sectors.

• Global Variations: Gender distribution and roles vary across cultures and regions, and over time, influenced by local customs and laws.

Social structures shape societies. Take religions. Many seem have seemed to flow from greater equality through to increased subservience – often to meet social norms and due to evolving interpretations of religious texts. For example, Hindu women enjoyed greater freedom and equality in the early Vedic period, but their social status changed over time. While the core philosophy of Buddhism is considered gender- neutral, historical, and social factors led to the development of male-dominated institutions and practices, resulting in women being increasingly subservient. Agnostic gender integration depends on location and leadership, with cultural bias perduring despite active promotion of gender equality. Among Atheists, although women are often more represented in secular movements compared to religious ones, and many atheist organizations actively promote gender equality and inclusivity, disparities exist in leadership roles and visibility.

The Old Testament religions present a mixed picture of women's equality. While foundational texts like Genesis 1:26-27 affirm women’s creation in God's image and shared dominion, other passages and interpretations reflect patriarchal structures and societal norms. The interpretation and application of these passages evolve over time and are an ongoing discussion and debate. For example, the Catholic Church used the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 AD to place hitherto equal Abbesses under Abbots in the monastery hierarchy. Judaism is a patriarchal structure, but women had increasingly less active social roles from about the Middle Ages. Islam originally promoted equality between men and women in various aspects of life, including spiritual capacity, education, and legal rights, prohibiting female infanticide, recognizing women's right to own property, inherit wealth, and initiate divorce – although this has changed.

The Cathars, a medieval Christian cult with gender equality and no objection to contraception, homosexuality, euthanasia, or suicide, believed a person could reincarnate as either a man or a woman. Women thus had more equal opportunities. They were eradicated by the end of the 14^th Century.

Research on Matriarchal Societies led to the:

• Mosuo people (China): Mosuo women frequently head households, inherit through the female line, and make business decisions. Their family structure does not involve marriage as commonly understood.

• Minangkabau people (Indonesia): As the world's largest matrilineal society, the Minangkabau emphasize feminine deities and cultural practices.

• Hopi tribes (United States): The matrilineal Hopi tribes had women passing down land and pottery and were responsible for exporting crafts for profit. While gender ideology favored female superiority, their social reality was one of sexual equality.

• Iroquois Confederacy (United States and Canada): The Haudenosaunee included women in political decisions, including for warfare. Mothers held significant moral and political roles.

So, women had progressively eroded position. We say that we need to press for Education and Economic Empowerment, including equal pay, and equal access to land, credit and other resources and we need to support women-owned businesses with access to the tools they need. We seek Social and Political Representation, and an end to Gender Stereotyping – with shared responsibilities and inclusive language.

Despite knowing all of this, we hope for a magic pen that will declare all humans equal. Do we personally undertake enough to make equality a standard? All of us need to speak up, act as role models, and stand by our choices in life. No one is going to magically make us equal. We need to train our men, and our women, to feel equal, act equal, and promote each other to be equal. Artificial Intelligence could help – but were enough women engaged in its creation and education? I fear that violence and discrimination are the signs of a society facing resource scarcity and erosion of a way of life. We must promote a culture of respect and safety, with support services for victims and survivors. The right laws help, but inaction at the individual level does not.

On August 23, 2025, Women on the Move was proud to host a panel discussion on what moves women to take action and to represent their communities on the public stage, in politics, or to ensure that women’s voices are heard.

We had deeply interesting 90-miniute event, with rich discussion and input from the four women invited to speak, and an audience which ranged from California across the US to Europe. A clear message came through: Women fought for the right to vote – we need to stand up and be heard, and we must vote and encourages others to do so. Feedback since the event has been truly inspiring.

Our next event will feature long-time NYC member, Eva Richter, on her just published autobiography Seeking Home. This is likely to be on Sept 27 at noon, also for 90-minutes. Keep your eye on the NFBPWC Calendar.

Our speakers were:

Josianne Cutajar (Malta) is a political advisor with extensive legal, political, and public affairs experience. She graduated with a Master’s in European and Comparative Law from the University of Malta. At age 22 Cutajar was elected to her hometown’s Local Council and later became the first Gozitan and youngest Maltese Member of the European Parliament ever elected. Prior to that, she worked at the Prime Minister’s Office and held various positions within Malta’s Labour Party.

She currently serves on the Business and Professional Women’s United Nations Standing Committee, focusing on the sustainability agenda as well as online safety.

Natasha Yeeloy Labad (Dominica) is a trailblazing Caribbean business leader and the 2024 Female CEO of the Year, leading Outsource Development in championing excellence in Business Process Outsourcing and Corporate Training. Beyond steering a dynamic enterprise, she has held several high- profile roles, including serving as Senior Technical Officer in the Office of the Prime Minister of Dominica, where she advised the Prime Minister on strategic initiatives.

Recognized as a 2025 UNESCO Peace Leader for her contributions to youth peacebuilding and socio- economic development projects, Natasha also serves as an Executive Member of the Dominica Chapter of Business and Professional Women and sits on the UN Steering Committee for the International Federation of Business and Professional Women—bringing a strong Caribbean voice to the global stage.

A published author with a Master’s in Project Management and certifications in mediation and training, she is deeply committed to advancing women’s economic empowerment and fostering sustainable development throughout the region.

Lelena Tewodros Yilma, (Ethiopia) is a passionate advocate for women’s empowerment and inclusive leadership. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Information Systems and a master’s degree in Human Resource Management, both from Addis Ababa University. Since 2021, she has been working with the National Election Board of Ethiopia—first through IFES-USAID and now as a permanent government staff member—where she serves as a Training Support Coordinator and Expert. In this role, she has contributed to strengthening Ethiopia’s electoral processes through the Training of Trainers model, advancing both institutional capacity and democratic participation.

Beyond her public service, Lelena is also engaged in her family’s gemstone business, where she combines entrepreneurial experience with her commitment to women’s economic empowerment. In April 2024, she joined the Business and Professional Women (BPW) network, a step that has further connected her with a community of trailblazing women who inspire her personal and professional growth. Today, she proudly represents Young BPW Ethiopia, carrying forward her vision of empowering women to take active roles in governance, business, and society at large.

Carolina Auz (Quebec, Canada) is an interior designer and stylist with extensive experience in the decoration field and over nearly twenty years in the specialized magazine industry in Quebec. She supports Entrepreneurship and Promotes Quebec's Creative Talent through her independent business dedicated to showcasing local creators. She founded a successful decoration and gift shop, and joined a businesswomen's association in Quebec, which facilitated key professional connections and helped her participate in the early rise of the Internet in business. Our online store was launched before the major retailers, bringing international recognition through our distinctive expertise.

She became involved in the Board of Directors of the St-Lambert business association (where our shop was located), taking on projects for magazines. Family reasons led her to focus on family, and she focused on decoration and styling for TVA Publications, New Commitments and Political Pathway. In February 2025, she was approached by the local city councilor and offered the opportunity to join her political party, which she officially accepted in April. In early August, after a complex meeting with two members of the party, including the leader, she decided not to pursue involvement with the group.

Nermin K. Ahmad

NFBPWC Women on the

Move Committee Chair

Women on the Move: 

During the UN General Assembly High-level week 2025, there will be a “High-level Conference on the Situation of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar” on September 30^th from 10am to 1pm and 3pm – 6pm. This is available for viewing via UN WebTV https://webtv.un.org/en/schedule

Migrants in Vulnerable Situations

Migration is front and center in political, social and economic discussions across the globe as more and more people are on the move, and more and more countries are putting up barriers to easy mobility. Deportation, voluntary and forced, detentions, raids by masked agents of federally constituted agencies under the Department of Homeland Security are all familiar snippets on the daily newscasts, and sometimes these reach into one’s home, as a domestic cleaning person, a landscape worker or gardener, a hospital orderly or nurse’s aide, a local farm hand or handyperson, a restaurant owner or worker is suddenly threatened or arrested and drops out of the work force or even out of the personal service to which we have become accustomed. If we wish to intervene—and we might not, for various good reasons--, is there anything we can realistically do?

Some cities are sanctuary cities which have laws maintaining the personal freedom of all those within their spaces under international human rights protocols. People are free to live without being arrested or removed from schools, churches, hospitals and other public spaces. But it is outside the schools where the parents wait on public sidewalks for their children’s release after school is out, for example, that they are vulnerable to arrest and separation from their children. Under the law, arrest warrants must be shown and a person being arrested has a right to know why he/she is under arrest. Unfortunately, recent arrests have frequently not followed these protocols. It has happened that a person going to a legitimate green card status hearing is arrested on coming out of the hearing at which there

might even have been a positive judgment, conferring regular status on the petitioner. Appeals to city and state officials and legislators may be helpful.

Many migrants have been waiting for years for a hearing, incurring huge lawyers’ expenses in the process. But there are many NGOs made up of lawyers willing to work pro bono or for very little money for migrants wishing to legalize their status. The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), for example, is committed to ensuring that communities are informed, prepared, and empowered in the face of federal immigration enforcement. That’s why they have created comprehensive Know Your Rights resources designed for everyone, regardless of immigration status, to learn from and share.

Here are some resources tailored to New York State and available in multiple languages, but similar resources are available across the country. These include:

Wallet cards with phrases stating your rights Know Your Rights presentations Guides on interacting with law and immigration enforcement

And more!

Click here to access the know your rights resources.

If we wish to, we can help by keeping up to date on developments and upholding our commitment to civil and human rights law. Under those laws a person is not a criminal until he or she has been properly charged and has been given a proper legal hearing.

Submitted by, Eva Richter, NFBPWC New York City ungBPWUSA.

BPW Member Showcase

All of us have amazing stories about how we have moved to become who we are today. BPW is founded on the principle of giving a platform and a sisterhood to Business and Professional Women, and we have done so since 1919 in the United States.
I am proud to showcase the tale of two BPW members – one in Nepal, one in the US: Two Women, One Dream: A Mother and Daughter’s Journey to Their PhDs. I am sure you will agree that they embody the empowerment of women – as they link business and education and professionalism. I am proud to be a member of an organization that has members like these!

Please share your stories with me if you like – secretary@nfbpwc.org for me to showcase your journey as well! Enjoy reading about Diya Adhikari and her mother Gita, from Diya’s perspective!

Education has always been at the heart of our family story. My mother and I, though from different generations and living thousands of miles apart, are now walking parallel paths - both working toward one shared goal: earning our PhDs.

My mother completed her master’s degree in Nepal some 15 years ago. She was raising two young children with my father, both were building a life in Kathmandu, away from the comfort and help of the family back in the village. Balancing work, parenting, and household responsibilities, she made the difficult decision to pause her academic journey to raise me and my brother.

She is one of the most insightful and capable people I know. She taught me math and English, always encouraging me to stay curious and committed. I could see in her a deep love for learning and an even deeper strength to keep going no matter what the circumstances.

Inspired by her resilience and guided by my own aspirations, I came to the United States to pursue my undergraduate degree in Computer Science and Business Analytics. My vision is to create meaningful, human-centered impact through the intersection of data, design, and purpose. Leaving home wasn’t easy, but it was a step toward building a life where I can both support my family and contribute to something larger than myself.

Back in Nepal, my mother found her own moment of return. After a 15-year academic gap, she made the decision to pursue an MPhil. It was a bold step, and like many returning students, she faced self-doubt and pressure. But she approached it with commitment and grace and graduated with a 4.0 GPA. Her achievement has been more than a personal milestone. It has been a source of pride for our entire family and a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to invest in yourself. Today, as she prepares to begin her PhD, in Nepal, I plan to pursue my doctoral studies here in the U.S. once I complete my undergraduate degree.

Our individual journeys have led us to find leadership and connections beyond the classroom. My mother has been actively involved with BPW Nepal, advocating for women in leadership and education. I joined NFBPWC here in New York with her encouragement, and it has allowed me to connect with an incredible network of women professionals whose values and goals align with my own.

Our family’s tea business, Lumbini Tea House, has been the backbone of everything. It supported my mother’s return to education and made it possible for both my brother and me to study in the U.S. It carried us through and gave us the foundation to grow.
This journey is not ours alone. My father’s constant support and belief in our
potential has been instrumental.

My younger brother brings a sense of balance to our lives with his energy and encouragement. And my maternal uncle has played an  irreplaceable role in helping both my mother and me reach this point. His love for his sister and his unwavering support for his niece has been a quiet but powerful force behind everything we’ve achieved. What makes this moment special is not just academic success. It is the journey of returning, rebuilding, and rising together. Our story is about choosing growth, no matter the timing, and about creating space for new beginnings at every stage of life.

Nermin K. Ahmad
NFBPWC Women on the Move Committee
Chair

Dr. Helena Kane Finn – the Woman on the Move Diplomat We Celebrate!

In celebrating the International Day of Women in Diplomacy, 24 June, this year, who better to showcase than our very own member, Dr. Helena Kane Finn. She represented BPW International as Lead United Nations Representative at the UN Headquarters in NYC through the end of 2024 and continues as a designated UN Representative ensuring IFBPW’s priorities are heard in various UN fora.

But who is Dr. Finn?

Helena Kane Finn served as Vice President of the American Council on Germany from September 2010 to September 2017. A career diplomat of the United States Department of State, she served as Minister- Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin (2007 - 2010) and as Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv (2003 - 2007). She has been the Cyrus Vance Fellow in Diplomatic Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York (2002 - 2003). Her seminal article on public diplomacy appeared in the November - December 2003 issue of Foreign Affairs. She has also been Director of the Turkish Studies Program at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy (2002).

As Acting Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (2000 - 2001), Dr. Finn was responsible for the State Department's global academic, professional and youth exchanges, including Fulbright and the International Visitor program. She also oversaw the Office of Cultural Heritage and Preservation.

Helena Kane Finn has served overseas as the Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey (1997 - 2000). Prior to that, she was the Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Vienna, Austria (1995 - 1997). She was the Public Affairs Officer and Director of the Amerika Haus in Frankfurt-Main, Germany (1992 - 1995).

She has been the Desk Officer for Greece, Turkey and Cyprus (1989 - 1991), following cultural affairs tours in Lahore and Islamabad, Pakistan (1984 - 1989). Her first diplomatic assignment was to the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey (1981 -1984).

Before joining the Foreign Service in 1980, Dr. Finn was an Assistant Professor in the Literature Department of Bosphorus University (formerly Robert College) in Istanbul, Turkey. She pursued post-doctoral studies at Princeton University in Comparative Literature (1977- 78). She holds a doctoral degree from St. John's University in British and American Literature (1976), having completed her doctoral dissertation in the Firestone Library at Princeton University. Her foreign languages are Turkish, German, and French.

Helena Kane Finn is married to former career diplomat Robert P. Finn, the U.S. Ambassador to Kabul, Afghanistan (2002 - 2003). Ambassador Finn is affiliated with Princeton University.

Nermin K. Ahmad
NFBPWC Women on the Move Committee Chair

Mastering the Art of Impactful Communication

On April 9, 2025, the Entrepreneur and Small Business and Women on the Move Committees co-hosted a very informative event to remind professional and businesswomen, so of course women on the move, of tools to be used in enhancing their success.

Odile Bocande Koffi gave us additional time so that we could really apply her recommendations to our specific interests and needs, engaging attendees with interactive exercises that underscored important perspectives. After all – we mostly know what we need to do. But we forget how we intend to communicate that knowledge, and we neglect the impact we desire to achieve.

She quoted John Powell: Communication works for those who work at it – then proceeded to unpack this for us. While tempting – I will not go through the entire discussion here – but want to bring up 10 styles of communication she had us work through:

Essential Communication Types to navigate the modern workplace successfully

• 1.           Non-Verbal Communication
• 2.               Verbal
• 3.               Written Communication
• 4.               Active Listening
• 5.               Digital Communication
• 6.               Interpersonal Communication
• 7.               Persuasive Communication
• 8.               Visual Communication
• 9.               Feedback
• 10.            Cross-Cultural Communication

All this before underscoring the point that more than 90% of communication between people is non-verbal and has distinct behavior patterns that may have little to do with words used or even tone of voice.

Of course, if you want to achieve a specific goal when communicating with others, you absolutely must generate engagement and keep your listeners focused, by being authentic, and engaged yourself.

Odile was very generous with links we could use for further learning and practice. While we did not specifically focus on communications for those who have been in the military, as woman return to civilian life from active duty, they also need to take what they have learned about communications to adapt to new circumstances, different listeners, and new objectives.

Who is Odile? I met her during CSW and was blown away by not just her engagement and knowledge but by one comment, after a particularly intense set of presentations: Women speakers can inspire change for women more effectively, by avoiding a defensive or lecturing tone and instead, engaging all the women in the room, into thinking about how to own the change they could make I was intrigued, and we spent more time together discussing what could be improved – not only for women speaking with women, but for women seeking to make change happen!

Odile is an executive and management coach, who leads workshops and retreats around the world – where she works with her 10 experts on NeuroLeadership, Emotional Intelligence, Neuro- Linguistic Programming, Practice-based learning, psychometric tests and collective intelligence – in the US, Europe and on the continent of Africa. She has her Executive MBA from the ESCP Business School (ranked 2nd worldwide for Executive MBAs) and has an outstanding list of clients ranging from Banks, through UN Agencies (UN Women, UN Volunteers, the World Food Program and the UN itself) to sports companies, medical firms, engineering companies and so much more.

If you attended her talk, you will be receiving her slides. If you did not, but want to learn more about her coaching, and how she can work with you, your organization, or your community, you can check out her webpage https://www.obkperformance.com, or reach out to her at odile@obk-performance.com with NFBPWC-USA in the subject line.

Odile lives up to the high standards I set for myself as a woman, and especially as a woman constantly on the move. Her generosity with time and her attention to details, combined with her patience are qualities I aspire to. I hope I can be more like her, as a woman on the move – from success to success in life, or location to location around the world.

Join this Standing Committee. Help our voices soar.

Nermin K. Ahmad
NFBPWC Women on the Move Committee Chair

Just halfway through the Commission on the Status of Women’s 69th session, I realize how important Women on the Move could be. This Standing Committee is about all of us, and about each of us helping those around us. Think about how long we, as women, have advocated for equality, including equal pay for equal work, and against violence against women, trafficking of women, and more. We have been organized and (somewhat) united for at least the 69 years of the Commission (and longer when you think of the roots of our movement). But it is a pilgrim’s progress – for every two steps forward we fall back a step.

Some of the best speakers I heard were the young women still in school or in college, who called out for a seat at the table, a voice for their future. They did not speak about what they had achieved as did many of the more seasoned representatives, but they spoke about what they sought. Some of their concerns are new to those who advocated in Beijing 30 years ago: e- bullying and e-body-shaming. Insidious, invisible, poisonous commentary via a range of platforms that deliver hate speech and promote doubt. Many of these girls seek an inclusive world in which they may thrive as women. They demand courses in civics, in financial literacy, in advocacy. They are very much on the move to secure a future they believe in.

We heard from numerous organizations who network their knowledge and actually shared it across the world through their membership, in projects for which to collect, provide or direct seed money. Their intent is to ensure that women who are on the move, because of poverty, violence, fear or climate change, have the tools they need to establish themselves elsewhere successfully. I was at events where women were rewarded with practical knowledge for conceptualizing projects that could change their livelihoods – in agriculture, in small businesses, and with the new refrain of artisanal work enhanced by AI.

Teaching a woman how to use her 2G or 3G phone to check real time market prices helps her negotiate a fair price with buyers. As she builds her phone skills, she learns more about her produce, what sells, what doesn’t, and she becomes able to make smart choices.

Similar stories exist for builders, for contractors, for architects and others who through technology can compete for better pay, contracts, and purchasing power.

In many cases, it was a sharing of knowledge rather than access to funding that made the difference. A seed project that invited curiosity, and from which other projects were born. I love the concept of women igniting opportunities for one another and being there in support of their continued growth.

There was also the acknowledgement that women are raising sons to be supportive of women, and that an increasing number of men can be recognized for eschewing toxic masculinity to favor the success of women. We need to thank them, and celebrate them, as willing allies for our various moves.

I will be writing up my notes from the meetings I attended, and I will pull out specific projects for us to consider – but I respectfully ask you to consider: what do you need to know to be a woman on the move, who is counted and who is respected for who you are. If you already are able to move with that respect, then I ask – how can you share what you know?

Nermin K. Ahmad
NFBPWC Women on the Move Committee Chair

Tracey MacDermott
Co-Chair

Remarkable Woman – Maria E. Beasley

American Entrepreneur and Inventor

Women can be on the move in many ways. Maria Beasley not only moved around at a time when this was not the norm for women, but she certainly was a woman on the move when it came to her inventive mind.

Maria E. Beasley American Entrepreneur and Inventor 1836 – 1913

North Carolina, USA

Her grandfather taught her barrel making which fueled an already strong interest in mechanical work. She already had experience with her father’s watermill and her other grandfather’s distillery. When she was only about 13 years old, she built a small sailboat that was able to safely transport herself and a pet dog safely across water. Between 1878 and 1898 she patented fifteen inventions in the US, including a footwarmer, a bread-making machine, a machine to paste the upper part of shoes, a steam generator, two for improved life rafts, and anti-derailment device for trains, as well as more in barrel-making machines and processes. She licensed a barrel cooping patent to the Standard Oil

Company, exhibited her work, and founded companies for the manufacture of barrels (one later sold for $1.4 million or

$42,222,963 million in 2021 currency).

Her curiosity in all things mechanical drove her to move around, leaving the south for Philadelphia so her children could have better schools. Maria became a frequent visitor to the Centennial International Exposition that was held between May  and  November 1876. She specifically spent a lot of time checking out the exhibits in Machinery Hall, which was the second largest structure at the exposition. These exhibits, featuring a wide range of machines as well as emerging industries, inspired Beasley to pursue a career as an inventor.

She moved to Chicago, where she co-founded the Wabash Avenue Subway Transportation Company. Her family staunchly supported her, with her husband becoming her patent agent and her son Walter managing operations in her Chicago Barrel factory. Despite the then-present laws of coverture (where men had legal rights over their wives’ earnings and possessions), her husband signed away any claims he might have had, so no one could abuse her legal status as a married woman.

In the mid 1890’s she wanted to understand how to use trains to move perishable goods over long distances, using speed and not refrigeration. She built a short track on her property to work on the design, and designed more aerodynamically shaped motors, a telescopic glass (to see further ahead), a device to cool train axles, and more. She was brought on board to help design an elevated electric railway from New York to Chicago through to San Francisco (the Inter- Ocean Electric Railway company.

For more information on Maria E. Beasley, please check out:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_E._Beasley

Nermin K. Ahmad

NFBPWC Women on the Move Committee Chair

By: Nermin K. Ahmad
NFBPWC Women on the Move Committee Chair

I spent this week interviewing potential members for NFBPWC. Women from different countries who were inspired by the projects undertaken by BPW members in their country of origin, and who seek the same framework here in the US.

Their belief in BPW is sobering and rewarding. In my case, it gives me pause as I consider what we mean to so many women. What we, as BPW Sisters, represent. The fortitude and endurance shown by our foremothers who fought for us to have the vote, who fought for us to be respected equally, and yes, who fought for Equal Rights.

The United States of America is a beacon of hope for so many women who come here, expecting to achieve their full potential once they arrive – and yet women here face a mixed bag of rights depending on which state they call home, and what they hope to do. Just take Health – the US is ranked 30 on the global healthcarelist for women (on a par with Kazakhstan and Mauritius). We rank last overall for women’shealthcareamong wealthy nations. Better Health for Women is worth fighting for – and we do have our Health Committee to advocate for us to take control of our own health!

Then there is the Equal Rights Amendment. I am asked about it, and I admit I am confused as I read:

President Biden on Friday declared that he considers the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution "the law of the land," a surprising declaration that does not have any formal force of effect, but that was celebrated by its backers in a rally in front of the

National Archives.

The amendment would need to be formally published or certified to come into effect by the national

archivist, Colleen Shogan — and when or if that will happen is unclear.

So…how do I explain what this means to our new sisters, and is it true for all women in the US, or is it something that has actual differences on a state-by- state basis – and what happens when Presidents change? NFBPWC has a unique history and the opportunity to be present, advocate, make change happen. Let us never assume – anything. Not everyone knows their rights, and not all rights are applied equally, or even perceived equally. I am not my sister, but I can share with her.

I try to live up to high standards as a woman, and especially as a woman constantly on the move. Not being perfect, I fail many times. But I try to dust off and start over. I also value the many women who picked me up, dusted me off, and set me on a path again. I hope I can be like them, to keep women on the move – from place to place along their life, or around the world.

Join this Standing Committee. Help our voices soar.

Nermin K. Ahmad

NFBPWC Women on the Move Committee Chair

By: Nermin K. Ahmad
NFBPWC Women on the Move Committee Chair

In 2025 Women on the Move will take form and we will be planning regular meetings. In our NFBPWC Biennial and our St. Kitts Triennial conferences, I have collected sufficient information to be able to shape and propose a program that will provide opportunities for everyday women - you, your neighbor, me – women who may move for a myriad of reasons – desire, love, financial opportunity, education, health, weather, work. We will create a sisterly network of like-minded business and professional women around the US, in North America and the Caribbean, and globally who can support one another’s success.

Let me know if you are interested in joining this committee – our intention is to make the world a welcoming place for business and professional women – by truly networking our resources across the globe while connecting locally, uniting nationally and igniting globally.