NFBPWC Roots: History and Strength in Advocacy

We worked throughout the 1930's to prohibit legislation or directives denying jobs to married women and lobbied successfully to legislatively end the legal practice of workplace preference for unmarried persons and, in the case of married persons, preference for males. BPW/USA was one of the first women’s organizations to endorse the Equal Rights Amendment in 1937.

1940's: 
At the advent of World War II, BPW developed a classification system for women with specialized skills critical to the war effort and supported the formation of women’s branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. While wage discrimination has existed in the U.S. since women and minorities first entered the paid workforce, its prevalence was not felt until the massive influx of women sought work during World War II. Immediately following the war, the Women’s Pay Act of 1945 – the first ever legislation to require equal pay – was introduced in the U.S. Congress. It was another 18 years before an equal pay bill made its way to the President's desk to be signed into law.

1956: 
We strengthened our efforts by establishing BPW Foundation, the first non-profit research and education institution of national scope solely dedicated to the cause of working women.  

1960's: 
The establishment of "Status of Women" commission in the U.S. in 1963 was due largely to BPW efforts. President John F. Kennedy recognized BPW's leading role in securing passage of the Equal Pay Act by giving BPW/USA's National President, Dr. Minnie Miles, the first pen he used when signing the Act into law. The first National Legislative Conference, held in 1963 in Washington D.C., later developed into BPW's Policy & Action Conference, where members lobby Congress and the Administration on BPW's legislative issues. 

1980's: 
BPW tackled "comparable worth" by calling for newspapers to stop the occupational segregation in classified ads (clustering of women in a few restricted occupations of low-paying, dead-end jobs). Numerous state and municipal governments revamped their pay scales, recognizing dissimilar jobs may not be identical, but may be composed of tasks, educational requirements, experience and other characteristics that are equivalent or comparable. 

1990's:
Discussions on comparable worth were expanded to include enforcement and strengthening of existing Equal Pay legislation. The Pay Equity Employment Act of 1994, followed by the Equal Pay Act (introduced in 1994) and the Paycheck Fairness Act (introduced in 1997) became BPW's focus legislation through the '90s. Then-Secretary of Labor, Elizabeth Dole, and First Lady Barbara Bush addressed BPW's members at the White House Briefing during the 1990 "Lobby Day" event.

2010: 
After learning the newly merged BPW organization was not able to continue their focus on local and state organizational structure and governance, BPW/USA members came together to meet that need, and formed the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs (NFBPWC). At that time, NFBPWC reconnected as an Affiliate member of the International Federation of Business and Professional Women's organization (IFBPW). IFBPW has a mission to develop the business, professional and leadership potential of women on all levels. through education, advocacy, networking, mentoring, skill-building and economic empowerment programs and projects.