How We Celebrate and Innovate Through the Lens of the United Nations—A Call to Action for December

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Celebrate!

Reflect on one UN achievement or milestone from 2025 that resonat-ed with you. Whether it was pro-gress in women’s leadership, ad-vancements in climate commit-ments, humanitarian successes, or other breakthroughs. Understand-ing the wins helps us champion future progress.

Innovate!

Choose one UN priority you want to follow more closely in 2026. Is it AI ethics, global education initiatives, or sus-tainable development that interests you? Or something else, like economic justice or peace and security. Commit to deepen-ing your understanding and awareness and participation in 2026!

Engage!

Explore one UN resource you’re unfamiliar with this month. Whether it’s a briefing, a live event, or a global campaign. You could also consider how your club or com-mittee might connect with that work in the coming year.

As an NGO affiliated with BPW Interna-tional, our engagement connects the lived experiences of working women with the UN’s global priorities. Understanding the UN’s year-end direction helps us align our efforts, strengthening our advocacy and identifying opportunities for meaningful participation.

Barbara J. Bozeman
President 2024-2026

I would like to extend my best wishes and season’s greetings to all of you on behalf of our BPW sisters of North America and the Caribbean Region. As we reflect on all that has happened this past year, I hope you are all able to look back on 2025 with fond memories and a feeling of accomplishment for a job well done.

I also hope that many of you are planning on coming to Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada August 23-25, 2026 to attend the North America and Caribbean Regional Conference. It promises to be a wonderful experience – a chance to meet BPW members from around our region and around the world and to learn things to take back to your clubs/affiliates. Please add these dates to your calendars and to your schedules – and bring your family to extend your time in this beautiful region.

I wish all of you a wonderful time during the holidays with your family and friends and good health and

happiness in 2026.

Karin Gorgerat
BPW International Regional Coordinator
North America and Caribbean

For information please email international@nfbpwc.org.

LARISA MILLER
BPW Galway & NFBPWC USA
International Relations Chair 2024-2026
International Liaison

The Power of Showing Up

As we close out 2025, it’s a perfect moment to celebrate one simple truth: every act of leadership starts with showing up. Whether you step into a meeting, turn on your camera for a virtual panel, or walk into a room where you are not yet sure of your place, showing up is the first act of courage that makes everything else possible.

This is especially true at the Commission on the Status of Women.

CSW will gather voices from around the world – activists, diplomats, educators, innovators, and women just like you who chose to be present. You don’t need to be an expert or a seasoned advocate. You just need to show up.

Why Showing Up Matters

One of the most impactful presentations this year was title “Stand Up and Speak Up.” The message was clear: when women stand up, speak up, and lean into their leadership, they transform every space they enter. But there is one part we sometimes overlook:

You cannot stand up, and you cannot speak up, if you never show up.

At CSW, being present, virtually or in person, is more than attendance. It is participation. It is visibility. It is claiming your space in the global conversation about women’s rights and equality.

Even as a spectator, you are learning the language of international advocacy, witnessing global collaboration, and becoming part of a movement much larger than any single club or country.

Your Invitation to Participate

This December, as we celebrate victories, connections, and community, consider how you can show up for CSW70:

• Attend sessions virtually or in person. NGO CSW/NY offers a full virtual platform, accessible, flexible, and designed for global participation.

• Experience the energy. Watch a briefing, sit in on a panel, or explore a grassroots presentation. Every session opens new doors.

• Be inspired by allies in action. CSW is full of partnerships, collaborations, and women helping women succeed.

And if you feel called to do more, this is the moment to begin shaping your own parallel event idea. NGO CSW/NY accepts virtual proposals from NGOs like ours. Your club’s work in technology, leadership, financial literacy, or community empowerment could be showcased on the global stage.

How to Start Strong

• Visit ngocsw.org to explore the details, schedules, and deadlines.

• Brainstorm program ideas with your club or committee.

• Partner with another club, federation, or organization to co-host an event.

• Connect with Emily VanVleck, VP Advocacy. She has the most current information and can help guide you through the steps.

Celebrate Your Strength

As you reflect on 2025, celebrate the moments when you showed up – for your community, for your club, for yourself. And then let that momentum carry you into CSW70, where your presence matters just as much as your contributions.

Showing up is leadership.

Showing up is advocacy.

Showing up is how change begins.

We invite you to show up for CSW70. Show up proudly, boldly, and ready to be part of the global movement for gender equality.

Some relevant resources: https://ngocsw.org/ https://www.facebook.com/unwomen https://www.facebook.com/NGOCSWNY https://indico.un.org/event/1020223/ https://www.unwomen.org/en/how-we-work/commission-on-the-status-of-women/csw70-2026

By Barbara J. Bozeman
National President

We’ve got a few important dates coming up, and this is a great moment to start getting involved.

First up: November 10

We’ll (NGO CSW/NY) be hosting our very first YLYP (Young Leaders & Young Professionals) meeting. This is a space for younger members to connect, share ideas, and get more involved in advocacy — especially ahead of CSW (The UN’s Commission on the Status of Women). Please make sure to pass this along to your club’s YBPW members or any young professionals who might be interested. We want them in the room and part of the conversation.

Next: November 12

The  NGO  CSW/NY  Open  Forum  is happening! If you’re curious about CSW or

planning to get involved this year, this is the perfect place to start. You’ll learn what SW is, how NGOs can take part, and what to expect for CSW70.

And starting November 13:

Applications open to host parallel events for CSW70. This is a great chance to highlight the work your club is doing, showcase an issue you care about, or collaborate with other organizations on a global stage.

So, if CSW, youth engagement, or advocacy have been on your mind—even a little—now’s the time to get involved. Let’s make sure all NFBPWC members, especially our up and coming young ones, are informed, included, and ready to lead.

Emily VanVleck
VP Advocacy IFBPW UN Rep

Allies in Action—Partnerships that Power Progress

At the United Nations, collaboration isn’t just encouraged – it’s essential. Every major UN initiative, from peacekeeping to public health, relies on alliances with governments, organizations, and communities.

These partnerships form the backbone of sustainable progress and are embodied in the Sustainable Development Goal#17: Partnerships for the Goals. It reminds us that no nation, agency, or individual achieves equality and justice alone.

Allies in Action at the UN: Around the world, the UN builds bridges across boundaries. Member States unite to confront global challenges like climate change and conflict. UN agencies work alongside nonprofits, academic institutions, and the private sector to develop new ideas and new ways to do things through advancing technologies. Even internally, UN champions cross- department collaboration to ensure humanitarian aid and education efforts reach people who need them most.

These alliances aren’t symbolic. They are the real gears of progress. They are proof that when partners share vision and responsibility, solutions become not only possible but become fact.

What This Means for  NFBPWC: BPW International stands as one of the UN’s recognized allies. Our participation links the experiences of women in business and leadership to global policy conversations. As we focus this month on Allies in Action, it’s the perfect time to reflect on how partnership strengthens every level of our work and what each of us individually and within our Clubs can do:

Collaborate Locally: Partner with a community organization or local business to advance a shared goal.

Connect Nationally: Invite other NFBPWC communities to co-host educational sessions or awareness campaigns that support the UN’s mission.

Engage Globally: Follow UN briefings and events online to learn how cross- sector partnerships are driving real-world change.

Amplify others: Use your platform to elevate the work of other women’s groups and community leaders.

Your Call to Action

Allies make the impossible achievable. Before the month ends, consider how you or your club can strengthen one partnership that supports the UN’s goals. It may begin as a small collaboration, but like the UN itself, every alliance adds up to lasting impact.

Barbara Bozeman
President 2024-2026

Inspire, Innovate, Transform—Together We Shape a Sustainable Future

Greetings BPW Sisters!

I am pleased to report that NAC completed two webinars in September with great success.

Thanks go to BPW Canada members Colleen Babiuk-Ilkiw and Sheila Crook, with technical support from NFBPW President Barbara Bozeman, for a terrific session titled “Advocacy on the Line – Crafting Position Papers to Spark Change”. There was great engagement from many within NAC, showing the dedication our members have to making a difference for women.

We are equally grateful to NAC Training Coordinator Sujata Tiwari for the valuable webinar “Empowering BPW Leaders”. Following in Dr. Lena Madeson’s footsteps, we all want to be strong leaders, whether it’s in our careers or volunteer work. There will be additional Advocacy and Leadership Webinars in the new year so stay tuned!

Work is underway within BPW International with preparations for the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 70) CSW70 (2026) | UN Women – Headquarters at the United Nations in New York City from March 9 – 20, 2026. While not everyone can attend in person, I hope many of you will participate in the over 700 Parallel Events with the NGO CSW About the NGO CSW Forum | NGO CSW/NY ,many of which are offered virtually at all hours of the day and evening. There are always topics and speakers of interest to everyone to learn more about women’s issues and work being done to make a difference. Watch for more information as it becomes available.

The North America and Caribbean Regional Conference will be held at the Hilton Niagara Falls/Fallsview Hotel in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada from August 23 – 25, 2026. It will include a Youth Symposium for Young BPW members on August 23rd and the Leader’s Summit over the next two days. We will have some amazing speakers on topics of interest to all. It will give you a chance to meet our NAC sisters from the Caribbean Islands and the USA, as well as other members from around the world.

Niagara Falls is very convenient for travel from the USA whether by car, train, or flights into Buffalo. There are regular shuttles from Buffalo Niagara International Airport. I hope you will take the opportunity to attend. Stay tuned for registration/hotel and speaker information!

As you approach Thanksgiving in the USA, I wish you all a lovely weekend with your family and friends, and hope you can rest, relax, and recharge, all the while eating a little too much turkey!

Karin Gorgerat
BPW International Regional Coordinator
North America and Caribbean

For information please email international@nfbpwc.org.

LARISA MILLER
International Relations Chair 2024-2026
International Liaison

Allies in Action

Did you know that BPW International has been part of the Commission on the Status of Women since its founding in 1946?

From the very beginning, BPW Leaders helped shape global discussions about women’s rights. Everything from employment and education to leadership and equity. So many of the policies we take for granted today were influenced by the persistence of BPW voices. Our history with CSW isn’t symbolic. It is built on partnerships.

From those first collaborations between women’s organizations and UN delegates, BPW has modeled what it means to be an ally for equality. We helped build the platform where women’s equality is debated and defined. And it continues every year as BPW members from around the world add their voices to the ongoing global conversation.

As we move closer to CSW70, our focus goes beyond awareness. It’s aboutconnection, collaboration, and collective strength. The theme “Allies in Action” reminds us that advocacy is never a solo effort. Every club, committee, and member can contribute. When we act locally with the CSW theme in mind, we don’t just represent NFBPWC. We demonstrate how allies unite to make progress possible.

What Can You Do This Month? Connect your work to the CSW:

Theme: Review your club’s activities or projects. Can you link them to women’s access to finance, innovation, or technology?

Spotlight Local Changemakers: Highlight women in your community who are advancing empowerment through business, education, or technology.

Co-Host or Support a Parallel Event Proposal: You can create and hold virtual events during CSW70. If your committee or club wants to collaborate on a session that showcases partnership in action, let us know (soon!).

Stay Informed and Share Forward: Follow updates from BPW International and UN Women and share key posts or articles with your networks. Every bit of awareness builds momentum.

Your Call to Action

Before November ends, choose one of these four actions – more if your club is feeling ambitious.

1)  Learn It. Read the CSW theme background brief and note how it connects to your personal and professional world.
2)  Speak it. Bring the topic to your next meeting or event. Even a 5-minute discussion can spark new ideas.
3)  Share it. Post one story, quote, or resource that helps others understand the CSW mission.
4)  Lead It. Volunteer to be your club’s CSW Liaison. Be the bridge between our local work and our global advocacy. Every alliance begins with a conversation. Every partnership builds momentum. When BPW women act with intention, the world listens.

Barbara Bozeman

President 2024-2026

Women in Leadership: Lessons from the United Nations

When the United Nations was founded in 1945, women were not at the table in great numbers. Yet from the beginning, women leaders were present, persuasive, and determined to shape the agenda for peace and equality. Eight decades later, women’s leadership has become one of the UN’s defining goals…an unfinished but urgent priority.

Women Leading at the UN

Today, women hold key leadership positions across the UN system. They head agencies, shape policies, and drive initiatives that touch lives around the globe. UN Women, established in 2010, stands as the most visible expression of this commitment, ensuring gender equality remains a core part of international dialogue. From climate negotiations to peacekeeping missions, women leaders are demonstrating that progress is possible when women’s voices are heard and their decisions respected.

The UN’s own data reminds us there is more work ahead: while gender parity has been achieved at the highest levels of leadership, the pace of change is uneven. Women’s leadership isn’t just about the numbers. Women’s leadership is about influence,impact, and inclusion.

What this means for NFBPWC

As an affiliate of BPW International, NFBPWC has consultative status with the UN through ECOSOC (United Nations Economic and Social Council). That means our members aren’t bystanders. We are active participants in the global dialogue. By learning form the examples of women in leadership at the UN, we can model leadership, bring local expertise to global spaces, and build confidence in our own voices.

• Model leadership at every level: from club chairs to national presidents, our leadership mirrors the values of the UN (diversity, equity, and shared responsibility).
• Bring local expertise to global spaces: our projects on health, climate, entrepreneurship, and advocacy are directly connected to the issues debated at the UN.
• Build confidence in our own voices: if women at the UN can shape treaties and resolutions, NFBPWC members can influence our communities, workplaces, and networks.

How You Can Participate Now

You don’t need to be a UN representative to be part of this story. Here are steps everyone can take this month.

• Watch women in action: Visit UN WebTV and seek out sessions where women leaders take the podium. Notice how they frame arguments, build coalitions, and set agendas.
• Practice leadership locally: Bring what you see to your club or committee. Use it as inspiration for how you moderate a meeting, present an idea, or guide a project.
• Share the story: highlight women leaders at the UN on your own social media or in your networks. Visibility inspires others to step up.

Call to Action

This month, as we spotlight Women in Leadership, look to the United Nations not only as a symbol of global cooperation, but as a source of inspiration. Women at the UN aren’t waiting for permission to lead…they are leading. So should we.

To get involved with NFBPWC’s United Nations efforts, email unchair@nfbpwc.org – or president@nfbpwc.org.

Together, we can ensure that women’s leadership is not the exception but the expectation, at the UN, in our communities, and within NFBPWC.

By Barbara Bozeman, President, NFBPWC

UN Women Ignite the Power of ONE “ONE Woman - ONE Community - ONE Nation: Building a Sustainable & Inclusive World Together”

To celebrate United Nations Day, October 24th, and the UN’s 80th anniversary, it is my pleasure to share ONE story of how UN Women, the lead UN entity on gender equality, ignites our collective power for the economic empowerment and full participation of women in the workplace, marketplace, and community around the world. This journey emboldened by UN Women celebrates the MANY women building an inclusive and gender just world.

Members of the NFBPWC know well, the power of attending the annual UN Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW )and BPW International (BPWI) Leaders’ Summit in New York. I will never forget the Canadian Global Champions with Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director, UN Women (second from left).

awe-inspiring rush; the first and every successive time I entered the United Nations. As a member of ECOSOC  –  an accredited non- governmental organization (NGO), BPW members can attend events and discussions that further the Commission on the Status of Women’s (UNCSW) landmark “agreements” including the Beijing Declaration  and  Platform  for  Action and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Developing a deep understanding of the language used and commitments made by Member States to the Agreed Conclusions of the sixty-fifth session empowers women to confidently engage with policy makers to shape national policy.

The big AHA moment

It was, however, at a BPWI Leadership Summitt featuring the 2010 UN Women and UN Global Compact Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) that the proverbial lightbulb went on. When BPWI President Liz Benham introduced the Women Mean Business tag line, Doris Hall the National President and I (then serving as the BPW Canada Secretary and Communications Strategic Advisor) immediately saw the game changing potential of the WEPs.

The role that work and economic empowerment play in promoting self-efficacy and quality of life has been well documented across my professional career in a diverse range of occupational sectors. That day the stars aligned and set the course to harnessing the power of a passionate BPW network, UN Global research and development, and insights from lived workplace experiences.

WOMEN MEAN BUSINESS

The WEPs launched a women’s empowerment journey that would break open decades of stalled progress through fresh dialogue with legislators. Simultaneously, we developed a team of Women’s Economic Empowerment Advocates within the BPW Canada Network. Cultivating a broadened understanding of the business case for the Women Mean Business tag line, saw the national narrative began to shift to valuing the diverse ways women contribute to the National Economy.

UN WOMAN: a grassroots force for change

The empowering force of UN Women continued to influence our journey. Seed funding provided by Foreign Affairs Canada supported the UN Women Empowerwomen Knowledge Gateway.

To support the Planet 50-50 by 2030 campaign, the UN Women empowerwomen platform, was used to launch the Global Community Champions for Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Challenge.

The WEE Challenge was the tipping point in creating a custom Canadian WEPs awareness campaign. A Canadian WEPs Rally and insights from the BPW Women’s Empowerment Advocates garnered the attention of BPW International President (Freda Miriklis), who coordinated an exploratory meeting with the UN Women and Global Compact WEPs team. President Doris Hall and I shared our rationale and vision for an expanded WEPS strategy. With 98% of the Canadian economy comprised of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) there was a clear need to promote the benefits of the WEPs beyond CEOs of large corporations. The UN WEPs Team supported our WEPs Canada strategy and off we went.

Officially being named a Global Community Champion for Women’s Economic Empowerment and having the opportunity to serve as a mentor for the next cohort of WEE Changemakers remains a humbling lifetime hallmark. I owe it to the synergy of ideas sewn by these changemakers for the genesis of the:

The Canadian Coalition to empower women

The CCEW (Canadian Coalition to Empower Women), spearheaded by BPW Canada, promoted the WEPs with businesses of all sizes and government at all levels, including nonprofit, labour, and business professional organizations. On the cusp of the global pandemic we moved beyond awareness, to showcasing how Canadian WEPs signatories benefited from applying the WEPs principles in their organizations. Today, the Global UNWEPs include businesses of all sizes and business and professional organization such a BPW are invited to sign on to the WEPs.

Women’s empowerment pivot

Although COVID initially disrupted progress, the Generation Equality Forum (GEF) convened by UN Women during the pandemic, with funding secured from the Government of Canada Women and Gender Equality  (WAGE),  and  the  COVID  Response  and Recovery Fund, would see our journey accelerate and pivot to a Women’s Empowerment IDEAS4GE roject. The IDEAS4GE project, is but ONE of 57 hundred approved Generation Equality – Commitment Maker Advocacy Initiatives.

Ideas for gender equality

Stakeholders and diverse partners came together in hybrid events across Canada. They generated inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (IDEAS) to advance women’s economic empowerment and gender equality in the workplace, marketplace, and community. Participants invited to be IDEAS4GE Solution-builders used these ideas to co-create a series of impactful solutions.

This is but ONE journey of BPW Members working in partnership for a more gender-just world, ONE Woman, ONE Community, and ONE Nation at a time.

Enjoy the Journey!

Sheila CrookGlobal Community Champion for Women’s Economic

Empowerment