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