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