October marks National Business Women’s Week, first established in 1928 by our founder, Lena Madesin Phillips. It’s a time to honor not only the importance of women in business, but also the power of advocacy of groups like NFBPWC to advance gender equality.

For me, I’ve never strongly identified with the “businesswoman” label. My connection with this organization has always been as a professional. With women making up less than 33% of senior management roles in the United States, I am among the majority of women in this country that make up the labor force - the workforce that allows businesses to thrive. On September 6th, I proudly marched in the Labor Day parade with my flight attendant union in New York City, joining thousands of fellow workers who keep this city moving.

That said, I deeply admire the women who have fought their way through roadblocks and glass ceilings to make it to the C-suites. Research consistently shows that when women lead, they bring more empathy, collaboration, and fairness to the workplace. This results in increased creativity and innovation, bold decision-making, and financial success.

This October, I urge us to remember the power of women in business and leadership. Let us emulate the qualities of women in leadership, remembering that empathy is our superpower. With it we have more fairness, better communication, and increased productivity. Without these things our objective of gender equality will be kicked further down the road. I challenge each of us to enter October with empathy and respect for one another.

In advocacy news, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, reminding us of the sobering reality that every 9 seconds a woman in the US is assaulted and 1 in 3 women in the US have experienced physical violence by a partner. These numbers are staggering and once again show how much work is needed to reach gender equality.

October also brings Period Action Day, a global day of advocacy and action to end period poverty and the stigma still associated with menstruation. Period poverty is a huge roadblock to women in the workplace, with as many as 36% of women reporting missing work due to lack of access to menstrual products. Looking at these numbers, women are more likely to miss work due to period poverty than they are to serve in a senior management role. Again, much work remains to be done. NFBPWC has signed on as a sponsor for the Good Samaritan Menstrual Products Act in the 119th Congress. This bill, introduced by Congresswoman Grace Meng, would encourage companies to donate menstrual products by reducing liability concerns. As we welcome fall, I wish you all a season of reflection and renewal. May we continue to practice radical empathy, uplift one another, and press forward together as the professional women we are.

EMILY VANVLECK
2ND VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVOCACY
NFBPWC
2024-2026