NATIONAL FEDERATION OF BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CLUBS (NFBPWC) ADVOCACY PLATFORM 2024 - 2026 

NFBPWC will employ several education, advocacy, monitoring, and tracking strategies to meet the following priorities:  

The Alice Paul Equal Rights Amendment shall stand first and foremost above all other items of the advocacy platform until Equal Rights have been guaranteed in the United States Constitution – i.e. “Equality of Rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”  Human Rights – recognition that women’s rights are human rights  

• Support:   

○The Alice Paul Equal Rights Amendment. 

○Passage of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). 

○Equal rights for historically marginalized groups, encompassing, but not restricted to, Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ individuals. 

○Universal background checks for all firearm purchases. 

○The Violence Against Women Act; especially when reauthorization is required. 

○Fair and equal access to education, including sufficient funding for public education ranging from early childhood education to post-secondary / higher education. 

○Policies and practices that promote environmental sustainability. 

○Empower and enhance the well-being of military-affiliated women. 

○Equitable treatment of any women who are arrested, detained, or incarcerated. 

○Privacy rights of women, especially regarding their health, sexual and relationship history, and personal and digital data. 

○protection of human rights and equitable treatment of all migrants, including refugees and asylum seekers. 

• Eradicate Domestic Violence and Electronic and Physical stalking, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, and discrimination. 

• Oppose human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and all forms of slavery.   

Economic Equity and Justice  

• Support the elimination of Forced Arbitration as the sole means of dispute resolution.  

• Access to:  

• ○Education, training, and promotional opportunities. 

  ○Equal opportunities in the workplace and on corporate boards.  

  ○Procurement procedures that facilitate opportunities for women-owned or women-led enterprises. 

  ○Quality, affordable dependent care (child, elderly, or disabled). 

  ○Funding and capital for entrepreneurial activity. ○Affordable and attainable housing. 

  Health Equity and Justice  

• Support for reproductive justice.   
  
• Access to affordable reproductive healthcare; including but not limited to; contraception, assisted reproduction techniques, and abortion care. 
  
• Support for paid sick, family, and medical leave.  
  
• Elimination of gender bias in research funding.  
  
• Health education funding for women’s and girl’s health issues.  
  
• Prevention of discrimination against pregnancy and infant care in the workplace (e.g. reasonable accommodations for breastfeeding/breast pumping and other pregnancy /maternity conditions.)  
• Ensure workplace safety.  
  
• Expansion of mental health coverage and services.  
  

• Approved on July 20, 2024 

  NFBPWC Biennial General Assembly 

  King of Prussia, PA 

By: Trudy Waldroop
NFBPWC Bylaws / Resolutions Outgoing Chair (2022-2024) 

RESULTS of the proposed Bylaws and Policies and Procedures Amendments 

from the July National Federation General Assembly 

All 18 proposed Bylaws amendments and all 20 Policies and Procedures were adopted.  Only a few of the proposed amendments were amended by the members.  They are listed below with the changes in red. 

BYLAWS 

#4 proposal, page 4: ARTICLE IX – OFFICERS, Section 1 

The elected officers of the National Federation shall be: a President, a First Vice-president Membership, a Second Vice-president Advocacy, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and a Young BPW.  A and and a Young BPW.  A Parliamentarian shall be appointed by the President and serves without a vote unless the state law they live in prohibits it.   

#17 page 14: ARTICLE XVI  -  SPECIAL COMMITTEES/TASK FORCES, Section 3 

Special Committees and Task Forces are appointed by the President and ratified by the Executive Committee with the exception of the Nominations Chair, which is an elected position.  

Typo:   # 13 page 11: Article XIV, Board of Directors and #16, page 13 current Article XV Standing Committee, Sections 1 – insert Membership after L3 (Lifelong Leadership and Learning) 

POLICES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL 

#11 page 7 bottom of the page: 2.4.10 Women on the Move  o Create a resource library including schools, realtors, maps, car leasing, long term house leasing, child care and dependent care services, language services, women’s services (hair, nails, facials, clothing), and more. 

#16, page 13: 7.10 Voting (Biennial General Assembly) 

All members in good standing and registered for the Biennial General Assembly may vote electronically. Typo:  #8, page 4; should be 2.3.3 Future Program Ideas 

This Chair attended all but two of the Board of Directors’ meetings during the term.   She submitted four articles to the E-Magazine and were published.  This chair thanks the Bylaws/Resolutions Committee: then NF Parliamentarian Sandy Thompson and Virtual Club President Barbara Bozeman for their dedicated and valuable hard-work.  They were awesome.

By: Nancy Werner
NFBPWC Advocacy Team ERA Lead (2022-2026) 

EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT – Alice Paul’s Home – Paulsdale, 128 

Hooton Street, Mt. Laurel, New Jersey – “Trip of a Lifetime” 

Advocacy –Equal Rights Amendment.  “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex” needs to be placed into our Constitution. While most states have laws prohibiting discrimination of any kind based on sex, proponents of the E.R.A. say laws can be reversed or eliminated. Having a Constitutional Amendment would cement those rights.  

Let me start with the NFBPWC Biennial Conference of July 18 to 21, 2024 at the 

Sheraton Hotel in King of Prussia, PA. When President Megan asked for a volunteer to chair this event, I knew this would be an opportunity to share the Alice Paul House with the NFBPWC members. Our theme said it all - “Equality Has No Deadline.” Only 45 minutes away in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, we had 40 plus members join us on 2 small buses. It was a gorgeous day of sunny skies and light breezes. 

We were greeted by the Alice Paul Institute staff. We needed to divide our group into two, as one group received the presentation of Alice Paul’s life. Allie, our presenter, shared Alice’s life from the beginning to her final days through photographs that were gathered. Alice’s life was compelling as we learned of her Quaker life, education, travels to England and returning to the United States. Her national suffrage work was widely known. 

President Woodrow Wilson was not too kind to the Sentinels who stood outside his White House fence 24/7. He finally had them all arrested and placed in jail for months. Their hunger strikes created the force feedings. We heard that these women endured lasting effects of this treatment and Alice did, too. But with an upcoming election for Wilson, he released these women as his public image was not the best. 

But Alice’s work carried on as she wrote the Equal Rights Amendment and delivered it on July 19, 1923, at the Presbyterian Church in Seneca Falls, New York. She worked to have her document be received by the US Congress and be heard across the country. Alice dedicated her life to this amendment. 

We saw quotations of Alice throughout the lower level of the house. Alice Paul-Feminist Suffragist, Political Strategist. She was the architect of some of the most outstanding political achievements on behalf of women in the 20^th Century. She dedicated her life to the single cause of securing equal rights for all women. 

We stood next to her wall mural and took photos. We read excerpts in her journals. We saw pictures of her youth to adulthood. Alice was there in her Victorian House with the most beautiful wrap around porch with chairs. 

If you are wondering about the second group, we were greeted by Quincy Wansel, Youth Program Coordinator. She had the porch filled with tables and chairs of educational fun. Ready for us were worksheets 

- Who is Missing in History?, word searches, coloring activities, writing postcards to our US representatives 

and making buttons with “ERA.” She had a machine on the table. It was amazing what you can accomplish in an hour on a wraparound porch with a beautiful breeze.  

But just walking through the few rooms that shared Alice’s life was inspiring. Thinking what she did for women was an awesome journey. If you ever wish to have a program all about Alice Paul, visit their web page and download the worksheets that are already prepared for you. They have answer keys too! 

We had a professional photographer named Thomas Josh Silva, from Convention Photography, join us. He drove from eastern Tennessee. He took a group photo of all of us who visited the Alice Paul House that Friday, July 19. He found a ladder as high as he could, and he climbed to get the best shot. But for those who purchased this photo, we will always have a memory of our day with Alice Paul. 

Although Director Rachael Glashan Rupisan was on vacation, Olivia Errico, did the honors of receiving us and sharing goodbyes. Again, we wish to thank the Ironton Telephone/ Global for paying for our admissions. (That’s my family business and we were honored to provide this gift.) 

SIGN4ERA– May I encourage you AGAIN to take the time RIGHT NOW to sign onto this link: http://www.sign4ERA.org.  When you visit this site, there is much information given to you. History of the current work and why it is so important. We now have 100,000 supporters who have signed the petition. The number is still climbing. 

Please keep in touch with your Senators using the NFBPWC “One Click.” 

By: Sandra Thompson
NFBPWC’s International Chair, international@nfbpwc.org  

Congratulations to Jamaica for celebrating their 50th anniversary.    We congratulate them on their 50 years of service to women.    

I am including the information once again for the International Congress.  

The time for the BPW International Congress is fast approaching.   It will be held November 17 to 21 in St. Kitts.  Go to https://stkittscongress.bpwinternational.org/registrationfor more information. 

Below is a summary of what is included and the cost for registration. 

 

5 Days - Delegate / Member 

Opening Ceremony, Regional Conferences, General Assembly, Panels, Workshops, Breakfast, Lunch & Coffee Breaks, at the Marriott. 

NOTE: Gala Dinner and Farewell Dinner are not included in this ticket. 17 - 21 Nov 2024 

Ticket Prices 

Early Bird (until 2 Sept 2024) 

Standard (until 15 Sept 2024) Late (until 15 Oct 2024) 

Credit Card or Bank Transfer 

900 EUR - Early Bird 

1'100 EUR - Standard 

1'250 EUR – Late  

Gala Dinner $145 US 

Farewell Dinner $150 US 

We hope to see a lot of you there to enjoy a time to connect with you BPW sisters from around the world.

By: Suzette Cotto 
NFBPWC Public Relations Chair

Engage with NFBPWC on Social Media

Organization Page:   https://www.facebook.com/NatlFedBPWC/

Group Page: https://www.facebook.com/NatlFedBPWC/

Organization Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nfbpwc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2l_ciIxLyvbu1dbBOsV9Tg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nfbpwc_usa/

By: Susan E. Oser
NFBPWC Rapid Response Committee Chair 

Before continuing to this month’s article, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for reading my articles and supporting me as the Rapid Response Chair for the second half of this term.  While it has been a challenge, I have learned a lot.  Hopefully, in the new term after the July Assembly (as of this writing) we can have a new chair with clearer rules in place to help make it easier to perform in this position. 

Issues that will need your attention and need to be addressed. – LGBTQ+ issues – Transgender Rights 

As Rapid Response chair, it is my job to keep my ear to the ground and eyes to the screen or otherwise on issues that I feel should not only be an issue for us personally but also for your locals to discuss or have a special educational presentation on.   

This month, it’s about LGBTQ+ issues particularly, transgender issues. 

The reason this needs to be its because a lot of conservative lawmakers in conservative cities, towns and especially states are creating laws and rules to ban transgender folks from participating in sports, getting gender affirming surgery (especially in teenagers) and bathroom bills.  One of the reasons this is happening, as with the other important political issues mentioned in this section is because it seems as if these laws were put in place to make a dare to take the law to the Supreme Court so that (hopefully in their eyes) it can be ruled to be a “states rights” issue so specific human rights can be stripped away by these governments.    

Here are a few examples to highlight what’s going on: 

• Republicans look to reverse new transgender student protections -https://t.ly/Yw4aX 

• Biden protections for LGBT students blocked in six more states -https://t.ly/OUEf4 

• House Republicans pass bill banning Pride flags & allowing anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination - https://t.ly/_HyZ7 

• How the trans culture wars came to New York -https://t.ly/6pX23 

Along with being Rapid Response chair, I have also been the LGBTQ+ liaison and sharing information about various aspects of the community.  (Please refer to this month’s article in that section).  I am also currently a facilitator for a local support group called Scrambled Eggs, which is a Transgender/Trans Ally group that gets together once a week sharing personal stories, answering questions or more.  Through these activities, I have learned a lot more about the issues than ever before and learned a lot about myself too.   

Hopefully with some sources below and the call to action, you can be inspired to do the same and be a strong ally for your family, friends, and greater community. 

Sources:  

• How to Signal You are an Ally in Hostile Environment -https://rb.gy/i0tcjy   

• 20+ LGBTQ+ Organizations You Can Support Right Now - https://www.realsimple.com/worklife/lgbtq-organizations-to-donate 

So, what can you do to make sure reproductive rights can be protected for all?? 

1. Educate yourself and others about LGBTQ+ issues and share this knowledge. 

2. Volunteer for organizations that educate about LGBTQ+ rights such as PFLAG, The Trevor Project, and local organizations in your cities and states.  Also join ally trainings. 

3. Let the community know you are an ally by creating a safe space of support. 

4. Write to your representative and senator (state and nationally) 

5. Write a letter to the editor concerning your opinions about ant-transgender legislation and other LGBTQ+ issues of importance. 

6. Post and share any information you come across on your social media platforms. 

7. Host presentations and webinars in your local/affiliate BPW clubs educating the public about the community for being better allies. 

Please connect with Sue Oser at rapidresponse@nfbpwc.org or the new chair when appointed after General Assembly for your thoughts, opinions, etc. and how the Rapid Response chair can do better.

By: Manjul Batra
NFBPWC Nominations Chair 

The following Nominations have been received for the 2024-2026 NFBPWC offices. 

President	Barbara Bozeman
	Kathy Kelly
First Vice-President of Membership	Maria DeSousa
Second Vice President of Advocacy	Emily VanVleck
	Susan Oser
Secretary	Nermin K. Ahmad
Treasurer	Jo C Naylor
Young BPW Representative	Doris Byrne Norris

Candidates for President  

ELEVATE WOMAN IN ACTION

Vote Kathy Kelly For NFBPWC President

With a degree in Religious / Women’s Studies from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Kathy’s passion has always been to advocate for women and girls.  She has served in many BPW positions, including president in her home state of Colorado and currently serving at the national level as vice president of membership.  At the international level, Kathy has served as the BPW delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status on Women (2013- present) and completed a three-year term on the Women for Water Partnership International 

Steering Committee (www.womenforwater.org).  She continues her involvement 

with capacity-building projects for women and girls with the NGO www.Afghans4Tomorrow.org 2009-present. 

Kathy splits her time between Personnel Profiles, volunteer work, her two grown children and four grandchildren. She enjoys skiing, hiking, Bronco games and concerts at Colorado's beautiful Red Rocks amphitheater. 

BARBARA J. BOZEMAN 

Focused on amplifying opportunities for our members. 

Dedicated to fostering growth through innovative programs and strategic partnerships. 

Committed to empowering members by bridging local and international connections, enabling them to thrive in all aspects of their lives. 

 

Candidate for First Vice-President of Membership 

Maria Cecilia DeSousa came to the United States of America in 1979. She began her college education at University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire and later received her Bachelor’s in Science degree in Biological Science (Medical Technology) with a minor in chemistry from California State University Sacramento and is a licensed Clinical Laboratory Scientist. Maria has a Master’s degree in Health Services Administration (MPA) from University of San Francisco. Maria is admitted into California State Bar and is licensed to practice law.

Maria is the immediate Past President for California Federation of Business and Professional Women and currently serves as the President for Berkeley Club of Business and Professional Women. She is on the Board of Directors and is the current co-President for the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Northern California.  

Candidates for Second Vice-President of Advocacy 

By: Sandra Thompson
NFBPWC’s Immediate Past President  

This is my swan song article.  As my time on the NFBPWC Executive Committee comes to a close, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to each of you.  Serving on this EC over the past ten (10) years has been a profoundly rewarding experience, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have been part of such an extraordinary teams. 

I am deeply appreciative of the support, camaraderie, and collaboration that have characterized our work together.  The insights, expertise, and diverse perspectives each of you brought to the table have been invaluable.  I have learned so much from you all, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have 

worked alongside such a talented and committed group of individuals. 

As I step down from the EC, I am confident that NFBPWC will continue to thrive and achieve great things under your capable leadership.  I look forward to staying connected and supporting the organization in any way I can. 

Thank you once again for the privilege of serving on the NFBPWC EC.  I cherish the memories we have created and the impact we have made together. 

By: Email sent on Friday, June 14^th by Megan Shellman-Rickard
President of NFBPWC 

In accordance with our bylaws, attached please find a copy of the proposed Bylaws amendments, proposed 

Policies and Procedures amendments, and Bylaws Chair editorial changes to the Bylaws and Policies and Procedures. Please note that the editorial changes will automatically be integrated and will not be up for vote or discussion, as they are merely editorial. 

Proposed Bylaws Amendments 06.09.2024.pdf 

Policies and Procedures Proposed Amendments 06.09.2024.pdf 

Bylaws Chair Editorial Changes 06.09.2024.pdf 

Please review all of these documents prior to the Biennial Conference July 19-21, 2024. Direct any questions or concerns to the Bylaws Chair, Trudy Waldroop, bylaws@nfbpwc.org. 

An enormous thank you to the Bylaws Committee for their incredible work that has been done to bring our operating documents up to date. We appreciate your detailed efforts. 

Only members who are registered to attend the Biennial Conference are eligible to vote on the proposed Bylaws Amendments. Proposed Policies and Procedures Amendments will be addressed at the Board of Directors meeting preceding the General Assembly. If you have not yet registered for the conference, here is a link for both the virtual and in-person registration options: 

2024 NFBPWC Biennial Conference: Equality Has No Deadline! 

We are hopeful that we will be able to efficiently address all of the proposed amendments in a timely and effective manner. As a reminder, our ability to move through the business of voting on amendments does hinge on whether or not members review these documents in advance of the Biennial Conference. Thank you to the membership for taking the responsibility of this to heart. 

Together we are stronger! 

By: Trudy Waldroop
Bylaws & Resolutions Chair, NFBPWC 2022-2024 (Email: ILoveBPW@yahoo.com) Bylaws@NFBPWC.org  

For the past 6+ months the NFBPWC Bylaws/Resolutions Committee has been very busy comparing The 

National Federation’s Bylaws with the Policies and Procedures (P&P) Manual to see if the two are congruent.  After many e-mails and zoom meetings, we found that they are not.  Therefore, there will be several proposed bylaws and P&P amendments to make the two documents agree with each other to be voted upon at the General Assembly in July.  We also found many editorial changes:  which are mandatory corrections but need not be voted upon. 

On June 14 National Federation President Megan forwarded these three documents to all members via e-mail.  (See NFBPWC Proposed Bylaws Amendments and Policies and Procedures below) 

This chair thanks the hard-working and dedicated Bylaws/Resolutions Committee: NF Parliamentarian Sandy Thompson and Virtual Club President, who wears many other hats, Barbara Bozeman.   

This was a challenge, but we all enjoyed doing it. It was a joy for this Chair to work with these ladies.