President’s Message
I welcome you to the website of the Australian Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW Australia).
BPW Australia was inaugurated in 1947 with six member Clubs. The Aims of BPW Australia are still as relevant today as they were back in the 1940s when they were first declared. They provide us with guidance in the work we are doing, and give a foundation upon which to build our programs and projects.
The first club in Australia was formed in 1925 in Bendigo Victoria. Since those early years thousands of women who have been members of the organisation have played a significant role in the improvement of the status of women in Australia.
We have influenced public and government opinion on many issues affecting women, including representing the female workforce at Basic Wage Case reviews; the removal of compulsory retirement for married women in the Public Service; the facilitation of girls to take up apprenticeships and even placing a ban on an airline because they would not hire a female pilot. The ban worked!
In this decade we are celebrating that BPW’s intense lobbying of the federal government for universal paid maternity leave was successful and became law on 1 January 2011.
We are lobbying the government and holding public awareness events to ensure that women in Australia have equal pay. We hold Equal Pay Events across Australia each year and we are the founder of the Equal Pay Alliance that has 150,000 members.
We are still encouraging women and girls to choose their own paths in life free of discrimination. BPW provides opportunities for members to network and receive training in professional aspects such as public speaking and on board protocols.
Today, we have members working on projects in their communities, and at the State or National level with locally raised funds or with the assistance of Government Grants. We have a number of members involved in the management of the organisation at an International level, and other members assisting women overseas.
So many women try to keep their heads down and avoid taking challenges. In reality, success depends on our willingness to venture beyond our comfort zone. BPW members are prepared to confront challenges.
Above all, BPW members are women helping women. I am proud to be among them, and invite you to join our organisation and take on the challenge as BPW Australia is taking action for women’s equality.
Warm regards
Marilyn Forsythe
January 2011