BPW Australia

Who we are

BPW Australia is a community of women working to end gender inequality. Our members share an interest in the issues that affect women in Australia, and around the world, today.

Gender equality is a basic human right, and its achievement brings socio-economic benefits to everyone. By empowering women, the broader community thrives, increasing positive productivity and growth.

However gender inequalities are still deeply entrenched in every society. From access to decent work, health care and education to occupational segregation and the growing gender wage gap, women in all parts of the world suffer violence and discrimination. And we’re significantly under-represented in political, social and economic decision-making processes in almost every country in the world.

Women working together

Our projects, programs and campaigns focus on issues that affect women and work such as equal pay, childcare, support for women’s refuges, scholarships for young women in school & university,  and domestic violence. We also partner with other organisations on projects including International Women’s Day and the Women’s Empowerment Principles.

Through our meetings and events, newsletters, personal and professional development programs and other initiatives, we connect and empower women who aspire to do more. Our community includes women in a variety of organisations – from small & medium-sized businesses through to large multinational corporations, as well as women no longer in paid work and savvy entrepreneurs running their own show. Our members range in age from 15 – 80, come from all industries, with many areas of expertise and experience.

We make gender matter

Our members have the opportunity to influence government decisions on issues important to women by lobbying for legislative change, developing their own skills and experience in the process. We take action to achieve women’s equality in social, economic, community and political terms.

We lobby government at all levels and consult with business, industry and organisations to provide a gender perspective on key issues. BPW has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and participatory status with the Council of Europe. Members include influential women leaders, entrepreneurs, business owners, executives, professionals and young career women.

We help women achieve

Our focus is on leadership, advocacy, and personal and professional development.

• Leadership

We encourage our members to take advantage of the leadership opportunities in our Clubs as well as nationally and internationally. We also provide support and skills development for women seeking leadership positions in the workplace and in our communities.

• Advocacy

We advocate for all working women both employers and employees. We have lobbied on Paid Maternity Leave, Equal Pay, childcare issues, taxation reviews and we are a lead agent of Economic Security 4 Women, an alliance reporting to federal government.

• Personal development

We offer a secure environment for women to learn from one another, though mentoring as well as collaborative projects. Clubs also host guest speakers and run seminars for business and professional development.

• Professional development

We enable women to develop strong networks locally and nationally, as well as taking advantage of our international connections. Our members share similar goals and challenges, and can rely on our community of like-minded women for encouragement, support and inspiration.