Small resource, big achievement for BPW Joondalup network supporters

 June 26, 2019

BPW Joondalup club is based in Perth, Australia and is part of the International Federation of Business & Professional Women (BPW) that was established in 1930 and has 30,000 members and represented in over 100 countries. 

BPW Joondalup club is certainly a mighty network - with all its mere 14 members.

Ordinary women doing extraordinary things

In their local community, BPW Joondalup members are referred to as feminists, so they used International Women's Day to engage and educate their community and explain what BPW does locally and internationally towards achieving gender equity and empowering women through developing their professional and leadership potential.

Susan Jones, BPW's International 1st Vice President Membership 2017-2020 (and BPW Australia member) said, “BPW allows ordinary women to do extraordinary things”…and so that is exactly what this small but mighty club set out to do.

Talks from Senior Citizen of the Year and a university student

Partnering with its local Business Association for wider engagement, BPW hosted an IWD Breakfast Event for the local community to promote this year's #BalanceforBetter theme. Attendees were treated to talks by two women whose different ages gave uniquely diverse perspectives -  City of Joondalup Senior Citizen of the Year and an ambitious first year university student studying Political Science & International Relations.

“Congratulations on your wonderful breakfast celebrating IWD. Your speakers were inspiring and great choices, the venue a great size and easy to get to (with pleasant and efficient staff) and lastly, the organisation and enthusiasm of the BPW Joondalup club for this event was outstanding," said Kate Waters, BPW Australia Director of Membership.

BPW members also attended a number local events to chat to people about what #BalanceforBetter means for them and then encouraged them to take a photo to show their support. These events included a local weekly grower's market, board meetings, local business association networking meetings, and the BPW Breakfast event.

A photo campaign that celebrated diversity

BPW Joondalup organized a photo campaign where people across a range of professions - from accountants to lawyers to designers and astrophotograpers, plumbers, cleaners, teachers and dance groups - submitted photos striking the #BalanceforBetter pose.

All levels of government were also represented in BPW's #BalanceforBetter photo campaign from Local Government all the way to Federal Government. The Western Australian State Premier posed for a photo for the campaign on the steps of Parliament House, accompanied by the (female) Minister for Child Protection, Women's Interests, Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence, & Community Services and two local female members of Parliament who are members of BPW Joondalup.

BPW Joondalup even received unexpected photo submissions from the BPW Australia President and a Girl Guides WA delegate attending the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. She was from Perth and had attended a couple of BPW's public events and, as an avid follower of the IWD campaign, wanted to contribute.

The original goal of the campaign was to publish photos on Facebook featuring 100 people - they achieved 110 and also significantly increased their BPW Facebook followers.

For BPW, this showed that people were prepared to stand up and show their support for gender equity.

Receiving a mention in State Parliament

Following their IWD activity, BPW's event was also mentioned in State Parliament via a statement read in the Western Australian Parliament by the Member for Joondalup, Emily Hamilton MLA, acknowledging the hard work and dedication of BPW's event taskforce members.

BPW Joondalup is 20 years old this year, which was a perfect time to celebrate such an important event. 

“It was wonderful to see so many people join in and show their support of and enthusiasm for a more gender- and equity-balanced world. Great campaign," said Nicky Badman, former BPW Joondalup member and Past President.