BPW History

In the 1920s Australian women were quick to recognise the value and potential of the BPW movement which had been established in the United States in 1919 by our Founder Dr Lena Madesin Phillips.

BPW International became an international movement in 1930 and opened its International Headquarters in 1931 in the USA. In July 1946, after World War 2, the first BPW International gathering was held in Brussels.  The event was filled with “deep emotions and poignant memories” as observed by Dr Lena Madesin Phillips. 

The Australian Federation of Business and Professional Women (now BPW Australia) was formed in 1947 as an umbrella body for the then 6 existing Business and Professional Women's Clubs across the country. The first BPW Club had been formed in Melbourne in 1925. Since its inception, BPW Australia has been affiliated with BPW International and an active member of the global sisterhood of BPW Federations.  

BPW Australia hosted the BPW International Congress in Melbourne in 2002 and is very proud to be the only Affiliate to have had four International Presidents elected by the BPWI Congress, who have all been exemplary international leaders:

• Patience Thoms 1968-1971 elected in Dublin, Ireland
• Professor Beryl Nashar 1974-1977 elected in London, England
• Dr Patricia Harrison 1999-2002 elected in Vancouver, Canada
• Freda Miriklis 2011-2014 elected in Helsinki, Finland

Membership of BPW Australia was initially open to women holding responsible positions in a professional, business, industrial or educational organisation, and to women giving distinguished service to the community. It thus largely represented the interests of middle-class women. It is now open to women across the broader workforce and to women who have worked or aspire to work. By 1980 the number of clubs in the Federation rose to almost 100, representing over 3500 members, although membership has declined since as women have had more choices of organisations they can join.

Since its formation in 1947, BPW Australia members have held a conviction that real freedom of choice for all people is dependent on economic independence. BPW has endeavoured to raise the status of women and thereby the general community by concentrating primarily on those issues that affect women’s independence.

BPW International has Consultative Status at the United Nations, which enables us to influence opinion at the highest level in this forum. We have members who regularly represent BPW International at United Nations meetings, and many Australian members have attended the Commission on the Status of Women held annually in March at the United Nations in New York. BPW Australia has taken resolutions to BPW International Congresses for action at a global level through our Representatives at the United Nations.

BPW Australia representatives actively participate in the consultative and policy process of government. BPW members have researched and consulted, made submissions to Parliamentary and government inquiries, and appeared before Parliamentary committees.  BPW Australia has supported various United Nations projects and has been active in encouraging girls to continue with higher education.

BPW Australia has a long history of campaigning for equal pay and equal opportunities for women in employment. Members and clubs have been active on numerous other issues that impact women's rights, their safety, and their economic security.

BPW Australia has effectively influenced public opinion on: jury service for women; uniform divorce laws; removal of the marriage bar for public servants; affordable accessible child care; sole parent benefits; reform of the Family Law Bill; recognising women as farmers; the establishment of the National Women's Advisory Council; paid parental leave; pay transparency; housing security; fair payment of child support; and removal of the Federal Government “abortion gag” that restricted its aid funding to overseas countries for reproductive health advice and actions.

BPW Australia has advocated for women's leadership and involvement in decision-making, including the establishment of a Women’s Bureau to research and improve employment conditions for women and the need for women to enter into local government and to participate in the political party of their choice and to seek pre-selection for State and Federal Parliaments.

BPW Australia has taken a leadership role in national advocacy, continues to be actively involved in policy debates in a range of forums, and is regularly consulted by the Federal Government. 

In 2009 Her Excellency Quentin Bryce AC, Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia, became the Patron of BPW Australia.  She retired from her BPW role in 2014.

1998  Federal Government established 3 National Secretariats, one led by BPW Australia

2001 BPW Australia was appointed the lead agent for the economicSecurity4Women Secretariat

2009 BPW Australia established the Equal Pay Alliance www.equalpayday.com.au with the ACTU and over 70 organisations and corporates

2011 BPW Australia became a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact and joined the Global Compact Network Australia

2011 BPW Australia members attended CHOGM in Perth

2012 BPW Australia became only the fourth signatory to the Community Partnership MOU with White Ribbon Australia, advocating for education and awareness campaigns and increased funding to eliminate men’s violence against women

2012 BPW Australia Director of Policy, Sandra Cook was appointed to the Commonwealth Business Women Australia Committee

Over 5 decades, BPW Australia mounted interventions before the Industrial Relations Commission in the fight for equal pay/equity: In the 1950s to 1960s, BPW Australia brought three cases before the Commonwealth Industrial Courts on the issue of equal pay.

1950 February Basic Wage Case

1952-1953 Basic Wage Case with strategic partner National Council of Women (NCWA)

1959 May Equal Pay Case

1969 National Wage Case

1978 December Test Case for unpaid maternity leave

1990 National Wage Case

1992 National Wage Case

1993 Family Court Counsellors Case

1993 National Wage Case

In 1978 BPW brought a test case for unpaid maternity leave. 

In 1979, BPW Australia joined a discrimination in employment case in the Supreme Court against Ansett Airlines’ refusal to employ female pilots, which culminated in a 4 month boycott of the national domestic airline; the Supreme Court found Ansett Airlines had discriminated against qualified pilot Debra Wardley solely because she was a woman.

FOR THE RECORD: BPW Australia achievements

1947  At the first National Conference, a resolution for equal pay for equal work was passed

1950s Campaigned for uniform divorce laws

1952  Argued that the female pay rate not be reduced from 75% to 60%, and won the court case – then National President Jean Arnot first campaigned for pay equity in the 1930s

1964 Successfully lobbied BHP to employ more girls in laboratories

1965 BPW Hobart successfully lobbied for seat belts to be compulsory in cars

1965  Published booklets on local government for women and The Rate for the Job

1966  Conducted a national survey across Australia about women's experience of gender discrimination; the report was tabled at the United Nations by BPW International

1964  Campaign to allow married women to work in the Public Service – the marriage bar was lifted in 1966

1965  Conducted a survey of Australian women and submitted a report on discrimination against women to BPW International to support advocacy to the United Nations

1969  After the successful 1969 wage case, the President Peg Magoffin was appointed to the National Committee on Women's Employment

1974  National campaign to abolish death duties, engaging all women organisations; death duties were abolished in 1982

1977 The President Norma Ford was Chair of the National Status of Women Committee

1979 BPWA lobbied the federal government for an inquiry into management education for women and a joint conference on the effect of technology on women's employment

1984  BPW Australia successfully campaigned for the establishment of a National Women’s Consultative Council to present the views of women to government; BPW always had a representative on the Council.

1985 Then President Bev Perel was invited to present at the National Tax Summit where BPWA raised the issue of guaranteed superannuation for women

1988 Past President Bev Perel brought together women's organisations from around Australia and founded UNIFEM Australia, now UN Women Australia.

1988 BPWA presented over 30 submissions to the federal government on employment, women health, women’s education and training, taxation and super, childcare and ageing

1988 BPWA advocated for women in Cabinet and in Executive government

1992  Then President Mary Callaway was invited by the Minister to the national Small Business Forum

1992 CAPOW – the Coalition of Participating Organisations of Women – was established by BPWA and WEL

1994  BPWA led a national education campaign to educate women about Workplace Bargaining, producing a resource booklet called Snakes and Ladders to show women how to participate; it was used in schools and colleges

1994  BPWA joined COSBOA  as a Council member and was consulted by the Minister for Small Business

1995 Dr Pat Harrison attended the Beijing UN World Women’s Conference and contributed significantly to the Beijing Platform for Action.  Pat went on to serve as BPW International President.

1996  CAPOW expanded to 60 women's organisations and led to the formation of the National Women's Alliances

1996 BPWA initiated a series of seminars on Women in Politics, with 22 seminars held on one day across Australia

1997  BPWA produced an advocacy paper with the National Council of Single Mothers and their Children on family friendly workplaces

2000 Advocated for Australia to sign the CEDAW Optional Protocol without reservations

2000 Then BPWA President Judith was appointed a Civil Society Expert to the Australian Government Delegation in 2000, 2003 and 2007 and to the Government delegation to the Global Summit of Women Hong Kong 2001

2001 BPWA was selected to host one of four national secretariats reporting to and advising the federal government. 

2002  Launched the ‘Fair Play - Fair Pay’ campaign to highlight the continuing gender pay gap

2003  The national secretariats were reconfigured as membership organisations, drawing in other like-minded women's organisations; the BPWA alliance was named economicSecurity4Women, and then President Judith can Unen conducted a listening tour around Australia that reached 3000 women.

2004 Paid Maternity Leave campaign, later revised as paid parental leave – PPL was legislated in 2011.  COSBOA adopted BPWA’s paid maternity leave policy.

2003 Advocated for women asylum seekers and for gender specific traumas to be taken into account to limit time in detention

2004 Lobbied the Australian Government to reduce the gap between the costs of childcare and the childcare benefit rebate by increasing the benefit and extending the entitlement

2004 Lobbied the Australian Government to abolish the use of Temporary Protection Visas and move to a policy of issuing Permanent Protection Visas to all our recognised refugees

2004 BPWA raised funds for Project 5-O for Thailand affected by a tsunami

2005 BPWA advocated for industrial relations reform

2007 Lobbied the Australian Government to sign and ratify an international treaty which set a target to reduce total global greenhouse emissions

2008 Lobbied all federal MPs to pass paid maternity leave legislation

2009 Then President Marilyn Forsythe wrote to the US President and the Australian PM to overturn the abortion gag order that prevented NGOs that facilitated abortions from receiving foreign aid funds.  The Australian government rescinded the gag order.

2008 After lobbying from BPWA for a decade, Australia signed the CEDAW Optional Protocol.  BPW has been part of the leadership group for the CEDAW Shadow Report for a number of decades.

2009 BPWA established the Equal Pay Day website and built the EPD National Alliance

2011 Lobbied the Federal Government about Workplace Gender Indicators

2011 Advocated for an increase to superannuation to 12% to prevent many women falling below the poverty line

2011 and 2014 Lobbied the Federal Government to improve the quality and affordability of childcare.

2011 Past President Judith was invited to participate in negotiations of the Declaration: A Promising Future for Women of APEC Countries 

2012 BPW Australia supported the campaign for the Community Sector Pay Case

2012 BPW Australia established the Keys to Achievement program, a personal and professional development program for BPW members

2013 BPW Australia became a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact and a Community Partner with White Ribbon Australia

2017  BPW Australia became a Founding Member of the Australian Gender Equality Council

2018  BPWA formed partnerships with several women's organisations including Femeconomy

2019 Produced a series of Advocacy Position Papers on a wide range of women issues including childcare, superannuation, and low wages in feminised industries and sectors,

2021 Advocated to all political parties for pay transparency, which was legislated in 2022

2022 Then President Jacqueline Graham joined the Board of the Australian Gender Equality Council

2023 Supported advocacy for a pay rise for low-income feminised industries such as aged care and childcare

2024 Influencing national and state policies and strategies to address homelessness and housing stress especially for women escaping violence and older women

2024 Lobbied for the implementation of the Senate inquiry into universal access to reproductive healthcare and wider access to abortion services and support for rural women

2024 lobbying the federal government to reform Australia’s child support system to protect families and children from poverty, disadvantage, mental and physical danger.

Reference:  “The First 25 Years – BPW Australia” – Patience Thoms, 1972

Founder - Lena Madesin Phillips

International Meeting Paris 1946

BPW International Singapore

The History of Past Presidents of BPW Australia was launched February 2017 as part of the celebration of the 70th Anniversary of BPW Australia.