Who we are

BPW Australia is a community of women working to end gender inequity. Our members share an interest in the issues that affect working women in Australia and around the world today.  BPW Australia is affiliated to BPW International, which  has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and has expert and experienced representatives accredited to most United Nations agencies. 

Gender equity 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 inequitiesare still deeply entrenched in every society. Women in all parts of the world experience discrimination in areas from access to decent work, health care and education to occupational segregation. Women continue to be significantly under-represented in political, social and economic decision-making processes in almost every country in the world, and the growing gender wage gap and domestic violence have become intractable problems.

Women working together

Our advocacy, projects, programs and partnerships focus on issues that affect women and workplaces such as pay inequity, accessible and affordable childcare,  lack of support for women’s refuges and domestic violence. Our clubs offer scholarships and bursaries for young women in school and university.  We partner with other organisations on international projects and campaigns 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 and medium-sized businesses through to large multinational corporations and from the public and non-profit sectors, as well as women no longer in paid work, influential women leaders, young career women and savvy entrepreneurs running their own show. Our members bring a depth and breadth of expertise and experience; they range in age from 15 to 80 and represent a wide variety of professions, trades and industries.

We make gender matter

We lobby government at all levels - local, state and national -and consult with business, industry and organisations to provide a gender perspective on key issues. 

Our members have the opportunity to influence government decisions on issues important to women by lobbying for policy and 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 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 Parental 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, conduct campaigns and run professional development seminars.

• 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.