National Business Women’s Week® Is October 16-20

National Business Women’s Week® Is October 16-20
Business and Professional Women/USA Recognizes the Contributions of Women in the Workplace

Washington, DC, October 11, 2006- In furtherance of its mission to achieve equity for all women in the workplace through advocacy, education and information, Business and Professional Women/USA (BPW/USA) annually celebrates National Business Women's Week® (NBWW), which will be held this year from October 16- 20.

Established in 1928, this signature BPW/USA event offers communities, companies and organizations an opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the contributions of workingwomen. The objectives of NBWW are:

• To promote full participation and equity for women in the workplace;
• To publicize the achievements of business and professional women on the local, state and national level;
• To publicize the objectives and programs of BPW/USA as they relate to the millions of business and professional women across the country.

“National Business Women’s Week® offers an opportunity for local BPW organizations across the country to recognize companies and individuals that have made strides toward improving workingwomen's lives in their communities”, said Nancy Jackson, national president for BPW/USA. “Although workingwomen constitute 46 percent of the nation's work force, there are still issues of pay equity and work-life effectiveness for us.”

Across the nation, many of BPW/USA’s more than 1,100 local organizations host activities to commemorate NBWW in their local communities such as WOMENomics Forums, awards ceremonies, exhibits, dinners, Women Joining Forces (WJF) events and educational programming. This year, BPW/USA will honor NBWW with a WJF anniversary luncheon event on October 18th. For more information, visit www.womenjoiningforces.org

“Today women-owned businesses account for 28 percent of all U.S. business, generating an estimated $1.2 trillion in sales,” explains Deborah Frett, CEO for BPW/USA and BPW Foundation. “We want to ensure that the public values the role of women in the U.S. economy.”

Business and Professional Women/USA (BPW/USA), founded in 1919, is a multi-generational, nonpartisan membership organization with a mission to achieve equity for all women in the workplace through advocacy, education, and information. Established as the first organization to focus on issues of workingwomen, BPW/USA is historically a leader in grassroots activism, policy influence and advocacy for millions of workingwomen.

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