 
One person can do much, people in unison
can do more.
Together we CAN make a difference!
Maxine
R. Hays
Theme for
Triennium:
Where Do We Go from Here? Putting
Priorities into Action
| In
Education |
....................1981 |
| In Employmen |
....................1982 |
| In Health |
....................1983 |
Delegates
at the Golden Jubilee Congress (1980) in
Montreux, Switzerland, elected Maxine Hays
as the twelfth president of the International
Federation. She was the fourth International
President from the United States of America.
The others were: Dr. Lena Madesin Phillips
who was president for seventeen years from
1930 to 1947; Sally Butler from 1947 to
1950; and Helen G. Irwin from 1962 to 1965.
President
Hays visited affiliates in fifty-five countries
during her term while traveling 250,000
miles with the dual purpose of bringing
the programs of the International Federation
to the membership and assessing the status
of women in each country in order to plan
relevant programs and projects for the International
Federation to undertake. Although affiliates
were united in working toward the primary
goal of the International Federation - improved
status of women in business and the professions
- differences existed in individual applications
of that goal. During her term as International
President, Maxine Hays observed affiliate
programs ranging from sophisticated legislative
action to eliminate employment discrimination
in developed countries to the most basic
health, sanitation, and nutrition projects
in developing countries.
Twenty-five
years prior to her election as International
President, Maxine Hays joined the Junction
City BPW Club in Oregon. She was elected
Club President two years after joining and
went on to hold leadership positions at
the local, state, national and international
level. As co-owner of an insurance company,
Maxine Hays developed her business skills.
Members at every level recognized her personal
strengths: integrity, leadership, sincerity,
communication and public speaking skills,
wit and charm. During her term as International
President, Maxine Hays called upon all these
strengths as she guided IFBPW through a
complete analysis of its structure to assure
that it would retain its position of leadership
for the next fifty years. Upon taking office,
she said, "Fifty-one years of progress
and achievements are a cornerstone for the
future, but so much still remains to be
done. Our course will be guided by judicious
decisions on the best structure needed to
attain our [IFBPW's] objectives. 'Grant
us the serenity to accept the things we
cannot change, courage to change the things
we can and wisdom to know the difference.'
"
INTERNATIONAL
HEADQUARTERS NEWS
The
address of the International Headquarters
changed from 54 Bloomsbury Street to Buchanan
House, 24/30 Holborn, London, in November
1982 resulting in greatly improved working
conditions for the staff. The purchase of
new office equipment and many items on the
International Headquarter's "wish list"
was made possible through the generous support
of members.
Beatrice
Kyle retired in 1982 after twelve years
as General Secretary at International Headquarters.
Patience Thorns (Australia) was the first
of five International Presidents with whom
Beatrice Kyle worked. Patience Thorns paid
tribute to Beatrice Kyle on her retirement
saying that she had "illumined the
terms of office of five International Presidents
and that each International President had
found her to be an extremely competent Head
of Staff who kept the International Headquarters
running smoothly and efficiently."
President Hays added, ''We salute Beatrice
Kyle and extend our great appreciation for
her many years of devoted service to the
International Federation." Hilda Trew
began work as the new General Secretary
on April 1, 1982. She had been General Secretary
for the Girl Guides Association for the
previous eleven years.
INTERNATIONAL
WEEK MESSAGES from the INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT
1981
Theme: Where do we go from here in Education?
"
'The mistake most often made concerning
education is that it is an end to be achieved.
Education should not be a destination -
but a road we travel all the days of our
lives.' "
1982
Theme: Where do we go from here in Employment?
"'No
issues are more central to social justice
than those relating to the distribution
of power, privilege, property and income.'
"
1983
Theme: Where do we go from here in Health?
"
'We are living in a world today where disparities
and differences in health status of women
and their children are perhaps the most
telling indicators of the present glaring
socioeconomic inequalities.' "
42nd
BOARD MEETING
HONG KONG, February 16 -19, 1982
The
Forty-Second Board Meeting, the first to
be held in the Far East, was well attended
with 622 members representing 37 countries.
The President of the hosting Associate Club,
Jo Garner, welcomed everyone to Hong Kong
where "the East meets the West."
International President Maxine Hays encouraged
members to enjoy a week of discussion, participation
and action. Keynote speaker, Man, Tam Wai-chu,
a member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council
and Found President of the Hong Kong Club,
addressed the subject "Technology is
the key open doors - to what?"
The
Board Meeting's theme "The Future Is
Now" was explored through demonstration
of technical equipment and group discussions
on the effects technology on industry, education,
and the family. These discussions were organized
by Third Vice President Gloria Tilbury (Zambia).
The
Ad Hoc Restructuring Committee presented
its proposed recommendations and all participants
at the Board Meeting were given the opportunity
to d' cuss these proposals in small groups.
Each group presented its views to the Boa
of Directors. Final decisions on the Restructuring
Committee's recommendations were made by
delegates at Congress in 1983.
Early
morning breakfast workshops were sponsored
by the various Committees of the International
Federation to provide members with information
about committee work and get feedback and
new ideas from the members.
Salima
Omer, Senior Regional Expert of the Social
Development Division the United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Asia
and the Pac' (ESCAP), addressed the Board
Meeting on the subject of "The Task
Ahead Peace." He said:
All
the work that we are doing can have no meaning
if the world
and its people are in constant danger of
war. The task before us
is to work to create a world at peace.
It is up to organizations such as IFBPW
to take a leadership role
in global policies as well as to attend
to specific tasks close to home;
it is not a question of choosing one or
the other. They are interrelated.
This is the challenge of the task ahead.
MEMBERSHIP
COMMITTEE
Membership
Committee Chairperson Charlotte VanDine
(Canada) reported that during the triennium,
10 new Associate Clubs and 1 new Federation
had affiliated with IFBPW. There were affiliates
in 67 countries in 1983, the same number
as reported in 1980.
The
Membership Committee undertook a project
to collect and exchange ideas on increasing
membership called "More Members - More
Strength." All members were invited
to send their ideas and recommendations
to the Committee in essay form. Throughout
the triennium, excerpts of the essays were
printed in Internews and circulated worldwide.
BPW
Australia participated in membership expansion
work during the triennium by helping to
establish Associate Clubs in the country
of Papua New Guinea.
Charlotte
VanDine thanked each member of her committee.
She acknowledged the special guidance and
help of Esther Hymer (USA), IFBPW Representative
to the UN in New York, and commended her
for continual efforts to expand membership
in all areas of the world.
HONORARY
TREASURER/FINANCE COMMITTEE
Myra
Ruth Harmon (USA), Honorary Treasurer, was
pleased to report that income and expenditures
were balanced during the triennium with
a small surplus which had been added to
the Accumulated Fund. She spoke of her twelve
years of service (1971-1983), first as Finance
Chairperson and then as Honorary Treasurer,
as "a most rewarding period in her
life." During that time, she had worked
with four International Presidents and with
Joyce Kinchington (UK) and Ursula Schulthess
(Switzerland). Ursula Schulthess, Finance
Committee Chairperson, thanked Myra Ruth
Harmon saying that "her fine work deserved
the appreciation of the entire membership
for sound financial planning and use of
limited funds to the best advantage over
the last twelve years."
 An
amendment to Article I ("Dues")
of the International By-Laws introduced
a graduated system of membership fees based
on number of members in a National Federation
and was approved at Congress in 1983. The
new graduated dues structure, to become
effective as of April 1, 1985, stipulated
that each of the first five thousand members
of a National Federation would pay dues
at the rate of one hundred per cent of the
current annual fee ($2.20); each of the
next ten thousand members would pay dues
at the rate of seventy-five per cent ($1.65);
and each member above fifteen thousand would
pay dues at the rate of fifty per cent ($1.10).
Note: Prior to this amendment, there had
been no graduated dues structure and all
members of a National Federation had been
required to pay at the rate of one hundred
per cent of the annual fee regardless of
the size of the Federation.
PUBLICATIONS
COMMITTEE
Gloria
Tilbury (Zambia), Publications Committee
Chairperson, described the major task of
her committee during this triennium as an
evaluation of the merits and viability of
the Widening Horizons, the International's
magazine. Although the principle that a
subscription to Widening Horizons be included
in the dues of every member had been seriously
considered, it was determined to be unfeasible
due to language barriers and expense. The
Committee therefore recommended a search
for companies wishing to advertise in the
magazine; the goal was to make Widening
Horizons self-supporting.
EDUCATIONAL
AND CULTURAL COMMITTEE/UNESCO
Access
to education is not only a basic human right,
it is a key to social progress. Illiteracy
and lack of education and training in basic
skills contribute to the vicious circle
of underdevelopment, low productivity and
poor conditions of health and welfare.
World Plan of Action - 1975 World Conference
document
The
Chairperson of the Educational and Cultural
Committee, Julia Arri (USA), reported that
through study of UNESCO's programs and dissemination
of information, her committee had endeavored
to interest every affiliate in developing
projects related to literacy, occupational
skills and vocational training for women.
As an organization in consultative status
with UNESCO, IFBPW had been asked during
the triennium to assist UNESCO in preparation
for its Symposium on Cultural Communication.
The Chairperson sent a questionnaire generated
by UNESCO on the subject of cultural communication
to all affiliates. Answers had been compiled
and returned to UNESCO.
Jeanne
Chaton (France), UNESCO Representative in
Paris, reported on the UNESCO General Conference
which she had attended in 1982. The purpose
of this Conference was to finalize the Medium-Term
(1984-1989) Plan of UNESCO. She stressed
that the importance of this Plan lay in
its final resolution which established a
cross-sectional program called "The
Status of Women" that specifically
integrated the consideration of women into
each of the programs included in the Medium-Term
Plan: World Problems, Education (policies,
training); Communication; Science - application
to development, Technology; Human Environment;
Culture; The Elimination of Prejudice; Intolerance
and Racism; Peace and International Understanding;
and Freedom and Human Rights. She concluded
her report by emphasizing that UNESCO had
provided the International Federation with
a tremendous amount of information on a
wide range of issues relating to women during
the triennium.
EMPLOYMENT
CONDITIONS COMMITTEE/ILO
Marcelle
Devaud (France), Chairperson of the Employment
Conditions Committee, reported that one
of the subthemes of the United Nations Decade
for Women was "Employment - Women and
Work." The committee had chosen to
focus on this subtheme during the triennium.
The
Chairperson said that, "In developing
countries it was now recognized that women
ensured the sustenance of their communities
and shouldered major responsibility for
food production and marketing as well as
feeding their families on small incomes.
The World Bank was gathering statistics
for these 'under-ground' survival economies
which could represent as much as forty per
cent of the total world economy!" The
Committee hoped that the deteriorating situation
of millions of rural women in developing
countries would be the object of urgent
consideration by the next United Nations
Conference. Conditions of women in industrialized
countries had improved noticeably due to
implementation of new international, regional
and national regulations and laws. The number
of women in the work force had steadily
increased.
Madeleine
Jaccard and Angela Butler, both from BPW
Switzerland, were the International Labor
Organization (ILO) Representatives in Geneva
and presented a joint report to Congress
in 1983. The Sixty-Sixth (1981) and Sixty-Seventh
(1982) Sessions of the International Labor
Conference had on their agendas equal opportunities
and equal treatment for men and women workers;
and workers with family responsibilities.
The Representatives stated that the ILO
"Worker with Family Responsibilities
Convention" (No. 156) would become
a legally binding international instrument
in August 1983. Of particular interest was
Article V of the Convention that listed
the following conditions that "shall
not constitute valid reasons for termination
of employment: race, color, sex, marital
status, family responsibilities, pregnancy,
religion, political opinion, national extraction
or social origin and absence from work during
maternity leave." While in most countries
gender had already achieved de jure recognition
in this context, the ILO Representatives
said "it was a relatively new development
for 'marital status, family responsibilities,
pregnancy, and absence from work during
maternity leave' to be included on the same
level."
The
following conclusions were drawn by the
Employment Conditions Committee in relation
to career prospects of women. While in recent
years the number of women holding professional
and managerial positions had increased in
some countries, most women still remained
concentrated in a narrow range of jobs with
limited career prospects. Equal opportunity
legislation had helped to improve this situation
but could not alone effect the necessary
changes, especially those changes having
to do with attitude. Other measures such
as incentive schemes, positive recruitment
policies, and research on factors hindering
women's career prospects were needed.
LEGISLATION
COMMITTEE
Cecilia
Mandal-Ericson (Sweden), Chairperson of
the Legislation Committee, reported optimism
about international legislative work that
was being carried out to create equal opportunities
for women. In the countries of many affiliates,
Equal Opportunity and/or National Commissions
on the Status of Women had been established.
The Committee had focused during the trien¬nium
on resolutions adopted at the previous Congress
relating to legal issues concerning working
women, discriminatory taxation laws, shared
parental custody, and adoption of appropriate
legislation/community support for working
mothers.
PROJECTS
COMMITTEE
Joan
Bielby (New Zealand), Chairperson of the
Projects Committee, explained that because
of decreasing support for the two projects,
"Ramallah" and the University
of West Indies Social Welfare Training Centre
Scholarship Program, the Committee had recommended
that they be withdrawn from the official
list of IFBPW sponsored projects. A resolution
was approved by delegates at Congress in
1983 stating that "IFBPW would cease
to support these two projects as permanent
International Projects and instead adopt
projects having support or involvement of
affiliates in cooperation with UNESCO's
Co-Action Programme." UNESCO reported
that, as of 1981, one million dollars had
been contributed by many organizations and
individual donors to support eighty projects
of the Co-Action Programme.
PROJECT
FIVE-O
The
idea of collaborating on a project with
other international women's organizations
had been gaining momentum ever since it
was first suggested by Beryl Nashar, Past
International President (1974-1977). Progress
was made at the World Conference of the
United Nations Decade for Women (1980) in
Copenhagen where the International Federation's
Immediate Past President, Mildred Head,
convened a meeting of the presidents of
five Women's International Non-governmental
Organizations (WINGOs): Associated Country
Women of the World (ACWW)*,International
Council of Women (ICW), International Federation
of University Women (IFUW), Soroptimist
International (SI), and the International
Federation of Business and Professional
Women (IFBPW). The five organizations decided
to collaborate on projects with the primary
objective of providing women and young girls
with vocational training and improvement
in employment skills and chose the name
Project Five-O (O= Organizations). This
grouping brought together seventy-five million
members from seventy-five countries. Each
organization had consultative status with
the United Nations and had the common goal
of improving the status of women.
*later replaced by Zonta International (ZI).
President
Hays made the official announcement of the
founding of Project Five-O at the Forty-Second
Board Meeting in 1982. She also stated that
UNESCO had agreed to include Project Five-O
in its Co-Action Programme. It marked the
first time that a worldwide program had
been established by a group of international
women's organizations. President Hays reported
that the first pilot project was Project
Five-O Calcutta. Started in June 1983, it
was an integrated program that included
literacy classes, family planning, nutritional
education and vocational training. A small
building had been constructed and vocational
courses in tailoring and weaving had begun.
Plans were underway to expand Project Five-O
to other continents. (Widening Horizons,
1982,51:4 p. 5)
"IFBPW
GREEN BELT" PROJECT
IFBPW
was the only women's organization represented
on the Environment Liaison Board (ELB) of
the United Nations Environment Programme
following the historic United Nations Conference
on the Human Environment in 1972. Wangari
Maathai of the Nairobi BPW Club became Chairperson
of the Environment Liaison Center in Kenya
which co-sponsored the NGO Forum held in
conjunction with the United Nations International
Conference on New and Renewable Sources
of Energy (1981) in Nairobi, Kenya. The
Conference spotlighted the dependence of
women's lives in developing countries on
rapidly disappearing energy sources such
as fuel wood and charcoal. Speaking to the
NGO Forum, Wangari Maathai suggested that
involvement of local communities and members
of non-governmental organizations in programs
at the grassroots level should be encouraged
and mentioned the "Green Belt"
(Reforestation) Movement in Kenya as an
excellent example. Following her suggestion
and in recognition of the importance of
the International Conference on New and
Renewable Sources of Energy and its impact
on women, the Nairobi Business and Professional
Women's Club appealed to the worldwide membership
of IFBPW to sponsor the planting of trees
in Kenya, to be called the "IFBPW Green
Belt." As a result of this appeal,
members from all over the world responded
and funded the "IFBPW Green Belt"
in Inkiito, Kajiado District, Kenya. BPW
members from Nairobi at Congress in 1983
reported that, " 'The IFBPW Green Belt'
had become a beautiful oasis in the middle
of a very dry area."
INTERNATIONAL
AID FUND
The
International Gift Shop, managed by the
Projects Committee at the International
Board Meeting in 1982 and Congress in 1983,
raised a combined total of $10,000 for the
International Aid Fund. This Fund helped
affiliates in need of financial assistance
send representatives to international meetings.
UNITED
NATIONS COMMITTEE
Blanche
Weekes, United Nations Committee Chairperson,
reported that eleven Bulletins concerned
with the work of the UN had been sent to
all affiliates. Action was taken on a number
of subjects which furthered the interests
of women employed in business and professions
including: the "Program of Action"
from the World Conference of the UN Decade
for Women (1980), Plans of Action adopted
by the Conference on Aging in 1982 and on
Disabled Persons in 1981, Strategies for
the Third Development Decade, Science and
Technology, the World Food Program, the
UN Voluntary Fund for the Decade of Women,
International Research and Training Center
for the Advancement of Women (INSTRAW),
and the Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW).
The
Chairperson reported the hiring in 1981
of IFBPW's first United Nations Administrator,
Paulette Hutchinson, whose job was twofold:
to work at International Headquarters maintaining
direct contact with the United Nations through
submitting reports and collating questionnaire
responses; and to maintain communication
with each member of the UN Committee and
all UN Representatives.
The
Voluntary Fund for the United Nations Decade
for Women (renamed UNIFEM in 1984) continued
to work with the United Nations Regional
Economic Commissions and the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) in helping
to generate projects benefiting rural women
and poor women in urban areas. Affiliates
of the International Federation contributed
to the Fund through their support of development
programs such as the Green Belt Movement
in Kenya, the Agro-Forest Project in Thailand
and the Tree Planting Project in West Africa.
Affiliates
in many countries supported the United Nations
International Year of Disabled Persons (1981)
by providing aids for the deaf, blind and
mentally retarded as well as taking groups
on holidays.
The
United Nations Chairperson thanked her committee
members, the UN Representatives in New York,
Paris, Geneva and Vienna, and Paulette Hutchinson,
UN Administrator, for their work during
the triennium. She expressed special appreciation,
on behalf of her committee, to Esther Hymer
(USA), IFBPW Representative to the UN in
New York, for her encouragement and wise
guidance.
1980
WORLD CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED NATIONS DECADE
FOR WOMEN
July 14-30, 1980 Copenhagen, Denmark
The
World Conference of the United Nations Decade
for Women: Equality, Development and Peace
was convened with the purpose of establishing
a Programme of Action for the second half
(1981-1985) of the United Nations Decade
for Women. The previous 1975 World Conference
had resulted in overwhelming acknowledgment
by UN Member States that governments needed
to focus attention on the conditions and
contributions of the world's women. The
1980 World Conference focused attention
not only on the themes of the Decade but
also on three subthemes: employment, health
and education.
IFBPW,
as a non-governmental organization with
consultative status at the United Nations,
made substantial contributions to the World
Conference through the presentation of an
oral statement to the Preparatory Committee
for the Conference, three written statements
to the Conference and the presentation of
an oral statement to the final Plenary Session.
Only nine non-governmental organizations
among hundreds were given the opportunity
to speak directly to the Plenary Session.
Esther Hymer (USA), IFBPW Representative
to the UN in New York, made the following
statement to the Plenary Session on behalf
of IFBPW:
As
the majority of employed women are in the
twenty to twenty-four-year-old age bracket
and hold low-paying jobs in fields traditionally
reserved for women, we [IFBPW] urge that
the scope of education and training be expanded
to include those subjects necessary for
employment in the rapidly developing technological
fields and preparation for entering the
fields of commerce and industry. In addition,
there must be training for management, in-service
training for upgrading positions and preparation
of women for reentering the work force.
Since family responsibilities prevent many
women from working outside the home, more
attention should be directed towards approved
day care centers and flexible working hours.
To meet the needs of women who migrate to
urban centers for employment, approved housing
for employed women is essential.
International
President Hays attended the World Conference
and reported that the highlight was the
signing of the United Nations Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW) by seventy-five Member
States. She said that "IFBPW had contributed
directly to the drafting of this important
document and the announcement on September
3, 1981, of the ratification of the Convention
making it a legally binding international
instrument was a memorable event, but she
also encouraged affiliates to work towards
its ratification in their own countries
if not already secured."
President
Hays described the world profile of women
with statistics which had been widely quoted
at the World Conference:
Women
represent fifty per cent of the world adult
population and one-third of the labor force.
They perform nearly two-thirds of all working
hours, yet they receive only one-tenth of
the world income and own less than one percent
of the world's property.
Commenting
on these statistics, she said that "they
illustrated the strikingly unbalanced situation
in which women live which could be attributed
to the long-term cumulative effects of discrimination.
Thus, achievement by women of equality with
men and solutions of such major national,
regional and global problems as employment,
education, health, food and population were
closely interrelated matters requiring our
[IFBPW's] coordinated and urgent action."
NGO
FORUM
IFBPW
was represented on the Planning and Program
Committees for the NGO Forum held concurrently
in Copenhagen with the World Conference.
Members of IFBPW led several of the Forum
workshops. Four IFBPW members headed their
country's government delegation at the Conference,
others served as government delegates.
IFBPW
PUBLICATION RELATED TO THE UNITED NATIONS
Words Into Action 1981-1985
- a
six-page summary of the "Programme
of Action" adopted at the 1980 World
Conference of the Decade for Women with
suggestions for assisting in the implementation
of the Programme in the second half of the
Decade.
RESTRUCTURING
COMMITTEE (AD HOC)/CONSTITUTION ADVISORY
COMMITTEE
The
decision to consider restructuring the International
Federation was a natural outgrowth of the
self-evaluation process begun during the
previous triennium. It had been deemed important
and appropriate to evaluate the organization's
structure and plan measures to enable IFBPW
to continue as a leader among international
organizations into the next century. Preliminary
discussion among the membership had begun
at the Thirty-Ninth Board Meeting in 1979.
Its theme had been "Where Do We Go
From Here?"
Members
of the Board of Directors at the Forty-First
Board Meeting in 1980 appointed an Ad Hoc
Restructuring Committee to develop proposals
for restructuring the International Federation.
First Vice President Rosmarie Michel (Switzerland)
served as Chairperson and explained that
the rationale for restructuring was that
"the needs and possibilities of women
had changed and expanded so much since the
establishment of the International Federation
in 1930." She further stated, "There
should be no change for change's sake, but
the structure of this organization should
be kept under review so that work can be
carried out most efficiently and expeditiously."
Her committee turned over its restructuring
proposals to the Constitution Advisory Committee
chaired by International's Immediate Past
President, Mildred Head, which presented
the proposals in the form of amendments
for approval at Congress in 1983. Those
approved were:
- Congress
shall be held every two years (biennially)
instead of every three years (triennially).
Board Meetings shall be held immediately
before and immediately following Congress
in the same location as Congress. Board
Meetings between Congresses are eliminated,
but special meetings of the Board may be
held at the call of the President.
- The
Officers of the Federation shall be elected
at Congress and include the First and Second
Vice President. The First Vice President
shall be the Chairperson of the United Nations
Committee. The Second Vice President shall
be the Chairperson of the Membership Committee.
Note: Prior to approval of this amendment,
there had been a total of eight Vice Presidents
including a First, Second and Third Vice
President.
- New
Standing Committees for Agriculture and
Health were established as well as an Ad
Hoc Trade and Commerce Committee.
16th
INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 31-August 5, 1983
At
the formal opening of the Sixteenth Congress,
President Maxine Hays extended a warm welcome
to the gathering of 1,169 members and guests
representing 55 countries. Polly Madenwald,
President of the hosting federation, greeted
Congress participants on behalf of the 150,000
members of BPW/USA and welcomed them to
the "Land of the Free." This was
the second International Congress to be
held in the United States of America; the
first one had been held in Washington, D.C,
in 1965.
A pre-Congress
workshop was held with the theme "Equipping
for Change" with four subheadings:
Managing the Future; Change in Media; Managing
Changes; and Future Opportunities.
"Strategies
for Success" was the theme of the Sixteenth
Congress and was the subject of a panel
discussion at Congress. Virginia Allan (USA),
the panel's moderator, concluded the discussion
with these words summarizing the ingredients
of success:
 Coming
together is to begin.
Working together is to progress.
Staying together is to succeed.
An
appearance and remarks by the President
of the United States of America, Ronald
Reagan; Committee workshops and reports;
an optional session featuring the presentation
of papers on eight topics; consideration
of restructuring IFBPW; presentations of
resolutions; talks by representatives of
Women's World Banking (WWB) and the United
Nations Voluntary Fund for the Decade for
Women; and a President’s Workshop
were elements of a very full and productive
Congress Programme.
Following
Congress, many members traveled to New York
City for IFBPW Day at the United Nations.
The IFBPW Representative to the UN in New
York, Esther Hymer (USA), coordinated the
day's activities which included a program
on "Preparing for the 1985 World Conference
of the United Nations Decade for Women."
PRESIDENT'S
ADDRESS
President
Hays stated that "the review and appraisal
of the status of women at the World Conference
of the United Nations Decade for Women in
1980 revealed that the condition of women
in many parts of the world was deteriorating.
Women were underpaid, underemployed, undereducated,
and undervalued." She said that "equally
disturbing to her was the perception by
some that sufficient achievements had occurred,
that complete commitment was not needed
to gain economic, political and social equity."
She warned that "half-hearted attempts
would ensure that women would remain out
of the mainstream and would not achieve
true economic or political power."
The
President listed her observations about
the accomplishments of affiliates in various
regions of the world:
Southeast
Asia: Some of the best outreach to rural
areas and villages with projects to teach
income-producing skills to women. Successful
challenges in the courts to end discriminatory
practices in employment.
 Central
and South America: A change in attitudes
with machismo beginning to fade. Growing
interest and participation by women in entrepreneurship.
North
America: Legislation to remove discrimination
and perseverance in fighting for equal legal
rights. National conference on employment
in the 1980s.
Asia:
Increased political power. Opening up new
employment areas for women.
Africa:
Development projects, including literacy
programs. Encouraging women to learn at
least one new skill and to fulfill their
potential.
Europe:
Implementation of legal equality; preparedness
for high technology. Regional seminars and
regional structure to address common concerns.
President
Hays stressed the value of communication
and said that IFBPW Circulars and Internews
served as the main links. She reported having
revived an earlier tradition of International
Presidents by writing a President's Message
for each issue of Widening Horizons.
President
Maxine Hays described herself as a wiser,
more tolerant, caring and appreciative person
than she had been at the beginning of her
term and gave heartfelt thanks to all members
of IFBPW for giving her the privilege of
serving them as President. She said that
the following quote (author unknown) expressed
her vision of what the future could be:
Bound
in geography, in economics, in hope and
vulnerability, the peoples of the planet
stand in responsibility at a pivotal time.
If the potential for universal destruction
is at hand, so also is a vision manifest
through society, of a human globe - rich
in diversity, local in responsibility, global
in cooperation, universal in participation
and profound in spirituality. Out of every
race and culture comes a cry for visionaries
who yet have practical wisdom to usher in
safely the new world of profoundly human
life in their community.
Her
closing remarks to the Sixteenth International
Congress were:
We
have the vision. We are practical. We will
work for a better world. One person can
do much, people in unison can do more.
Together we CAN make a difference!
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