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PROGRAM FOR THE OFFICE OF VICE PRESIDENT UN: THE TRIENNIUM OF

COOPERATE LEADERSHIP

I.PILLARS of the TRIENNIUM (2015-2017)

I.1-THE WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT PRINCIPLES

After the strong and effective commitment of BPW International to the WEPs over 3 years,

BPW-International joined the Awards Committee in 2014. WEPs Leadership Group that has

been established within our organisation in 2013, will be supported in order to increase

awareness about WEPs and number of CEO signatories worldwide. The Federation that will

succeed to gather more signatories for WEPs within a year, will be awarded as the “BEST

ADVOCACY PRIZE”.

I.2-BEIJING+20

2015 is also the year of Beijing + 20. Because, the fifty-ninth session of the Commission on

the Status of Women that will take place at United Nations Headquarters in New York in

March, 2015 will be realised in the framework of Beijing+20. The session will address current

challenges that affect the implementation of the Platform for Action, as well as opportunities

for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women in the post-2015 development

agenda. Because of the revisions will be conducted at national, regional and global levels, it is

necessary to mobilise our Clubs and Federations to underline their challanges and opportunities

clearly. However, the thematic working groups will be formed to reinforce the efforts of UN-

representatives.

I.3-COMMISSION OF STATUE OF WOMEN

The Commission on the Status of Women is a vital point of BPW International as well as one

of the most functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council

(ECOSOC). However, the continues commitment is required for to prepare annual sessions

of CSW. The capacity of the CSW Commitee will be strengthened through the

recommendations and past experiences of the commitee members. The preperation process for

CSW 59 will be started just after the Congress in Jeju.

I.4-SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

One of the main outcomes of the Rio+20 Conference was the agreement by member States to

launch a process to develop a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will build

upon the Millennium Development Goals and converge with the post 2015 development

agenda. According to the Article 45 of Rio+20, the vital role of women in order to achieve

sustainable development is underscored. By reason of our consultative statue in UN, we-as

BPW International-are working not only to disseminate the UN decisions to whole World but

also to reflect the opportunities and challenges -regarding to ensure full and effective

participation of women in sustainable development policies, programmes and decision-making

at all levels- from grass roots. to the relevant UN Agencies. It requires more planned actions

within the organisation. However, broad-based team working should be realised to collect

gender-based data and good-practice examples from different regions and countries.

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I.5 CEDAW PROCESS

The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against

Women (CEDAW) is an international human rights treaty that was founded on the belief that

the human rights of women and girls are essential to development and that equality between

women and men will only be achieved through use of international human rights principles and

processes. However, it is possible to say that it is the constitution of women’s movement.

BPW Clubs and Federations will be encouraged to take an active role in the process of reporting

at national levels. The shadow reports have an utmost important to clarify country-specific

information in the framework of the catch phrase as “Thinking Globally and Acting Locally”.

It is the best explanation for the governance concept of new era.

II. OVERALL STRATEGY

II.1 To increase the number of UN Agencies that we will collaborate with.

At present, BPW International have collaborations with 10 UN Agencies officially. But there

are many cross-cutting issues that should be taken into considerations for women’s overall

well-being in matters of health, education, access to all resources (including food, shelter and

water), work, safety, human rights, and personal dignity. However, just after the Congress, the

work will be started to identify new UN Agencies that we have to start cooperation officially.

For example although the role of women in the management of eco-system was underlined in

the Rio+20, BPW International hasn’t been attempted to cooperate with United Nations

Environmental Program and/ or United Nations Inter-Agency for Water yet. The initiative that

has been started by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to enhance the role of

women in sustainable tourism, is also very important for the agenda of BPW International

because it could be the ultimate green job opportunity for females.

II.2 To increase the number of members (including young BPW members) who are active

in UN Works at national, regional and international levels

International Federation of Business and Professional Women appoints UN representatives at

the UN Headquarters in New York, Geneva, Vienna and different UN Agencies. There are 12

accreditated UN Representatives in New York, Geneva and Vienna. 6 of them are also the

representatives at different UN Agencies besides 7 others. However only 19 women are

working with full efforts for UN Works in BPW International. The consultative statue of BPW

International in United Nations is the major personality of our Federation. However, the

coverage area has to be enlarged under the leadership of accreditated UN representatives. This

strategy will facilitate access to information about UN Works among our members and

disburden the responsibilities of UN representatives as well.

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II.3 To develop a new tool that will be efficiently and effectively used for to evaluate and

monitor UN Works.

The reason to accept “Coorporate Leadership” as the motto for the UN Vice-precidency Office

in this triennium is to reach more members who have interests in UN Works from all regions

and countries. However, a new tool will be prepared to evaluate and monitor UN Works, will

also be a facilitator for the members who want to access clear and basic information about the

UN Works of BPW International.

II.4 To increase awareness within BPW members about relevant UN policies, decisions

and strategies by basic, simplified and short information through social media tools

In order to solidfy the strategy that has summarised in Article II.3, social media tools will be

used to disseminate the informations about UN policies, decisions and strategies among our

members. It will be possible to translate these basic, simplified and short information into

native languages by taking the supports of appointed contact points who are speaking in

English fluently.

II.5 To start the works for to develop a methodology that could be benefited by our

members to be gained gender expert formation through providing individual and

institutional collaborations.

It is the strategy for increasing in advocacy capacity of our members as well as creating the

opportunity for fund raising. In the 1st year of the following term (2014-2015), individual and

institutional supports will be followed to develop a tailor-made methodology that could be

benefited by our members. In the 2nd year of the following term (2015-2016), the methodology

development could be realised at two levels. At the 1st level, all of the members will benefit

the program free of charge to increase awareness about the basic concepts from the feminist

perspective. At the 2nd level, the comprehensive program will be offered to the members who

want to become gender expert in business agent. In the 3rd year (2016-2017), pilot

implementations will be realised at both of the levels.

Today, in most of the countries, the corporations need gender experts for to revise their

regulations fort o create gender-sensitive working places. However, it is the implementation of

Win-Win Strategy. While the certification by BPW International helps to open the doors of

corporations to our members, creating subsidiary source of income for BPW International helps

to accelerate our services that we provide to the communities at global level.