Celebrating National Business Women’s Week
The 3rd week of October is traditionally National Business Women’s Week.
Simply put, the National Business Women’s Week (NBWW) is an event in the United States that celebrates the contributions and achievements of women in the business world. This article explores the history of the NBWW, the types of celebrations or acknowledging accomplishments, and how the members of the Woman’s Club of Red Bank are celebrating NBWW.
The History of National Business Women’s Week
The history of this NBWW is closely tied to the efforts of the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation (BPW Foundation), which is one of the leading organizations advocating for women’s rights in the workplace.
The first National Business Women’s Week was observed in 1928, initiated by the National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs (NFBPWC), which later became the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation. The main purpose was to raise awareness about women’s role in the business world and to highlight the challenges and issues they faced.
Over the years, National Business Women’s Week has become a platform to recognize and honor the achievements of women in various industries, while also advocating for gender equality, fair treatment, and better opportunities in the business and professional sectors. It serves as a reminder of the importance of supporting and empowering women in the workplace and promoting their advancement in leadership positions.
How to Celebrate NBWW
The week typically involves various events, seminars, and workshops focused on professional development, networking opportunities, and discussions about women’s contributions to the business community. It has also been a time to reflect on the progress made in achieving gender parity and to address the remaining challenges in the pursuit of equal rights and opportunities for women in the business world.
While the specific activities and events may vary each year, the underlying goal of National Business Women’s Week remains constant: to promote gender equality and empower women to succeed in the workplace.
How The Woman’s Club of Red Bank Celebrates NBWW
One part of our non-profit organization’s mission statement directly states that we will “Provide a strong network for personal and professional development“. We do this by regularly holding both social events and business networking events. In fact, our annual breakfast fundraiser purposely takes place during National Business Women’s Week – it is this Saturday (learn more and sign up for the October 21st breakfast event here). This year’s event theme is Trailblazing Through Time: Women Who Mean Business. At this event, we are celebrating the life of Mary Gilligan who was an active member in our club for decades and who helped write grants that have enabled us to continually preserve our historic house.
We are presenting the inaugural Mary Gilligan Preservation Award to two local people, Gilda Rogers, and Roger Mumford, for their incredible work preserving and restoring the T. Thomas Fortune House.
T. Thomas Fortune was a Red Bank resident and trailblazer in journalism, business, civil rights, and many other areas including women’s suffrage. Gilda Rogers is a journalist who received the T. Thomas Fortune Award. She was not familiar with T. Thomas Fortune and her research into who he was – was the beginning of a journey of history and preservation. The T. Thomas Fortune Foundation offers tours of this historic house – go to www.TThomasFortuneCulturalCenter.org for more information. The tour is fascinating! There is much to be said about Roger Mumford, the other award recipient, but as this is an article about commemorating women in business let it be suffice to say that strong women appreciate the opportunities to work with and alongside strong men.
Join us this Saturday at the Woman’s Club. All are welcome. Walk-ins are welcome but purchasing a ticket online is preferred click here to learn more and register for the breakfast event.