Page 22 - BPW-UK ANNUAL REVIEW 2023-2024

As your joint International Vice Presidents we have continued to focus on Interna-
tional matters and attend International events and meetings on your behalf.

The International Working Group continues to discuss matters of International interest
as stated in our Terms of Reference and met on three occasions this year.

We were very honoured to host a session at last
year’s National Conference in March. We opened our ses-
sion with an International Candlelighting Ceremony. As far
as we are aware this was the first time the candlelighting
ceremony has been part of the conference programme and
hopefully it will become a tradition going forward.

The ceremony was particularly relevant given the
number of international BPW representatives in attendance.
The session speaker was Maureen Maguire, Soroptimist In-
ternational President, who spoke to us about her term of
office and her President’s Appeal, Opening Doors to a
Brighter Future. This is a series of education programmes
across four continents giving opportunity to women and girls
to learn new skills to support themselves and their families
financially. The session ended with a presentation by Mari-
ella Camilleri to promote the European Conference in Malta
in May 2025.

In April, along with our President Jo, we attended the European Presidents meeting and
BPW Europe Training Day in Brussels. The training day focused on lobbying and included a tour
of the European Parliament. This was a great opportunity to meet and network with other
BPW Europe members.

In May, again with Jo, we attended BPW Ireland’s Summer Lunch in Galway. This is an
annual event for women, attracting a large number of corporate attendees from businesses in
the area, and is a day of celebration of women’s achievements in their work-life. The guest
speaker was Natasha Adams, CEO of Tesco Ireland who spoke about her various roles from the
shop floor to the boardroom and encouraged us to keep challenging ourselves at all stages of
our careers.

Across the year we have also attended BPW International and BPW Europe meet-
ings held online. Both Internationally and in Europe there have been several meetings to in-
form members and discuss constitutional changes to improve operations and to secure the le-
gal standing of the organisation going forward through registration as a global NGO in the case
of International and to comply with EU law in the case of BPW Europe.

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