Jeju Korea – May 25th
The hugs, the laughter, the sharing of stories.
Oh, there’s BPW President Freda Miriklis from Australia, and there’s my friend Angela from Nigeria, and Arzu from Turkey and ……. the hugs, the laughter, the sharing of stories as to what’s gone on since the last time we saw each other. It may have been at Congress in 2011 in Helsinki, Finland, or in Sorrento, Italy for the European meeting, or in New York City for the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).
The friends and colleagues, too many to keep in touch with from one meeting to the next, but the conversations always begin as if we saw each other “only yesterday.”
I am so excited to be here. I can’t wait to see my friends and to meet new ones. There are 850 women from five continents registered for this Congress meeting.
There’s Annette Liu, the former Vice President of Taiwan, she never misses our meetings. She is the first woman ever to be elected as Vice President of her country. She’s the first Vice President to ever hold that office twice. I always admire her for her courage to speak out and up about women and equality. Last time in Helsinki, we sat on a panel together discussing the individual’s contribution to success in society.
This time, I am presenting with the female students Stern Business School on the implementation of the WEPS (Women’s Empowerment Principles). It was a year-long project between EPW-NYC and Stern. Very exciting. The women will present a position paper they wrote on the WEPS and how companies can implement them. Imagine being a college student and presenting to international women leaders. The opportunities EPW-NYC presents are amazing!
Gotta run. Will be sending you info. as the Congress progresses.
