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National Federation Of Business And Professional Women - New York City

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You are here: Home / News

The Value of Peacekeeping: Stories from the Field

April 9, 2018 by empoweredwomen Leave a Comment

 DPI Briefing, January 18, 2018

The UN Department of Public Information has undertaken a campaign to build support for the service and sacrifices made by United Nations’ Peacekeepers.  Peacekeeping operations began in 1948 and since then there have been 71 missions. There are currently 105,187 personnel working in 15 peacekeeping operations around the world.  Each peacekeeping operation is unique and its mission is defined by a mandate from the United Nations. The peacekeeping forces are contributed by the member nations and at present 123 different countries are contributing uniformed personnel to the peacekeeping missions.  The peacekeeping operation is not an army, or a counter-terrorist force, or a humanitarian agency. It is a tool to create the space for a nationally-owned political solution. The peacekeepers do assume a variety of roles that can include protecting the civilian population, monitoring a situation, ensuring that aid is received, disarming and serving as role models.    Over 3,500 peacekeepers have lost their lives on mission.

The panel was moderated by Hawa Diallo, currently a Public Information Officer at DPI, but she has also served in two United Nations Peacekeeping Operations in Cambodia and Somalia.

Other panel members included:

  • Daria Miglietta Ferrari, Senior Political Affairs Officer in the Europe, Latin America and Asia Integrated Operational Team, Department of Peacekeeping Operations,
  • Brigadier General Khan Firoz Ahmed, Defense Advisor, Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations.  Bangladesh is the 2nd largest troops contributing country to the UN. The General spoke of the UN values of Integrity, Professionalism, and Respect for Diversity that are part of every UN mission and how the peacekeepers are trained both in their home countries and again once they are part of a mission.
  • John Greenway, Strategic Communications Officer, DPI.  Mr. Greenway manages communications campaigns and crisis communication and spoke about this campaign and showed two short films featuring specific peacekeepers on missions now.  Both were very moving in their humanity and showed the risks these people undertake.
  • Charles Anyidoho, Senior Political Affairs Officer at Europe Division of the Department of Political Affairs.
  • Amaka Azikiwe, Political Affairs Officer, UN Operations and Crisis Center
  • Douglas Coffman, Peace and Security Strategic Communications Officer, Department of Public Information

Every member of the panel had significant experience in the field and spoke about that experience – including their fears and the rewards of being part of history when a mission accomplishes its goals or at least some of the goals – which can seem like a miracle – and the impact their work can have on the local population.

The missions of the peacekeepers are crucial to the peace and security of our politically charged world and recognizing the contributions and sacrifices of these individuals is important.

The issue of sexual harassment did come up and how the UN is dealing with charges when the occur.  New procedures have been developed for transparence and a policy of zero tolerance. The response to the question on sexual harassment reminded me of the DPI briefing held on January 18th with Assistant Secretary-General, Victims’ Rights Advocate for the United Nations, Ms. Jane Connors.  I have included my notes from that briefing below:

Ms. Connors’ position is significant in that it is newly created, adding strength to Antonio Guterres commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of victims as he works to address sexual exploitation and abuse in the United Nations’ system world-wide.   The new office also puts another woman in a position of leadership at the United Nations, reaching gender parity at the senior level – 22 men and 22 women. Ms. Connors’ background as an attorney and educator combined with years of experience as the Director of International Advocacy for Amnesty International and various positions at the United Nations make her a very good choice for this office.

In 2017 there were 54 allegations of abuse made against UN workers.  The Un has a strict “No excuses, zero tolerance approach to UN personnel.   Ms. Connors’ position is to put the rights and dignity of the victims at the forefront.  She wants to focus on victims’ care and follow-up – including medical care and other types of support and advocacy. Prevention is also a priority.   She wants to be sure that there is communication in the local community so that victims know what to expect should abuse or exploitation occur. At the field level, the UN is seeing progress in its desire for transparency and refusal to take a defensive stand. The rule is “ Do not harm”  and there is zero tolerance.

There are challenges ahead as allegations of abuse made against UN workers mirror this situation world wide, where positions of inequality and a vulnerable population make exploitation possible.

 

Filed Under: News, United Nations Tagged With: advocacy, human trafficking, peacekeeping, Sexual Abuse, sexual exploitation, United Nations

Committee On Sexual Abuse Against Working Women – NFBPWC Action Item

January 30, 2018 by empoweredwomen Leave a Comment

NFBPWC is thrilled to support our new ad hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse against Working Women. We are all feeling inspired by Chair Jackie Melvin’s words from our last e-Alert describing how each of us make a difference on this important issue.

For those of you who would like to be part of the movement and take the actions requested in our last E-Alert, but don’t have time to send a paper letter, NFBPWC has set up a new, easier option.Members can email your representatives directly using Democracy.io. (https://democracy.io/#!/)You just need to enter your address on the website, which then pulls up your correct representatives. Then you can either write your own message, or paste one in – which we have provided for you in the linked Word document (NFBPWC Sexual Harassment Template Info 01.2019.docx). Or you can view more information on our website here: Sexual Abuse against Working Women about how to contact your representatives.
Here are the easy, step-by-step instructions to contact your members of Congress to raise your voice and help stop sexual abuse of women in the workplace!Step 1 – Download the message template below.
Step 2 – Open the message document, hit Ctrl-A to Select All, then hit Ctrl-C to Copy.
Step 3 – Go to https://democracy.io/#!/
Step 4 – Type in your address
Step 5 – Select your representatives
Step 6 – In the message page:  Type in a Subject (example on document)
Step 7 – Click in the message text box, and hit Ctrl-V to Paste
Step 8 – Enter your contact information, answer the other requested questions
Step 9 – Hit Send!
Step 10 – Give yourself a pat on the back for making a difference for women!
Step 11 – Post on your social media and let your friends know to join you in sending a message about this important issue!

MESSAGE TEMPLATE:  NFBPWC Sexual Harassment Template Info 01.2019

Best Regards,
Liz Benham

President 2016-2018

 

PS Don’t forget to start planning for the NFBPWC 2018 General Assembly & BPW International Regional Conference (click link for more information and to register).

Contacting your NFBPWC National Executive Committee:Elizabeth Benham, President president@nfbpwc.org

Megan Shellman, VP Membership vpmembership@nfbpwc.org

Linda Wilson, VP Advocacy advocacy@nfbpwc.org

Sandra Thompson, Secretary secretary@nfbpwc.org

Gloria Flores, Treasurer treasurer@nfbpwc.org

Advocacy – Linda Wilson,  advocacy@nfbpwc.org
Business – Manjul Batra, manjulm@aol.com

Bylaws and Resolutions – Sandra Thompson, info@nfbpwc.org

Environment – Laurie Dameron, ldameron@bpwcolorado.org

Finance – Gloria Flores, El Paso treasurer@nfbpwc.org

Health – Maria DeSousa, mcdesousa1@gmail.com

International Liaison – Bessie Hironimus, bessie.hironimus@bpw-international.org

Membership – Megan Shellman, vpmembership@nfbpwc.org

Mentoring Taskforce Chair – Titilola Adisa, tytyadisa@yahoo.com
PR and Social Media – Chanel Heerman, chanelh@gmail.com
United Nations – Elizabeth Vanardenne, evanarden27@gmail.com
Young BPW – Sarah Matthews, smatthews0580@gmail.com

Let NFBPWC hear from you! Upcoming Events:
We are a grassroots organization, we know the value of communication FROM our membership. Please let us hear from you – ideas? comments? suggestions? questions? XXX BPW International NFBPWC Sexual Harassment Template Info 01.2019CongressNFBPWC 2018 General Assembly & BPW International Regional Conference


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Filed Under: Advocacy, News, Women in the Workplace Tagged With: 2018, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Harassment, Women in Business, Women Power, Women's Equality, women's rights

Take Action: Human Trafficking Month

January 26, 2018 by empoweredwomen Leave a Comment

January is Anti Trafficking Awareness Month, but we hope that you will consider every day as Anti-Trafficking Day.

This announcement from the American Hotel and Lodging Association contains many resources you can utilize in your daily lives to prevent this Modern Day Slavery from occurring.

See below & thank you.

 

AHLA
January  2018
View in Browser
Dear AHLA Member,
As we recognize Human Trafficking Awareness Month throughout January, AHLA continues to raise awareness about these heinous crimes and provide employers with the tools and resources to prevent it.  Hotels are one of many venues that traffickers use to exploit their victims. That’s why it’s so important that our industry do its part to prevent and disrupt this crime.

For several years now, AHLA, in partnership with Marriot International, the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), ECPAT-USA and the Polaris Project, have worked together to develop and utilize an online training program to help hotel employees identify and respond to human trafficking at hotel properties. This training, titled “The Role of Hospitality in Preventing and Reacting to Child Trafficking,” provides an overview of the issues of human trafficking, suggested protocols for responding to suspicious activity, and signs of trafficking specific to different hospitality positions (in-room staff, restaurant, lobby, and security).

AHLA encourages you to utilize this training to empower your employees, and to raise awareness in your communities so that we can put an end to this practice. One way to do that is to post about human trafficking through your social media channels using the hashtag #HumanTraffickingAwarenessMonth.

Together, we can make a difference.

For more information on how you can prevent human trafficking, click here.


Combat Human Trafficking

Estimates show that thousands of men, women, and children are trafficked in the United States each year primarily for sexual or labor exploitation. Trafficking networks sustain their operations and infrastructure through various and often unexpected ways.

Order Online Training Program Today!

Fortunately, there are many ways the hotel industry can help prevent and combat human trafficking. This 30-minute online training program addresses human trafficking and its connection to the hospitality industry.

Objectives of the course: 

  • Define human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children;
  • Identify individuals who are most at risk for human trafficking;
  • Understand the difference between labor and sex trafficking specific to the hotel sector;
  • Explain the role of hospitality employees in responding to this issue.

Accessibility:

  • English narration
  • English transcript

Note:  This program is not available for purchase directly through AHLA. Click here to see baseline pricing for hotel properties.

Want to learn more on how to combat human trafficking?  Here are actions you can take now!

  1. Display the Awareness Poster in your office.
  2. Hand out the Human Trafficking Indicators card.
  3. Check out other Department of Homeland Security anti-human trafficking materials on the Blue Campaign Website.
  4. Learn more about your responsibilities as an employer.
  5. Be a conscientious consumer as you make purchases for your business. Refer to the Department of Labor’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor.
  6. Share your ideas on how the Department and your company can help raise awareness and combat human trafficking.

More Resources To Combat Human Trafficking:

  • Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report
  • Department of Health and Human Services Resources
  • Department of Justice Resources
  • The Department of Homeland Security: Blue Campaign 
  • Lodging Security Officer Program
  • Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking
  • Alliance Against Human Trafficking
  • The Polaris Project
  • ECPAT
  • EI Human Trafficking DVD
  • EI’s “The Role of Hospitality in Preventing and Reacting to Child Trafficking” Course
  • International Tourism Partnership Know-How Guide and Resources to Addressing Human Trafficking
  • Immigration & Customs Enforcement Human Trafficking
  • National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Child Sexual Exploitation

REPORT SUSPECTED HUMAN TRAFFICKING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT:  

Call U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at (866) 347-2423 or you can contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at (888) 373-7888 or text BeFree (233733).

Follow AHLA: 
Facebook Twitter Linkedin
 

1250 Eye Street N.W., Suite 1100, Washington , D.C. 20005

Filed Under: Advocacy, News Tagged With: advocacy, awareness, human trafficking, sex trafficking

Committee on the Status of Women 62 Orientation Videos

January 22, 2018 by empoweredwomen Leave a Comment

Are you planning on attending the Committee on the Status of Women 62 (NGO/CSW62) at the United Nations in March 2018 ?

NGO CSW/NY has created an online Orientation video series for those who interested in learning about the CSW. A new video covering different topics will be released every week. These videos contain helpful information, advice, and how-to instructions to prepare you for CSW62. 

Look for videos on the NGO CSW/NY Youtube Channel. 

Schedule of Video Releases
(8 Dec 2017) Video 1: Introduction

(15 Dec 2017) Video 2: CSW Registration

(22 Dec 2017) Video 3: NGO Forum Registration, Part 1:

(29 Dec 2017) Video 4: Registration, Part 2

(5 Jan 2018) Video 5: CSW62 Pt 1

(12 Jan 2018) Video 6: CSW62 Pt 2

(19 Jan 2018) Video 7: Preparing for CSW62 pt 3

(26 Jan 2018) Video 8: UN Pass

(2 Feb 2018) Video 9: Preparing for your trip

(9 Feb 2018) Video 10: Highlights: First week of CSW-Part 1

(16 Feb 2018) Video 11: Highlights: First week of CSW- Part 2

(23 Feb 2018) Video 12: Highlights: Second week of CSW and more information

Filed Under: News, United Nations

January 18th – NGO CSW New York Monthly Meeting

January 17, 2018 by empoweredwomen Leave a Comment

Mark Your Calendars for January 18, 2018.

1-3 pm
8th Floor, CCUN
777 UN Plaza
New York, NY

Join NGO CSW/NY for a Monthly Meeting,
CSW62: Using storytelling and media to amplify our voices.

We will be honoring Lakshmi Puri, Deputy Executive Director, Intergovernmental Support and Strategic Partnerships Bureau
Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations

1:00 – 1:30 PM Business Meeting
1:30 – 3:00 PM Discussion

Highlights: Sean Southey, CEO of PCI Media Impact, will discuss storytelling at CSW62 and the NGO CSW62 Forum Media Zone.

Soon-Young Yoon, Vice President of CoNGO, will share about the brand new Advocacy Guide App from NGO CSW/NY.

Shiela Katzman of International Association of Women in Radio and Television will explain how journalists can amplify the voices of rural women at CSW62.

Ivy Gabbert, Pamela Morgan, and MaryAnn Tarantula will present the newly released CSW62 Orientation Video Series.

_ _ _

Zero Draft Subcommittee Meeting: This meeting will precede the Monthly Meeting. It will be from 12-1pm. Location: Grumman Room, 8th Floor, CCUN.
Email zerodraft@ngocsw.org for more information.

Filed Under: News, United Nations

The Legend Of Shirley Chisholm Screening And Conversation

January 10, 2018 by empoweredwomen Leave a Comment

“The Legacy of Shirley Chisholm: Screening and Conversation“

Wednesday, January 24th at 6:30 pm at the Museum of the City of New York 

In a whirlwind of historic firsts, Shirley Chisholm became the first black woman elected to the U.S. Congress in 1968 and, in 1972, the first black candidate for a major party’s nomination for President of the United States. Join us for a screening of the Peabody Award winning documentary, Chisholm ’72: Unbought & Unbossed (2004, 75 min), which tells the extraordinary story of a woman claiming her place in American politics. Following the film, director Shola Lynch will discuss Chisholm’s lasting legacy with Brooklyn Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, the current representative of Chisholm’s former Ninth Congressional District.

Doors open to Ronay Menschel Hall at 6:00 pm and wine and light snacks will be served leading up to the program, which begins at 6:30 pm. 

Includes Museum admission.

Register online at mcny.org/suffrage | Use the code VOTE for discounted tickets!

National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs is a proud sponsor of this event.

 

Filed Under: Making History, News, Politics Tagged With: advocacy, film, pioneers, politicians, Politics

NGO/CSW Dec. 21 Monthly Meeting and Holiday Party

December 20, 2017 by empoweredwomen Leave a Comment

Mark Your Calendars!

Join NGO CSW/NY for a Monthly Meeting in the Salvation Army, Auditorium, followed by a Holiday Party in the Salvation Army, Downstairs
​Thursday, December 21st.​
​​
1:00 – 1:15 PM Business Meeting
1:15 – 2:15 PM Panel and Discussion
2:15 – 3:00 PM Holiday Party! Bring snacks!

Zero Draft Subcommittee Meeting: This meeting will precede the Monthly Meeting. It will be from 12-1pm at Salvation Army, Downstairs.
Email zerodraft@ngocsw.org for more information.

Auditorium
Salvation Army
221 E 52nd St
New York, NY

Please bring snacks to share for the NGO CSW/NY Holiday Party!

Fahima will be selling her beautiful rugs to support women and girls in Afghanistan.

Filed Under: Events, News

Outreach For Paid Family Leave Program 2018

December 12, 2017 by empoweredwomen Leave a Comment

Who do you know that is planning to use the new Paid Family Leave program in the first few weeks and months of 2018?

Stories and experiences are critical to helping people learn about the new program. We’re looking to build a group of 10-15 individuals who are actually using the new system in the first few months of the year to gauge how the program is working and provide feedback to appropriate state agency contacts. We’re looking for people from a wide variety of backgrounds, jobs, and income levels. Hearing experiences from the ground up will guide how we can best support and improve the implementation of the new program.

This could be any members of your team, network, or staff that will be taking leave for the birth, adoption, foster care placement of a new child, or to care for a seriously ill family member. And, because people qualify up to a year after the qualifying event, some may be taking Paid Family Leave starting January 1 for a new child from 2017.

Please send us an email to connect us with individuals you feel might be a good person to talk to. You can also use the email template below to reach out to people in your network.

 

Outreach email template:

Hello,

I’m sure you know the exciting news: Paid Family Leave starts in New York January 1st, and in 2018 will provide 8 weeks of leave to bond with a new child or care for a seriously ill family member.

Because this is the first new program of its type in New York in years, the team of advocates who helped pass this law is looking for a handful of individuals to speak with who are planning to use the new program in the first few weeks and months of 2018. If you’re willing to have a few short conversations with the team about your experiences, challenges, or ease of applying for the benefit, they’d love to hear from you.

This will help them to gauge how the program is rolling out, advocate for those having challenges with the new system, and provide feedback to appropriate state agency contacts.

E-mail Eric Williams at ericwilliams.nypfli@gmail.com to volunteer.

Filed Under: Advocacy, News, Paid Family Leave Tagged With: 2018, New York State, paid family leave

Working Group On Girls 2016-2017 Annual Report

December 12, 2017 by empoweredwomen Leave a Comment

NFBPWC-NYC member Houry Geudelekian co-chairs the Working Group on Girls and NGO. She is actively involved in the United Nations.

Click on the link below to download their 2016-2017 annual report and see all the progress that is being made.

FWGG-Annual-Report

 

 

Filed Under: Advocacy, News, United Nations

Children First

May 27, 2017 by empoweredwomen Leave a Comment

 

Filed Under: News

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