A clarion call was heard at the St. Croix Business and Professional Women’s (BPW) first power lunch of the year Thursday. Issuing the call was guest speaker and Women’s Coalition cofounder Gloria Joseph, who called the roughly two-dozen women in attendance to action.
Joseph delivered a message to inspire women to rise up and take a more active role on St. Croix, by thinking globally and acting locally.
Joseph, who has a Ph.D. in Sociology and Educational Psychology, said women all over the world want the same thing – to improve their status and improve conditions in their daily lives.
She said in Afghanistan women seek protection for their children, the coal miner’s wife in Appalachia worries about black lung, and in the Sudan women are afraid of being raped.
She briefly spoke about the global human sex trade, touching on local domestic violence, teen pregnancy and prostitution.
Joseph said that as an established organization, BPW could do much, just by letting senators know they need to look at certain causes. She reminded the women it is an election year, and they should find out where the candidates stand on various issues.
“She really put me in my place and told me about myself,” said Sandra Setorie, BPW president.
Setorie said the club wants to see all women joining forces for causes in the community.
The purpose of BPW is to empower working women to achieve their full potential and to partner with employers to build successful workplaces through education, research, and policy.
BPW was chartered on St. Croix 50 years ago by Gertrude Converse, who had been a BPW member on the mainland, relocated to St. Croix and introduced local professional women to the organization. In 1959 she invited them to start a local chapter. There were 37 original charter members consisting of prominent teachers, principals, and businesswomen.
Born and raised in Yonkers, N.Y., in a traditional West Indian home, Joseph said both her parents were from St. Croix. A St. Croix resident for 30 years, Joseph retired from teaching at Hampshire University in Amherst, Mas. She recently published a book on history, “On Time and in Step: Reunion on Glory Road."
For information about BPW email bpwstx@yahoo.com.
