National Business Women's Week set for Oct. 21-25

National Business Women's Week will be celebrated Oct. 21-25. Since its creation in 1928, National Business Women's Week has been sponsored by Business and Professional Women/USA for the purpose of recognizing and honoring the achievements of working women throughout history. This year marks the 74th commemoration of the annual event, which always begins on Monday of the third full business week in October.

The concept of National Business Women's Week originated from Emma Dot Partridge, executive secretary of the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs from 1924 to 1927. Its first annual observance was held April 15-22, 1928. From this early effort, National Business Women's Week has grown to be a nationwide salute to all working women.

Each U.S. president since Herbert Hoover has opened the first day of National Business Women's Week with a letter recognizing the contributions and achievements of working women. The celebration of National Business Women's Week has helped to promote leadership roles for women and to increase opportunities for their advancement both professionally and personally.

Cheryl Grazier, executive director of the Missouri Women's Council, cited a recent study by the Center for Women's Business Research, which shows that there are an estimated 6.2 million majority-owned, privately held women-owned firms in the United States, accounting for 28 percent of all privately held firms in the country.

In Missouri, there are an estimated 119,961 majority-owned, privately held, women-owned firms, accounting for 29 percent of all privately held firms in the state. In addition, women constitute approximately 46 percent of the work force as of the year 2000.

"Women continue to make an increasingly stronger impact on the workplace and the economy, and they need to be encouraged to continue advancing and becoming more economically and fiscally minded," said Grazier.

For more information, contact the Missouri Women's Council toll-free at 1-877-426-9284 or on the Web site at www.womenscouncil.org.