Women’s Career Networking and Professional Associations

A collection of the best career networking organizations and professional associations for women.

Women’s Networking Organizations:

Advancing Women — This International Network for Women in the Workplace highlights issues for the working woman. Includes an online career center Today’s Women’s News feature forums for discussion links for networking with international women personal services resources and links to similar sites.

Watermark is a Bay Area based membership organization that is dedicated to increasing the number of women in leadership positions. The organization schedules conferences, workshops, and panels throughout the year to encourage networking and female empowerment.

Women’s Professional Organizations:

Selected women’s professional organizations are provided here. To locate professional organizations specifically for women use the Gateway to Associations Online search engine. This search engine has a pull-down menu that enables you to select “women” as one of the search criteria.

• Alliance for Women in Media: Serves women working in electronic media and related fields.
• American Association of University Women (AAUW):A national organization that promotes education and equity for all women and girls.
• American Business Women’s Association (ABWA): Provides opportunities for businesswomen to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership education networking support and national recognition.
• American Medical Women’s Association: Serves female health professionals.
• American Woman’s Society of Certified Public Accountants (AWSCPA): The American Woman’s Society of Certified Public Accountants is the devoted exclusively to the support and professional development of women CPAs. The society also addresses gender equity the glass ceiling work and family issues. To accomplish its mission AWSCPA offers in-depth support in six important areas including networking. AWSCPA’s Web site has information about meetings and conferences as well as current job opportunities. Some areas of the site are open to members only.
• Association for Women in Communications: Offers a mentor program and an annual career day.
• Association for Women in Computing: Serves programmers analysts technical writers and entrepreneurs. Contact the national headquarters for local information.
• Association for Women in Science (AWIS): The Association for Women in Science (AWIS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to achieving equity and full participation for women in science mathematics engineering and technology. AWIS has more than 5000 members in fields spanning the life and physical sciences mathematics social science and engineering. Events at the 76 local chapters across the country facilitate networking among women scientists at all levels and in all career paths.
• Association of Women in International Trade (WIIT): Monthly events with speakers periodic seminars on trade topics and a job bank.
• Business and Professional Women (BPW) Foundation: BPW Foundation transforms workplaces by strengthening the capacity of organizations and businesses to create work environments that are inclusive and value the skills and contributions of working women.
• Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW): For women working in all facets of commercial real estate. Call the national headquarters for local contacts.
• Financial Women International (FWI): Formerly known as the National Association of Bank Women FWI serves women in banking and financial services.
• Federally Employed Women (FEW): Serves women in all levels of the federal government including the military. Also offers a mentor program and seminars on policy and legislative processes.
• International Alliance for Women in Music (IAWM): Serves composers conductors performers and music lovers. Provides venues for female artists to perform and helps promote their shows.
• National Association for Female Executives (NAFE): With some 250000 members nationwide and abroad the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE) is the nation’s largest businesswomen’s association. NAFE provides resources and services through education networking and public advocacy to empower its members to achieve career success and financial security. NAFE’s Web site provides information about NAFE its membership benefits and services and NAFE networks around the country. It also includes articles and information about business and management selected articles from NAFE’s Executive Female magazine and links to business-related sites.
• National Association of Women Business Owners: Leadership training and a network for women who have been in business for themselves for more than eight years.
• National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc.: This nonprofit volunteer organization is involved with community service leadership develop and enhancing career opportunities through networking and programming. For information on NCBW chapters and programs in your area contact the national headquarters.
• National Women’s Political Caucus: Leadership and campaign-training programs.
• Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT): — The Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT) is a non-profit professional organization designed to promote women doing business in international trade by providing networking and educational opportunities. Members include women and men doing business in all facets of international trade including finance public relations government freight forwarding international law agriculture sales and marketing import/export logistics and transportation. Web site contains information about conferences events chapters in the United States and around the world as well as a job bank.
• Society of Women Engineers: This global organization provides women engineers with a unique place to develop a voice within the engineering industry. The organization is centered around encouraging success and evolving with new challenges and opportunities within the industry.
• Women in Aerospace (WIA): WIA is dedicated to expanding women’s opportunities for leadership and increasing their visibility in the aerospace community. Offers networking and professional development opportunities.
• Women in Housing and Finance (WHF): Monthly luncheons a job bank professional development and special-interest groups on insurance securities technology.
• Women in International Security (WIIS): WIIS (pronounced “wise”) is dedicated to enhancing opportunities for women working in foreign and defense policy. An international nonprofit non-partisan network and educational program WIIS is open to both women and men at all stages of their careers.
• Women in Technology International (WITI): WITI’s mission is to empower women worldwide to achieve unimagined possibilities and transformations through technology leadership and economic prosperity.
• Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO): An organization for women whose businesses annually gross more than $2 million. The organization’s mission states: improving business conditions for women entrepreneurs and promoting the acceptance and advancement of women entrepreneurs in all industries.
• Women’s Caucus for the Arts (WCA): Has established a national network through research exhibitions conferences and honor awards for achievement. Call the national headquarters for local contacts.
• Women’s Information Network (WIN): A Democratic group that serves mostly younger women. It features a job center and a well-reputed networking event “Women Opening Doors for Women” in which high-level professional women share their experiences at informal dinner parties.
• Women’s National Book Association (WNBA): Serves women in publishing writing and editing as well as those who have an interest in books. Offers professional-development programs.

  This article was originally published on LiveCareer.com and is republished with their permission.

   

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