We were thrilled to be there in person as Australian Women in New York’s Vice President Belinda ‘BJ’ Jackson was honored for International Women’s Day 2023 by The Society of Foreign Consuls in New York and the Consulate General of Australia in New York. The ceremony was a festive celebration of women leaders in New York, and we can’t think of a more deserving honoree representing Australia. In addition to being AWNY’s Vice President, BJ is our longest standing committee member and has been a volunteer since 2006.
Founded in 2011 by the Consul General of the Republish of Kazakhstan Amb. Raushan Yesbulatova, the International Women’s Day award ceremony and reception has become an annual event to celebrate the commitment of women through the many immigrant communities in New York.
Belinda was recognized for her outstanding achievements and contributions to the community in New York, including volunteer efforts with Australian Women in New York, her business consultancy Prosell International, and her career coaching practice, Working in the USA.
“I want to congratulate BJ on receiving the International Women’s Day award for her incredible commitment to the Australian community in New York. She is an amazing role model and gives back to her community in so many ways including through her mentoring, friendship, and professional achievements.”
Karina Soltyszewski
ACTING CONSUL-GENERAL
CONSULATE-GENERAL OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA IN NEW YORK
The 15 women were celebrated for their major contributions to community, arts, culture, business, government or academia. Hailing from across the globe there were women recognized from Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, El Salvador, Guyana, India, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Peru, Serbia and Turkey.
Meet Belinda ‘BJ’ Jackson
Belinda Jackson, is a founding member of Australian Women in New York and holds the role of vice president. She volunteers her time mentoring and growing this community of women. Alongside her community efforts, Belinda has a broad range of skills as a business consultant at Prosell International, working with organizations of all sizes in many sectors. Career coaching has become Belinda’s passion. Combined with her skills as a business consultant, this has made BJ a ‘go to’ person for those wanting to break into the USA job market or plan a career transition. Her warm and friendly manner puts you at ease and her uncanny ability to remember someone from 10 years ago makes her vast network of genuine connections invaluable. Connect with BJ on LinkedIn.
A festive and vibrant celebration of the contribution of global women in New York
The ceremony was a festive celebration of culture, tradition and each country’s unique differences. After performances from India, Bulgaria, Serbia and Chile, the Commissioner for International Affairs of the City of New York, Edward Mermelstein gave a welcoming speech and presented Mayor Eric Adams´ best wishes to all the women who received the awards and all those in attendance at the event.
At the ceremony, the Society of Foreign Consul’s President Marita Landaveri, Consul General of Peru presented each honoree with a diploma of recognition for their accomplishments, a flower bouquet and a gift.
It was a true collaboration to produce the event across the participating countries in the Society. The Consul General of India hosted the event in an ornate and historic event space within their consulate, the Consul General of Kazakhstan organized the event, and our mates at the Consulate General of Australia edited the program which included information on each of our honorees. All countries participating presented specialties of their gastronomy as well as wines and other drinks for the delight of all the participants. We were proud to see woman-owned Aussie business Boomerang Bites featured prominently on the Australian cuisine table and noshed on some very delicious caramel slices. Get to know Andrea Rizvi, Boomerang Bites’ dynamic owner.
Who exactly is the Society of Foreign Consuls?
The Society of Foreign Consuls is an organization that unites foreign consulates in the world’s largest diplomatic community of New York. Founded in 1925, the society represents the world’s largest consular corps, comprising of 115 consulates, consulate generals and honorary consulates based in New York City. Their mission is to safeguard the interests and rights of the members of the NYC-based consular corps and strive to promote cultural and economic relations between the city of New York, their respective countries and the host country, the United States of America.
Watch a video re-cap of the event on our Instagram:
Congrats BJ!
AWNY | Australian Women in New York 