The International Federation of Business and Professional Women (IFBPW)* was founded by Dr. Lena Madesin Phillips in 1930. Dr Phillips challenged leading women in Europe and the United States to form an international organisation to support and promote women in business and in the professions. The organisation was founded under the name of the International Federation of Business and Professional Women (IFBPW) and began on August 26, 1930 with 16 member countries.

Through its connection with the United Nations, IFBPW has become one of the most influential international women's organisations. Two years after the United Nations was founded, IFBPW was one of the first women's organisations to be granted Consultative Status with the United Nations in 1947.

Today, BPW International is one of the Five-O organisations, together with the Council of Women, the Federation of University Women, Soroptimists and Zonta, who are invited to give statements at each of the U.N. agencies based in New York, Geneva, Paris, Vienna, Bangkok and Seoul.

The Hong Kong Association of Business and Professional Women (HKABPW) is the Hong Kong chapter of IFBPW and Anna Fang is a past president for the years of 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2003.

*(The official name of IFBPW was recently changed and it is now known as BPW International).