Partners

The Commonwealth

About the Commonwealth

The Commonwealth was established in1931 and includes 30% of the world's population – 2 billion people. Member countries span six continents from Africa (19 member countries) to Asia (8 member countries), the Americas (2member countries), the Caribbean (12 member countries), Europe (3 member countries) and the South Pacific (10 member countries). It is an intergovernmental organisation of diverse countries who are all regarded as equal in status.

The Commonwealth is active at all levels of global governance. Commonwealth ideas and advice have been taken up by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the migration of doctors and nurses and by the International Labour Organisation (ILO)on the migration of teachers. Its support and expertise have been called upon by the European Union (EU) and the African Union on building governance in Africa, and by the EU and the Pacific Islands Forum on building governance in the Pacific.

Visit our UN page to learn more about SI and the ILO and WHO.

Sl and the Commonwealth

Soroptimist International has members in 32 of the 54 Commonwealth countries and territories. SI is accredited to the Commonwealth as a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) through the Commonwealth Foundation which supports and empowers CSOs in Commonwealth countries.Globally, only 100 organisations are affiliated to the Commonwealth.

There is a natural synergy between the aims of the two organisations. SI is committed to the Commonwealth's fundamental values as enshrined in both the Singapore Declaration on Commonwealth Principles (1971) and the Harare Commonwealth Declaration (1991): democracy,freedom, peace, international co-operation, human rights and the rule of law,gender equality and sustainable economic and social development.

For more information on what the Commonwealth is doing on gender, read the Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality 2005 – 2015 

For further information on the Commonwealth

www.thecommonwealth.org

www.commonwealthfoundation.com

 

World Wide Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts 

SI has been working effectively with WAGGGS as an advocacy partner for several years. Over the past 12 months, we have held a highly successful joint workshop at the 63^rd DPI NGO Conference which took place last September in Melbourne. This joint working continued at CSW 55 where we delivered two joint workshops: one on education and one on violence against women. We also successfully delivered a joint oral statement and released a written statement detailing the outcomes of our workshops.

As part of a Commonwealth Parliamentary event in London on the theme of ‘Women: Agents of Change’ WAGGGS joined an SI panel on working locally to impact globally, with a focus on education.

We share many concerns, particularly around Violence against Women, and we look forward to more exciting joint working in the future.

 

Association for Women's Rights in Development

AWID strongly believes in building collective power to advance women’s rights and gender equality worldwide. Only if we strengthen the voice, impact and influence of women’s rights advocates, organizations and movements, will we create a world where women rights are respected, poverty is eradicated and peace endures.  Soroptimist International joined AWID in 2011.

 

Women for Women International

Women for Women International works with socially excluded women in eight countries where war and conflict have devastated lives and communities. Each woman  has her own story — some of loved ones murdered, and others of physical and emotional trauma. Most have endured a struggle for survival.

Women for Women International launched Join Me on the Bridge in 2010. Soroptimist International has been a worldwide supporter and partner in this initiative since the beginning.

Women for Women International and Soroptimist International also worked together during the 2003 - 2007 SI Quadrennial project: Project Independence - Women Survivors of War.