Blog - Soroptimist International

The Rise of Homelessness in Ageing Women

SI UN Representatives, Maria Fornella and Frances Zainoeddin report from the Commission for Social Development 58th session (CSocD 58), which was held in New York during 10-19 February 2020. "Soroptimist International organised a side event on 'The Rise of Homelessness in Ageing Women', to discuss the work being done by

What is CEDAW? And how does it work?

SI UN Representative, Berthe De Vos-Neven, provides an insiders look at the history and function of the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). "CEDAW is a United Nations body which consists of 23 independent experts. These experts monitor the implementation of the Convention of

Amplifying the Voices of Africa’s Young People for the Environment

Report by Mary Muia & Beatrice Oluoch, SI UN Representatives in Nairobi. “Nature-based solutions offer the best way to achieve human well-being, tackle climate change and protect our living planet. Yet nature is in crisis, as we are losing species at a rate 1,000 times greater than at any other

Don’t Talk About Us Without Us: Learning from the True Experts

A blog by SI UN Representative in New York, Maria Fornella-Oehninger, following her attendance at the 58th Session of UN Commission on Social Development: 'Affordable Housing and Social Protection systems for all to address homelessness'. "The United Nations Commission on Social Development has had a very noteworthy 58th session this

Is the gender gap narrowing in science and engineering?

Blog written by Evelyne Para, SI UN Representative at UNESCO. "More than 200 scientists from around the world and representatives of NGOs gathered at UNESCO on 11 February 2020, on the occasion of International Day of Women and Girls in Science. As a SI UN Representative at UNESCO, but also

25 years since the Copenhagen Declaration and Program for Action – a vision and commitment still valid today

A blog by Linda Witong, Special Advisor to Advocacy "Twenty-five years ago, 186 countries gathered in Copenhagen, Denmark for the World Summit for Social Development (WSSD), joined by 2,300 representatives from 811 non-governmental organisations and created the Copenhagen Declaration and Program for Action. This year marks the 25th anniversary of

Business and Innovation Through Sustainable Living

Blog by Liliana Mosca, UN Representative to Food and Agriculture Organisation, Rome. "Last month, I attended the 10th International Forum on Food and Nutrition: 'Fostering Business and Innovation while preserving Mother Earth', held in Milan. The forum promoted healthy and sustainable people’s choices and exhibited the relevance of food for

International Day of Education

Blog by Evelyne Para, UN Representative of SI at UNESCO. "For UNESCO, education is a priority, as a human right, and as a public good. UNESCO assists countries in developing high-quality and inclusive education systems through building capacity to design and implement education policy. Without inclusive and equitable quality education

The Presence of Women in UN Peacekeeping Operations

A blog by SI UN Representative in New York, Maria Fornella-Oehninger, “In no other area is our collective failure to ensure protection for civilians more apparent - and by its very nature more shameful – than in terms of the masses of women and girls, but also boys and men,

Make Science Accessible

A blog by SI UN Representative in Paris, Marie-Christine Gries. “The concept of ‘Open Science’ is one of the most important and innovative ideas adopted by the General Conference for UNESCO. Open Science is a movement whose objective is to make the advances and results of scientific research universally accessible"(INSERM