Blog - Soroptimist International

Women & the Economy

By Assistant Director Advocacy, Ulla Madsen Taken as a starting point in the “Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action” (1995), “women and economy” was highlighted as one of the 12 critical areas. The 189 governments that signed the document, committed themselves to undertaking concrete action to address specific objectives towards enhancing

Literacy teaching and learning in 2020

Blog of Evelyne Para, SI UN Representative at the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). "In the midst of the global COVID-19 crisis, International Literacy Day celebrated on September 8, was an opportunity to recall the crucial importance of literacy for the greatest number of people, leaving no

The Intent and Importance of the Istanbul Convention

Blog by Berthe De Vos, SI UN Representative Geneva. "All forms of violence are a clear violation of our human right. Whether we speak of crimes against women or domestic violence, prior to 2014, no European framework had set the necessary legal standards. But the need remains, as one out

Progress On Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Schools

by Linda Witong, Special Advisor to Advocacy. In 2010 and 2017 the UN General Assembly adopted A/RES/64/292 and A/RES 72/178 in which it recognised the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human

International Literacy Day

International Literacy Day is 8 September and this year focuses on 'Literacy teaching and learning in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond', highlighting literacy learning from a lifelong learning perspective. Here, we review this topic beginning with two excellent recent articles written by SI UN Representative, Paris, Evelyne Para. 1. A

Young woman wearing a medical mask. This is the cover image of the ILO survey report 'Youth and COVID-19'.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on young adults

Blog by Berthe De Vos, SI United Nations (UN) Representative in Geneva. "The global survey 'Youth & COVID-19: Impacts on jobs, education, rights and mental well-being' carried out this year (April-May 2020), orchestrated by the Youth team in the Employment, Labour Markets and Youth Branch of the International Labor Office

Women and Armed Conflict

As part of Soroptimist International's (SI's) series of blogs discussing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA), SI UN Representative, Liliana Mosca, examines the topic of women and armed conflict, looking at both the legal framework that has developed in the years since the BPfA and the lived reality

Sustainable Cities and COVID-19: Plans for Action

"Last month, Soroptimist International participated in the High-Level Political Forum Parallel Dialogue ‘Sustainable Cities and COVID-19: Plans for Action’, which was organised by the Urban Cluster (NGO Major Group). This event was orchestrated to facilitate a lively dialogue focussing on how the effective implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Older Women on the SI Road to Equality

Frances Zainoeddin, SI UN Representative in New York asks: At what age is a woman no longer economically viable? At what age is a woman considered of no consequence and of no value? At what age should a woman not receive education and training? At what age should a woman

Emerging Human Trafficking Trends in the face of COVID-19

A report by Linda Witong, Special Advisor to SI advocacy “As we have continued our work during the COVID-19 pandemic, traffickers have continued as well. Traffickers did not shut down. They continue to harm people, finding ways to innovate and even capitalise on the chaos. The ratio between risk and