A vast array of Soroptimist activities worldwide were reported in June to educate, empower and enable opportunities for women. Many clubs participated in events to mark celebratory days, such as World Environment Day. Violence against women and human trafficking were also common themes, with events to raise awareness and support those

Soroptimists have been highlighting the devastating consequences of severe flooding in northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, now believed to have left thousands dead and many more homeless, bereaved and destitute. “Incessant rains in mid June in the Himalayan region triggered massive flash floods and a reservoir burst resulted in a

Silvana Arbia, International Criminal Court’s former Registrar, has been awarded the Peace Prize of Soroptimist International of Europe for her courageous role in building peace in Rwanda. The Italian Judge received her prize of €20,000 as well as the Peace Statute on the occasion of the Soroptimist European Congress on Sunday, 14 July 2013 in

2000 women from more than 80 countries have gathered in Berlin (Germany) for the 20th Congress of Soroptimist International Europe, which opens today. The theme of the Congress is “Visions of Paradise“ – Soroptimists Go for Water and Food. "This conference will not only highlight drastic inequalities in the supply and distribution of

Malala Yousafzai will mark her 16th birthday today by delivering a speech at UN headquarters in New York, calling on governments to ensure free compulsory education for every child. It will be Malala’s first public speech since she was attacked on her school bus in Pakistan's north-western Swat valley, shot

Soroptimist International welcomes the announcement  that Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka from South Africa will be the new Executive Director of UN Women, the organization leading UN’s work on advancing gender equality and women’s rights. Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka  became a Member of Parliament in South Africa in 1994 and from 2005-8 was the first woman to hold the

"When we devote attention and resources to the education, health and wellbeing of adolescent girls, they will become an even greater force for positive change in society that will have an impact for generations to come. On this World Population Day, let us pledge to support adolescent girls to realize

The month of May saw a wonderful variety of projects as Soroptimist International clubs continued to empower and educate women and girls via the expertise of both age old traditions and modern technology. See some pictures and read about the projects below. SI Dunfermline (UK) worked with their local community

The Millennium Development Goals deadline of 2015 is not far away. To date, many of the goals have not been achieved and this timescale now puts the pressure on member states to realise these goals. With the end in sight a new post-2015 framework needs to be designed, building on

International Widows Day on 23rd June 2013 highlights the ongoing plight of widows worldwide and the need for action towards achieving both recognition and full rights. Absent from statistics, disregarded by many researchers and overlooked by many national, local and civil society organisations, widows are virtually invisible in the wider