Soroptimist International Programme Blog

Soroptimist International Launches New Website and Blog!

2011-03-01T07:47:00.000-08:00

Soroptimist International is very pleased and excited to announce the launch of our new website, monthly newsletter, blog and social media!

Please visit http://www.soroptimistinternational.org/ and spend some time exploring the new site. The site will continue to be improved over the coming weeks as we develop the pages further and add more information so keep checking back. We hope the new site will be a great resource for Soroptimists all over the world!

We have also launched a new SoroptiVoice Blog as part of the new website which means that this blog will be closed down shortly.

The new SoroptiVoice Blog will feature guest reporters every Friday, as well as more regular contributions from the SIHQ team. These special guest blog spots will explore, share and celebrate Soroptimist Voices from all around the world, showing our on the ground work as well as our views on issues relevant to our Soroptimist mission.

We are busy lining up a guest blog spot schedule for the coming months and we would love to hear from anyone who would like to contribute! Please email hq@soroptimistinternational.org if you would like to be a guest reporter - we look forward to hearing from you!

Finally, we are excited to announce the new monthly newsletter from SIHQ, Global Voice! From March, Global Voice will be sent on the last Friday of the month, providing a summary of all the most important SI news with a particular focus on our international advocacy work and actions you can take.

The first issue of Global Voice can be found here or accessed through the home page via Facebook and Twitter - look for the Global Voice launch announcement and link.

To sign up to receive future issues of Global Voice direct to your inbox, please visit the home page of the website to subscribe.

Thank you for reading!

1 Billion Still Hungry

2011-02-17T09:37:00.000-08:00

The Human Rights Advisory Committee published the findings of a study into the right to food in January. The report is very informative, providing some concise and powerful insights into the challenges facing women and girls - in particular, rural women.

Despite global efforts to combat extreme poverty through the Millennium Development Goals, one billion people continued to suffer from undernourishment, unable to realise their right to food due to underlying discrimination. For example, one case given is article 139 of the Labour Code of
Guatemala describes rural women as “helpers” of the male agricultural workers, rather than as workers entitled to receive their own salary which significantly impacts upon the ability of these women to feed themselves and their families.

States must ensure that all individuals have equal access to adequate food and to the means of its procurement, including women and girl children. However, this is still not the case and women and girls are disproportionately affected by hunger, malnutrition and associated diseases. A global increase in food prices in 2010 has made women and girls even more vulnerable to hunger with the FAO food price index reaching its highest level since 2008.

80% of the worlds hungry are believed to live in rural areas – subsistence farmers, landless workers, indigenous peoples and fisher folk suffer the most and again, women and girls are disproportionately affected. Women cultivate more than 50% of food globally, yet the report finds that “women account for 70% of the world’s hungry and are disproportionately affected by malnutrition, poverty and food insecurity. Governments are not living up to their international commitments to protect women from discrimination, as the gap between de jure equality and de facto discrimination continues to persist and resist change”. Furthermore, women own only 5% of land despite forming the majority of the agricultural workforce.

The report also finds that women’s role in the economy has been underestimated and their work in agriculture has long been invisible due to it being outside of the ‘formal’ economy. Women have been ignored as economically productive agents: “While policymakers have targeted population, health and nutrition programmes to women in their reproductive roles, they have neglected women as productive agents. Rural women have the world’s lowest levels of schooling and the highest rates of illiteracy in all developing regions; twice as many women suffer from malnutrition as men, and girls are twice as likely to die from malnutrition as boys”.

SI has been a supporter of the 1 Billion Hungry Campaign since its launch and our UN Representative to the FAO in Rome, Cinzia Palmi, has been proactive in advocating for the rights of women and girls within this sector. In November, SI was represented at a panel discussion where we were invited to share with delegates some of the many fantastic campaigning and practical actions Soroptimists have taken in support of the 1 Billion Hungry Campaign and Programme Focus Objectives 5 and 6. Visit the UN pages of the website to read more from the FAO and SI’s statement.

The FAO have announced that the theme for the 2011 council meeting will focus on the role of rural women in agriculture. Cinzia Palmi will be chairing an ad hoc NGO group who will host a side event drawing attention to the plight of rural women.

To support the 1 Billion Hungry Campaign please visit www.1billionhungry.org/

To read the full report please Click Here

E-discussion on Education: Closing the Gap

2011-02-09T08:29:00.000-08:00

An e-discussion on Education: Closing the Gap is being held from 1 February to 4 March, organised by the Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Development Group’s MDG-Net forum.

The e-discussion is an open, multi-stakeholder forum for academia, policy-makers and practitioners to discuss a series of questions pertaining to the achievement of education and learning for all and for formulating concrete, actionable recommendations for consideration by the Economic and Social Council’s (ECOSOC) Annual Ministerial Review. If you are Soroptimist with this skill set, this may be of interest to you.

The e-discussion will focus on the following three topics:

Quality in Education and Learning
Access to Education
Innovation in Education

An outcome document will be prepared summarising the ideas and action agenda produced by the e-discussion, which will be presented at the Global Preparatory Meeting (April 2011) and ECOSOC’s Substantive Session in Geneva (July 2011).

For all the details and information on how to participate, please CLICK HERE.

Getting Our History Right - Women and the UN

2011-02-08T05:08:00.000-08:00

Torild Skard, Senior Researcher and Chair of the Norwegian Association of Women’s Rights has published a great article on the history of the UN, gender equality and inclusion called 'Getting Our History Right'. For those who want to know more about the history of women's issues at the UN and the establishment of CSW this is a must read!

Click this direct link to access the full document: Getting Our History Right: How Were the Equal Rights of Women and Men Included in the Charter of the United Nations?

(Painting by SI UN Representative to New York, Yoko Komori Olson)

Live Webcast from the UN Headquarters New York - Global Aging Issues

2011-02-08T04:46:00.000-08:00

The United Nations University Office at the United Nations is broadcasting a Live Webcast as part of the Current Affairs Series entitled "2011 AARP-UN Briefing Series on Global Aging" on key global aging issues from February 8-9, 2011.

Date: 8th and 9th of February, 2011
Time: 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm EST / 6:30pm - 8:00pm GMT
Venue: Live Webcast from the UN Headquarters New York
Register here: http://aarpwebcast.eventbrite.com/?ref=ebtn

The fifth annual AARP UN Briefing Series will commemorate the UN Commission for Social Development 49th session (February 8-19, 2011), which will devote its priority theme to "Poverty Eradication". Soroptimist International UN Reps Lois Beilin and Carol Themm are attending the Commission for Social Development on behalf of SI. This webcast gives all Soroptimists a chance to be part of the important debates this commission will be looking at.

To inform the discussions of the commission, innovative ideas in combating poverty along with the opportunities and challenges of global aging will be discussed. Madame Michelle Bachelet, former President of Chile and current Under Secretary General and Executive Director of UN Women will deliver the keynote address at the briefing.

This event will be held over two days and broadcast live on both the 8th and 9th of February 2011.

After Cancun: Where do we stand on Climate Change?

2011-01-31T03:06:00.000-08:00

Soroptimist International New York Representative to the UN, Yoko Komori Olson, attended a DPI briefing on the climate change debate post Cancun.

"After the Copenhagen Climate Conference in 2009 and the Cancun conference in 2010, the UN has made no new decisions regarding the stance towards climate change. The climate continues to rise above normal temperature.

According to Mr. Daniel Shepard, who is currently the Focal point for Climate Change and sustainable Development in the Strategic Communication Division of the UN DPI, the Cancun conference could not reach a scientific result agreement. The “Green Climate Fund” (Climate Change Financing, has set a goal of raising $100 billion annually by 2020 to help developing countries, but surprisingly, no decisions have been made on how use this money.

Under the Kyoto Protocol, binding targets were set for 37 industrialised countries and the European community for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This expires in 2012.

Developed and developing countries must work to ensure that the Earth temperature does not increased by more than 2 degrees Celsius. Which countries have responsibility for stopping Climate Change? According to Ms.Kate Horner, a policy analyst at Friends of the Earth, the responsibility lies with all countries. Unfortunately, not all countries hold the same level of importance for this issue. For instance, the priorities of developing countries usually are more focused on issues that are closer to home such as their economic development, population health, and education.

How do we move forward?

NGO’s can keep the pressure on Government and UN delegates, to reduce the gap between Developed and Developing countries.

Climate Change is important for our future generations. Negotiation and agreement between 194 countries is not easy, but it is critical to reach the goal of cleaner air, and reduced CO2 emissions. Unfortunately, many developing countries did not attend the Cancun Conference."

What is the Kyoto Protocol?

The Kyoto Protocol is a legally binding agreement under which industrialised countries will reduce their collective emissions of greenhouse gases by 5.2% compared to the year 1990 (but note that, compared to the emissions levels that would be expected by 2010 without the Protocol, this target represents a 29% cut). The goal is to lower overall emissions from six greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, HFCs, and PFCs - calculated as an average over the five-year period of 2008-12. National targets range from 8% reductions for the European Union and some others to 7% for the US, 6% for Japan, 0% for Russia, and permitted increases of 8% for Australia and 10% for Iceland.

100 Day Action Plan Launched by UN Women

2011-01-31T02:57:00.000-08:00

The head of the new United Nations agency promoting women’s rights and full participation in global affairs laid out a 100-day action plan last week, embracing a full spectrum of issues from supporting national partners to promoting coherence within the UN system.

“Women’s strength, women’s industry, women’s wisdom are humankind’s greatest untapped resource,” the Executive Director of UN Women, Michelle Bachelet, a former president of Chile, told the first regular session of the agency’s executive board. “The challenge then for UN Women is to show our diverse constituencies how this resource can be effectively tapped in ways that benefit us all.”

Stressing the need to “balance ambition with common sense,” Ms. Bachelet said UN Women would focus on five core principles: enhancing implementation of international accords by national partners; backing intergovernmental processes to strengthen the global framework on gender equality; advocating gender equality and women’s empowerment; promoting coherence with the UN on the issue; and, acting as a global broker of knowledge and experience.

UN Women – known formally as the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women – was established by the General Assembly in July last year, with the merger of four former UN agencies and offices: the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues, and the UN International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW).

UN Women will be formally launched on 24 February during the 55th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the global policy-making body dedicated exclusively to gender equality and the advancement of women. Soroptimist International will be there, posting daily onto the blog!

“I am determined that UN Women will be a catalyst for change, offering new energy, drawing on long-standing ideas and values, and bringing together men and women from different countries, societies and communities in a shared endeavour,” Ms. Bachelet said.

She noted that UN Women’s approach will be a global one, though its impact will be experienced primarily at the country level, “thus UN Women’s technical support and expertise will be available, on request, to all countries, developed and developing countries, alike.”

Ms. Bachelet also laid out five thematic priorities in the country-specific context: expanding women’s voice, leadership and participation; ending violence against women; ensuring women’s full participation in conflict resolution; enhancing women’s economic empowerment; and gender equality priorities central to national, local and sectoral planning and budgeting.

Soroptimist International fully embraces the above priorities and we look forward to supporting UN Women as their work gets underway. SI will be at the Commission for the Status of Women (CSW) from February 22nd until March 4th where lots more information about UN Women will be forthcoming so remember to keep checking the blog to read daily reports from our CSW delegation in New York!

Visit the UN Women website: http://www.unwomen.org/

Competition to find the most influential female agents of Change!

2011-01-27T07:52:00.000-08:00

The theme of Commonwealth Day 2011 is ‘Women as Agents of Change’. Women and girls make up over half of the world’s population. In the Commonwealth, that’s over one billion women and girls! As part of the events taking place throughout the year to celebrate this theme, the Commonwealth is running a competition to find the Commonwealth’s most inspiring women agents of change and we want to make sure Soroptimists are represented!

Every day, Soroptimists in Commonwealth countries work to improve the lives of women and girls in communities all over the world. Some of these women work all day to ensure that there is food on their family’s table. Others are campaigning for political, social and economic rights. Many are setting examples to others, pushing through vital reforms in public services or running community projects.

To celebrate and highlight the achievements of these inspiring women, please forward any nominations you may have to your Federation. They will then send you a nomination form and further details. Nominees may come from any walk of life, social background or profession. SI can enter three women into the competition. A shortlist of the nominations will go to a judging panel who will decide on the Commonwealth's most inspiring agents of change based on the strength of their achievements in making a positive difference to the lives of others.

The Commonwealth's most inspiring agents of change will be featured in a special publication, which could be presented at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in October 2011 in Perth, Australia.

The countries eligible for this competition, by Federation, are:

SIA:
Canada

SIE:
Cyprus, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda

SIGBI:
Antigua, Barbados, Cameroon, The Gambia, Grenada, India, Jamaica, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, Nigeria, Pakistan, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, UK

SISWP:
Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands

All entrants must be aged 18 or over and any winners must be willing to participate in publicity surrounding the competitions including the publishing of their details, photographs and any video footage which will be made available in all media, including on the internet.

Please visit the women as agents of change website for more information about the Commonwealth theme.

SI must recieve all nominations by March 9th. We look forward to receiving nominations!

UNESCO - Rape as a Weapon of War

2011-01-24T06:35:00.000-08:00

SI UN Representative, Marie-Christine, attended a UNESCO synposium on the topic of rape as a weapon of war at the end of last year.

The symposium was organized with UNESCO by the Catholic Relief Services - Caritas France and the “International Observatory of the use of rape as a tactic of war” with the support of several other organisations. The main objective was to refine and clarify the concepts related to rape in wartime.

During recent conflicts (Bosnia, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar) women have endured unprecedented levels of sexual violence and assault, leading to consequences including HIV infection, pregnancy and other health complications, as well as possible stigmatisation and exclusion from their communities. During the symposium, particularly courageous women victims provided damning testimony against the perpetrators of these acts in Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Myanmar.

In the past, there were also rapes committed by fighters against civilian enemies. But in the recent conflicts, it has been proved that these rapes were not accidental and sporadic. The rapes were a systematic integrated strategy of war, and even staged in front of civilian population attacked to annihilate the opponent by reaching deep into the social order of the community (read this story from the bbc).

Furthermore, among the heavy and lasting consequences of these abuses, it has been found that these crimes committed during war time persist in peace time: after the cease-fire, violent behaviours are entered in the customs and in particular, rape become much more frequent in these populations than in the others. These war actions lead to a real social breakdown.

These violent abuses are war crimes. Through four roundtables, the symposium approached the problem through the prism of history and geopolitics, anthropology, accompanying the victims and justice.

Soroptimist International has been campaigning on issues of gender based violence for many years. Clubs are urged to raise awareness about the increasing use of rape as a weapon of war and to lobby those in government who are in positions of influence. Marie Christine will continue to follow the debate at UNESCO so keep checking the blog and the members section of the SI website for more updates and reports.

Cooking with the Sun Saves Women's Lives

2011-01-20T03:40:00.000-08:00

SI UN Rep/NY Lois Beilin reports on a recent session she attended, hosted by Solar Cookers International:

Cooking with solar cookers is a powerful tool for saving women and girls from dangerous and time consuming forays to collect fire wood, for curbing the smoke inhaled from wood fires, for saving the forests, and allowing girls to attend school and women to engage in other useful activities. It saves WOMEN AND GIRLS AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

The sun may be available in many countries for nearly 3/4 of the year and in some, every day of the year. For example, a project in Kenya, Traditional Birth Attendants which provides care during pregnancy and childbirth, uses simple cookers to provide hot water and pasteurization of drinking water. Countries that suffer from severe deforestation, such as Haiti, are finding a way to feed vulnerable people while using the sustainable technology of a solar cooker. World Central Kitchen has organized projects in the villages of Haiti.

This powerful simple tool is comparable to the malaria NET in alleviating serious problems for women and girls in developing countries, allowing time for school attendance and other productive activities. Costs of the simplest form of solar cooker start at $25 and go up to $280. for a deluxe model. For examples and additional information on solar cookers see: www.solarcookers.org

“It is not bigness that should be our goal."

2011-01-17T02:27:00.000-08:00

The sun has been shining brightly in Brisbane (Queensland, Australia) for the past few days and the river levels have dropped. This has assisted greatly in trying to get things cleaned up and help people to get back into their homes/ businesses.

Some areas are still without power and it is likely that it will take several weeks before the lines can be rebuilt. Roads are starting to reopen however there will be a lot of work to repair the damage caused by the floods. Public transport is slowly reconnecting and most of us that work in the inner city should be able to get back to work on Monday.

Some people will have no jobs to return to though and this will be a big problem in how these families survive over the coming months/year in trying to pay their bills and keep a roof over their head. Families have lost their cars, homes and all their possessions but the outpouring of support from ordinary people within the community to help each other has been overwhelming. People have opened their hearts and their homes to strangers and are sharing everything they can.

I am sure that you have seen some of the personal stories of survival and also the sad stories of those that have lost their loved ones – many tears have been shed just realising how hard it is going to be for these people to overcome their loss and grief. Support personnel and counsellors are being made available to assist these people and there are also others that have not been personally impacted by the floods but have been traumatised by what they have been watching.

Our new school year starts in a couple of weeks and there will be a lot of work to be done to clean the schools and get them ready – this may be an area where some of our SI support can be directed but we will have to wait to identify the needs and where our SI assistance can best be utilised. As mentioned previously our SISWP President Yvonne Simpson has a special appeal that clubs / federations can support. Once things settled down a little, our SI Clubs will be able to identify specific projects and we will keep you all informed however monies can still be forwarded to our SISWP HQ or Federation Offices.

It will take a long time for people to recover from these floods - especially our industry and businesses. Food supplies are being flown in to remote and rural areas around Queensland by our defence forces and now that the main highway between Brisbane and Cairns has reopened, food and other supplies via trucks will commence bringing in more supplies. It is really hard to believe that over 75% of Queensland has been impacted by these floods in one form or another.

The use of social networks like facebook, twitter, SMS and mobile phones has helped to keep people in touch with loved ones and to keep them updated on what is happening. Local radio stations have also been very helpful in relaying messages from people who have been isolated without power but still have mobile phone access and battery radios. Basic things like battery operated radios are probably one of the most useful items in a crisis such as this as it can provide much needed information about the weather and where help is available.

I know that many of you will have seen lots of pictures and media coverage of the floods however there are some great photo’s posted on this webpage of the floods and also the recovery efforts – if you scroll down on this site you will see a man in a boat filled with small wallabies (similar to kangaroos). They all look very comfortable with each other – the bonds of all living things hoping to survive perhaps. http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/01/australian_flooding.html

Help is also being provided throughout Australia to support other areas affected by bushfires and floods and many charity organisations are at the front line providing food, clothing, shelter, counselling and support – I have no doubt that our SI Australia members will be there lending a helping hand wherever they can.

Simple things like getting daily mail delivered will be virtually impossible for many people for a while and those that had to flee their homes in a hurry do not have their credit cards or banking cards to be able to access funds (assuming that they had savings in the bank). Trying to gather all their personal documents (ID) etc will also take some time and involve many organisations so it is probably a good reminder that we should all keep a copy of important documents and details in another location other than our homes in case of emergencies like this.

We have also seen the devastating impact of flooding in Brazil and Sri Lanka – so many more lives have been lost and many more families displaced – they will require a lot of support from the global community. I hope that our Soroptimist members in these countries are safe. It really does personalise these tragedies so much more when you have family and friends in these parts of the world.

I guess to sum it all up - there is a beautiful quote from a speech by Robert Kennedy that was written by in 1966 as part of his Rebuilding a Sense of Community – it is one that I have used often and really seems to be appropriate now in how our community is responding to this emergency.

“It is not bigness that should be our goal. We must attempt, rather, to bring people back to... the warmth of community, to the worth of individual effort and responsibility ... and of individuals working together as a community, to better their lives and their children’s future”.

Often many people in our society feel quite isolated and alone and it is situations like this that bring out the best in our human spirit – for those that need help, it is at hand, for those that have not had a chance to get involved in their community – they now can. People will make life- long friends as they help each other through these difficult times and as a community / global society we can only hope to be better prepared in the future to respond to such emergencies.

These floods were a natural disaster and one that we will recover from in time. As I visited Sierra Leone last year and the many people from Sierra Leone that I have met since returning home it really brought home to me how difficult it is for people who have had to flee their country because of civil war / conflict and try to make a new life in another country after spending years in refugee camps. Some of the media were using the term “refugees” during the peak of the flood crisis to describe the situation here in Brisbane but it cannot compare to what our refugees have suffered around the world and the many millions that are still living in appalling conditions when they have been forced to leave their countries with little hope of ever returning.

I am very proud to be a Soroptimist and to belong to an organisation that extends its support to people all around the world in times of crisis and in times of plenty.

Chris Knight, SI Moreton North Inc.

SISWP President's Appeal for Flood Victims in Australia

2011-01-12T06:34:00.000-08:00

SISWP President Yvonne Simpson has announced an appeal for the flood victims in Australia:

Dear Soroptimist sisters

You will see on the news the terrible devastation occurring and predicted to occur in Australia with flooding. We have three areas affected - Western Australia, Riverina and now Queensland, where the worst flooding is occurring as I write this. I know you will want to help - the magnitude of the devastation means that there will be much to do.

At this stage I am requesting donations of funds. Once the waters have subsided we can look more closely at where to focus our efforts. We are investigating what projects we can best support. The funds will be for Soroptimist projects.

Please forward your donations to your Federation HQ clearly marked “SISWP Appeal for Flood Victims.”

Yvonne Simpson, SISWP President

On a personal note, this was shared by Soroptimist Chris Knight:

"I have been in touch with our closest Club SI Toowoomba - the members and their families are all OK.

Toowoomba was inundated with an inland tsunami yesterday the like we have never seen before. 9 lives have been lost so far and 66 people are still missing. I am sure that many of our international members have seen some of the footage on TV.

I have just spoken with one of our members and good friend from the SI Toowoomba Club Alison Langdon - all their members are OK thankfully. The club hasn't decided what they will do to help others yet as it is still too early to decide what the greatest needs are going to be in providing assistance to local communities.

The flood waters are now flowing down river through Ipswich and Brisbane tonight and tomorrow - we do have the majority of our SI members in our region living in these areas so hopefully they will be OK.

I opted to work from home today - a sensible decision it turned out as the Brisbane River broke its banks in several places and much of the transport and roads in and out have been affected with closures. It takes me around three hours every day to travel to work so it would have been difficult getting home.

I live on the northside of Brisbane about 55kms away and while our home is OK, the roads are cut off around Caboolture about 12 minutes from where I live and the highways in and out are closed. Everyone is trying to stay off the roads and those people in Brisbane and the surrounding areas have been advised to keep off the roads, keep out of the water and find shelter on higher ground.

The rain is only a light shower at the moment but the concern is the flood waters that are still flowing though at a rapid speed. It will be a long night tonight for many people and we have king tides due tomorrow so this will be another complication in dealing with the water and the debris that is floating down stream for the next couple of days.

It is really tragic to see what is happening to some of our communities, businesses and families and it will take many months and perhaps even years to be able to rebuild the infrastructure etc but at the moment our emergency services are working very hard and doing all they can to support people. Australia has a rapid response at both a state and nation level in helping out in these situations which is wonderful.

Maddie Wright and I are very grateful for your love and support that you have all sent us here in Queensland and our hearts and thoughts are also with our Sister Soroptimists in New South Wales and Western Australia."

(photos provided by a Soroptimist in Australia)

Our SI UN Rep in Rome reports back on the end of phase 1 of the 1 Billion Hungry Campaign

2011-01-05T02:22:00.000-08:00

Our Representative to the FAO (Food and Agricultural Organisation), Cinzia Palmi, reports back on the 140th Session of the FAO council and the closing of Phase 1 of the 1 Billion Hungry Campaign:

"The Session was chaired by Mr Luc Guyan, independent Chairperson of the Council, and it was attended by many representatives of the Member States and UN Agencies, International NGOs which have a formal status with FAO as well as a number of private sector agencies. The items in agenda were mainly of a technical, legal and financial character. I participated in item 7, particularly in the analysis of the Report of the 36th Session of the Committee on Food Security and the Report of the 22nd Session of the COAG, both endorsed; and the ceremony concluding the 1BH Project.

Wilma Malucelli, President of the Italian Union, and I held meetings with the following FAO Officials: Mr Thomas Price, Senior Programme Officer and Coordinator for NGOs/CSOs; Ms Marcela Villareal, Director, and Mrs Nora Ourabh Haddad of the Gender Equity and Rural employment Division. We also met Mr Zohrab Malek, Ambassador of Armenia, and Ms Cristina Gorajski, Coordinator of the AHG/INGOs. This was a great opportunity to learn more about the issues and share SI's perspective.

The ceremony concluding the 1BH project was very moving and interesting. The signatures were delivered - thank you to all Soroptimists who have contributed to the success of this campaign! Over 3 million people have signed the petition so far!

The success of the campaign has confirmed how strongly people react when they are acquainted with the dimension of the hunger problem. The campaign has now entered its second phase which will suggest various ways to contribute to the solution of the problem and publicise the single initiatives. The General Director Mr Diouf concluded “hunger is a complex problem. But it is not hopeless. Below this petition lies a global movement".

When we get more information on the second phase of the campaign we will post the information on the blog so watch this space!

To visit the 1 Billion Hungry website click HERE.

Holidays greetings from Soroptimist International

2010-12-23T03:28:00.000-08:00

Soroptimist International Board Selects Model for new Long Term Project

2010-12-22T04:55:00.000-08:00

Soroptimists for Education and Leadership

Introducing Soroptimists for Education and Leadership (working title), the new long term project formally approved by the SI Board! Officially launching at the SI Convention in Montréal in July 2011, the model selected by the Board focuses on celebrating club work, together with an advocacy and awareness raising campaign.

This long term project model is based on the theme of education and leadership, as voted by the membership of SI. Clubs all over the world are already engaged in highly successful projects which benefit vulnerable women and girls in their own communities. This project will work to explore in great detail what Soroptimists are doing on the ground, gather information, and celebrate SI’s global impact.

In the past year alone, clubs have reported nearly 2,300 on the ground projects working to improve access to education and leadership skills for women and girls in need. 284,112 women and girls have directly benefited from these projects, and over $3,000,000 USD have been raised.

Soroptimists for Education and Leadership is all about clubs and the work that they do – and gaining a worldwide perspective to see SI’s collaborative global impact. With this overview, SI can then identify projects of excellence, trends, and gaps to make recommendations which will maximise our outcomes and results – ultimately improving the lives and status of many women and girls around the world.

At the same time, SI will design and launch a corresponding Advocacy and Awareness Raising Campaign, featuring opportunities for Soroptimists to initiate and/or participate in activities to become advocates and ambassadors for education and leadership for women and girls.

This model creates an important link to our international policy work at the UN. SI’s ‘on-the-ground’ experience will provide a strong evidence base for our advocacy work at the UN. SI will also have the opportunity to learn about emerging issues and innovative solutions in increasing women and girls’ access to education and leadership and can share this information with Clubs/Regions/Unions/Federations to positively impact our work, thus completing the loop between global and local SI work.

This new long term project is, at its core, all about clubs – showcasing the work that they do to improve access to education and leadership skills for women and girls and providing inspiration and guidance to increase SI’s positive impact around the world. The SI Board also recognises that the Long Term Project will change and evolve over time, providing new and exciting opportunities for Soroptimists to make a difference!

BRINGING PERPERTRATORS TO JUSTICE AND JUSTICE TO VICTIMS

2010-12-20T04:56:00.000-08:00

One year after her appointment, Special Representative to the Secretary General on Sexual Violence, Ms. Margot Walstrom, gave her report to the Security Council and SG Ban Ki-Moon on the appalling levels of brutality and systematic rape of girls and women in war torn countries.

The adoption of Resolution 1960 came during the open debate of the Security Council at the United Nations in New York on Women, Peace and Security following Ms. Walstrom’s report.

SCR 1960 will help ensure that mass rape and sexual violence will be a liability for armed groups and their superior officers and commanders. The resolution further instructs the Secretary General and Security Council to “list the parties who have committed acts of sexual violence and and if necessary impose sanctions, to expose their superiors to increased international scrutiny, seal off the corridors of power and close all exits.”

Ms. Walstrom said, “Today’s resolution will help ensure that mass rape is never again met with mass impunity, and this must apply equally whether the victim is an 8 year old girl or an 80 year old grandmother.”

Submitted by Lois Beilin, SI UN Rep/NY

Convention Registration Now Open!

2010-12-17T05:31:00.000-08:00

Convention registration for Montreal 2011 is now open! Visit www.si-montreal2011.org for all the latest information and to access registeration.

Early bird rates are available for those registering before April 15th 2011.

Visit the website for more updates and to read the new newsletter which details all the latest developments.

December Issue of TIS!

2010-12-17T05:14:00.000-08:00

The December issue of TIS is now available! Click here to be redirected to the new issue.

This issue focuses on the Long Term Project theme of Education and Leadership, exploring the work of Soroptimists all over the world on this important area.

As well as featuring projects from all four Federations on education and leadership, you can also read about forthcoming UN events, CSW 55 (fast approaching - click the link for more information!), updates from our UN Reps in Rome, Geneva and Vienna and a Project SIerra update from Alison Sutherland.

SI is also pleased to announce the new Strategic Plan, full details of which can also be found in TIS.

Finally, there is also a reminder from Convention Chair Yvonne about Montreal 2011 and an update on the programme, speakers and social events organised so far. It is going to be a very exciting few days so click here to register!

Enjoy TIS!

IMPORTANT UPDATE ON PRE-CSW ADVOCACY!

2010-12-16T02:13:00.001-08:00

The UN Division for the Advancement of Women (now part of UN Women) has published an incredible resource giving the contact details for National Mechanisms for Gender Equality. You can use this directory to determine to whom and where you should send the Soroptimist pre-CSW advocacy tools, such as the postcard, the letter, or even the statement!

Please visit http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/documents/National-Mechanisms-Web.pdf to download the directory!

SI UN Rep Attends Human Rights Day Celebration

2010-12-13T02:08:00.000-08:00

Dora Vrdlovec, SI UN Rep at Vienna, attended a Celebration of Human Rights Day on December 10th - an important date for Soroptimists.

UNIS Vienna, in cooperation with the UNHCR in Austria, invited several school classes in the Vienna International Centre to celebrate the Human Right Day with the program “Speak Up … Stop Discrimination -Human Rights Defenders who work to end discrimination”.

Through the annually produced documentary film “Global view”, the UNHCR showed the tremendous and irreplaceable work of the UNHCR staff members in the refugee Camps in Africa and in many other countries where, due to wars and persecutions, million of people are forced to leave their homes and counties with nothing. If you wish to receive a copy of the video, you will need to contact the UNHCR Office in your country.

Currently there are 43.3 million uprooted people on the run. This figure includes 983,000 asylum-seekers and 27.1 million internally displaced persons. By the end of 2009 UNHCR had identified some 6.6 million stateless persons in 60 counties. Developing counties were host to four-fifths of the world’ refugees.

Pakistan still has the largest number of refugees worldwide (1.7 million), followed by the Islamic Republic of Iran (1.1 million). Afghan and Iraqi refugees accounted for almost half of all refugees under UNHCR responsibility.

Women and girls represented, on average, 49% of persons of concern to UNHCR. This round table was very interesting and many young students took actively part to the discussion.

The words of Ban Ki-moon closed the commemoration:

“It is these human rights defenders to whom we dedicate this year’s observance of Human Rights Day. Defenders are a diverse group. They might be part of a civil society organization, a journalist or even a lone citizen, spurred to action by abuses close to home. But they all share a commitment to expose wrongdoing, protect the most vulnerable and end impunity. They stand up, speak out - and today they tweet - in the name of freedom and human dignity. Human rights defenders play a vital role in the fight against discrimination. They investigate violations and help victims gain justice and support”.

Many thanks to Dora for attending this celebration and commemoration of Human Rights Day!

2010-12-10T08:54:00.000-08:00

December 10, 2010:

a day to celebrate, reflect, and ACT.

December 10^th is Human Rights Day, when we honor the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed on December 10, 1948. This year’s theme is human rights defenders who act to end discrimination.

“Human rights defenders speak out against abuse and violations including discrimination, exclusion, oppression and violence. They advocate justice and seek to protect the victims of human rights violations. They demand accountability for perpetrators and transparency in government action. In so doing, they are often putting at risk their own safety, and that of their families.

Some human rights defenders are famous, but most are not. They are active in every part of the world, working alone and in groups, in local communities, in national politics and internationally.” (The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights)

It is this last point which strikes an important chord…Soroptimists, through awareness, advocacy, and action, are defending the human rights of vulnerable women and girls all over the world. Soroptimists speak out against abuse of women and girls. Soroptimists stand up against discrimination, exclusion, and oppression. They “fight” violence with knowledge, empowerment, and solidarity. As a global voice for women and girls, Soroptimists speak up for those who are silenced, demanding a more just and equitable world. In this way, Soroptimists are truly human rights defenders.

It is true, Soroptimists may not be famous, but they have left their mark on the hearts and lives of all they have served over the past century. In the past year alone, Soroptimists have defended the rights of over 1 million women and girls, from working at community level to ensure that women have safe recourse from abusers to speaking out on the international stage on issues adversely affecting women and girls.

The Soroptimist position papers are collectively titled ‘Where We Stand’ – and on a day where we celebrate, reflect, and call others to actions, Soroptimists are standing UP for the rights of women and girls around the world. Soroptimists are standing OUT ensuring that the voices of those who are silenced are heard. And Soroptimists are standing PROUD of the achievements we have made and the impact we have had.

But we cannot stand STILL. Every day, in every country, every culture, and every community, the rights of women and girls are threatened and violated. Women and girls are discriminated, excluded, and oppressed. Acts of violence are committed without any repercussions. So, while we celebrate the work Soroptimists have done as defenders of human rights, we must also ACT, and continue to take a stand and speak out, to continue to advocate for justice and be a global voice for women and girls.

Soroptimist International Board approves new strategic plan!

2010-12-09T08:33:00.000-08:00

The SI Board has unanimously approved a new strategic plan, effective immediately. This plan, while to be reviewed on an annual basis, is designed to take SI through the foreseeable future.

SI President Hanne Jensbo recently wrote to SI’s international leadership: “It is a historic moment! Congratulations to you and us all for this mile-stone in the history of SI.”

She also extended a special thank you to the members of SI’s strategic planning group who took the first steps in developing this plan: Margaret Lobo, Yvonne Machuk, Elaine Moffat, Heidrun Konrad, Carwen Wynne-Howells, Jo Darbyshire and Rosie Coutts. A special thank you was also shared for the late Lynn Dunning who played an instrumental role in SI’s strategic planning for the future.

Please visit http://www.soroptimistinternational.org/html/strategic_plan.html to read the goals and objectives set by the SI Board. Members can login at http://restricted.soroptimistinternational.org/ to read the plan in its entirety.

Global Fund for Women: Multimedia Special on 16 days of activism

2010-12-09T01:34:00.000-08:00

The December E-Newsletter from the Global Fund for Women includes a multimedia special on the 16 days of activism to end violence against women.

Watch a YouTube video on 'Take back the Tech"

You can also listen to a GFW podcast showcasing the history and significance of this campaign that has brought together over 3,400 women's groups in 164 countries to mobilize against gender violence in the past two decades. Click here for more!

WHO WORKS FOR YOU, SISTER? Protecting the Rights of Migrant Women Domestic Workers

2010-12-07T03:23:00.000-08:00

Currently there are an estimated 214 million international migrants and international migration is expected to increase due to global economic stress and climate change. On December 4, 2010, the tenth anniversary year of the International Day of Migrants was noted by the United Nations General Assembly.

Nearly half are women, many work as domestic workers. Women migrant domestic workers are usually employed in private households and are very susceptible to physical and sexual abuse. Frequently, they are not allowed outside of the home, work excessively long hours and may be required to give up their passports and identification by the employer. Of particular note it that a great deal of the physical abuse is committed by their women employers.

In response, the International Labor Organization has urged ratification of a resolution to protect the rights of all migrant workers, including female domestic workers. The human rights of this “invisible” workforce has been trampled on and ignored for too long.

All of civil society can keep a watchful eye on situations in their own communities as well as monitoring the legislation and legal protection of migrants in state governments. Find out what the law is in your country to protect the human rights of all migrant workers and urge appropriate action if needed.

Lois A. Beilin, SI rep. to UN/NY

2 December: International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

2010-12-07T03:09:00.001-08:00

Slavery remains invisible in households around the world - UN expert on contemporary forms of slavery

Statement by the UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary forms of Slavery, Gulnara Shahinian, to mark the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

GENEVA (2 December 2010) – “Domestic workers who are subject to abuse — whether physical, emotional or sexual in nature — are effectively being treated as slaves,” warned the UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary forms of Slavery, Gulnara Shahinian, on the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery.

“This form of slavery takes place in households all across the world, and although the victims remain largely invisible to the larger public, domestic servitude constitutes a global human rights concern,* Ms. Shahinian said, stressing that every region in the world is affected.

“I have seen women who lived as enslaved servants since they were born. I have talked to children who were given away to ‘foster families’ who then ruthlessly exploited them as domestic slaves, instead of caring and educating them. I have met with migrant domestic workers, whose dream of earning money abroad to feed their families turned into a nightmare of exploitation and humiliation,” the Special Rapporteur said.

Paid domestic work, where the workers’ human rights are respected and protected, provides a valuable contribution to society. Domestic workers often provide families with the opportunity for the parents to balance their professional and personal responsibilities. However, the human rights independent expert highlighted that millions of vulnerable people face a different reality.

In her latest report*, Ms. Shahinian outlined the many different forms and shapes of domestic servitude and noted that the majority of victims are girls and women. “Domestic servitude or slavery is a situation when a vulnerable individual is forced, by physical and/or moral coercion, to work without any real financial reward, is deprived of his or her liberty, and is in a situation which is contrary to human dignity.”

Children are particularly vulnerable to domestic servitude, especially if they live with their employers and/or migrate on their own to find domestic work. In many cases, they work in hazardous circumstances that amount to the worst forms of child labour outlawed by international conventions.

“No child under 18 years should have to live with their domestic employer or work abroad as a domestic worker,” the Special Rapporteur said. “It should also be prohibited to employ children who are younger than 15 or still completing their mandatory education if this interferes with their schooling.”

In recent years, the migration of women for domestic work has rapidly grown and become one of the key factors in the ongoing feminization of migration. An entire industry of migrant domestic work has evolved, driven by a surging demand for domestic work in richer countries, stark global income inequalities and transnational recruitment agencies. “Migrant domestic workers are vulnerable to subjugation to servitude, because they often have a precarious migration status and face numerous prejudices,” she said.

“States should focus on reducing the invisibility of the domestic worker by including provisions that strongly regulate the use of child domestic workers, provide domestic workers with the options as to whether or not they should live with their employer and regulate all aspects of recruitment, placement and work, including for migrant domestic work.” Ms. Shahinian stressed.

“Victims of servitude should be treated as victims of a crime and not be considered as having violated immigration and/or labour laws. These victims should also have access to and receive all necessary protection and assistance,” the Special Rapporteur said. “All perpetrators of the crime of domestic servitude must be prosecuted. Diplomats found to be perpetrators of such a crime should have their immunities lifted and be prosecuted.”

On the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, Ms. Shahinian also urged States to engage in the development of the International Labour Organization Convention on Decent Work for Domestic Workers and make sure that the Convention will be based on the major human rights treaties.

In May 2008, the Human Rights Council appointed Ms. Gulnara Shahinian as the first Special Rapporteur on Contemporary forms of slavery, its causes and consequences. Ms. Shahinian is a lawyer and has extensive experience working as an expert consultant for various UN, EU, Council of Europe, OSCE and government bodies on children's rights, gender, migration and trafficking. She is also a former trustee of the UN Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery.

(*): Check the latest report by the Special Rapporteur: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/slavery/rapporteur/docs/A.HRC.15.20_EN.pdf

Lear more about the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, log on to: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/slavery/rapporteur/index.htm

SI UN Reps attend the UNESCO Executive Board

2010-12-06T08:32:00.000-08:00

Dominiqe Mertz and Marie-Christine Gries de la Barbelais recently attended the 185th Session of the UNESCO Executive Board.

The Executive Board is one of the three constitutional organs of UNESCO (the others being the General Conference and the Secretariat). The Board examines the programme of work for the Organisation. It consists of 58 Member States with a four-year term of office. The Executive Board’s Committee on International Non-Governmental Organizations is held to examine“Relations with International Non-Governmental Organizations”.

As part of the meeting, topics up for discussion included culture and development and a forum on UNESCO's relationship with NGOs like SI and how best to enhance practical cooperation. As part of this disucssion Dominique Mertz was able to present to the board some examples of successful cooperation even though liaison with the field offices and National Commissions is sometimes difficult to arrange. She welcomed the improvement of relations with NGOs over the previous four years in the context of the revitalization of the NGO Committee of the Executive Board and of the new programmatic orientations adopted by the Director-General of UNESCO “gender, education, rights and empowerment” which directly concerns young people and women.

Soroptimist from Papua New Guinea gets inspired and empowered!

2010-12-06T07:35:00.000-08:00

Florence Bunari is a National from Papua New Guinea and a member of Si Port Morseby. She recently returned from a four week leadership training course run by CEDPA, (Centre for Environment and Development Population Activities www.cedpa.org). This is her report for CEDPA’s leadership training she attended from October 04, 2010 to October 29th 2010 in Jakarta Indonesia.

"I have returned further empowered having participated in every program from day one till the end. This training was facilitated by CEDPA and conducted by highly skilled professional trainers from Washington DC. This training comes under CEDPA’s programme of 'Global Women in Management' and was made possible through a grant from the Exxion Mobil Foundation called 'Women’s Economic Development Initiative'.

There were participants from 6 different Countries around the world, with the biggest contingent from Indonesia (9) and PNG (6) – other participants were from Thailand, Philippines, Egypt, and China. Participants had diverse background; in health, education, entrepreneurs, skills development trainers, project managers, Company Directors, hence the opportunities to learn from each other were also one of the key learning experiences available.

I also had the opportunity to meet an extra ordinary Indonesian woman called Tri Mumpuni, who was the keynote speaker at the opening of the training, an agricultural engineer who had been campaigning to replace diesel power generators with renewable energy at the Indonesian Decision making level since 1996. Puni as she is commonly known with her organization 'People Centered Business and Economic growth' has implemented 60 micro hydro projects throughout villages in Indonesia. Her empowering advise and encouragement to me was:

“Poverty is a universal issues, and to tackle that problem, we need to be consistant in doing programme that will give direct impact, even long term, and we must believe strongly that if we are committed, persistent and have endurance to change something (in a good way) things can be changed. We must do things in the right way instead of doing things right away”.

I was truly empowered by these words.

Over the four weeks training we covered many things, including Women’s leadership, Entrepreneurship, Women’s Economic Participation, Programme up-scaling, Negotiation Skills and Techniques, Project management, Financial management, advocacy, and my favorite was APA – Appreciative Planning and Action.

There were also side trainings held for interested participants. One such training conducted was on ‘Gender’.

I was selected to speak on behalf of the 20 participants at the Reception held in our honor. I took the opportunity to speak briefly about experiences women in PNG face today. My biggest learning and challenge to speak came from within, of the six participants from PNG, I was the only one from Port Moresby and the other five were from some of the most challenging and unforgiving geographic areas of PNG, their stories of life faced by their women in these areas touched my very core, and I was humbled with deep respect for them, and my appreciation of my own country women’s struggles and joys were further deepened. I also took the opportunity to promote SI but mainly the SISWP birthing project we are embarking on.

As CEDPA alumni I have set myself three goals for the next 6 months:

To create a database of every NGO working in PNG and what they are doing to work towards the MDGs.
To participate in the National Plan of Action for awareness of Trafficking in Persons.
To begin much work on the SISWP 'Birthing in the Pacific' Project

Our team of 6 PNG participants shared a very unique experience during these four weeks, and have now new networks to help each other towards raising the standard of our lives in PNG."

Soroptimists from Western Australia visit the UN in NY

2010-12-06T05:03:00.000-08:00

SI UN Rep Kathy Mayer reports:

Recently ten visitors from Karratha in Western Australia visited the United Nations in New York. The SI club of Karratha has worked with the group of young indigenous women to make this cultural and educational trip to the United States. Led by Fiona White-Hartig, a local government official from Karratha, the group of young women toured several cities and a documentary was made of their travel. Ms. White-Hartig indicated that they were most grateful to the Soroptimists of Karratha, Australia for their support and interest in the project.

ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL SOROPTIMISTS AROUND THE WORLD!

2010-12-03T03:16:00.000-08:00

Soroptimist International invites YOU to participate in our advocacy campaign for the 55th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

This year’s priority theme is: “Access and participation of women and girls to education, training, science and technology, including for the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work”

What is CSW? The Commission on the Status of Women (“CSW”) is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women. It is the principal global policy-making body. Every year, representatives of Member States gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and advancement of women worldwide. The Commission consists of one representative from each of the 45 Member States elected by the Council on the basis of equitable geographical distribution. The Commission’s primary activity is to produce ‘Agreed conclusions’, which contain an analysis of the priority theme of concern and a set of concrete recommendations for Governments, intergovernmental bodies and other institutions, civil society actors and other relevant stakeholders, to be implemented at the international, national, regional and local level.

Now, Soroptimist International is inviting YOU to help us in our advocacy campaign! We are asking every Soroptimist around the world to ensure that our concerns and solutions are heard by government officials before the 55^th CSW in February.

Here are three things you can do to make a difference for women and girls using the Soroptimist statement:

Use our postcard or letter template to write to your national government officials responsible for gender equality and women’s issues. Visit the Act Now! section of our website (http://www.soroptimistinternational.org/html/advocacy.html) to download and print.
Lobby government officials, women’s commissions, or other relevant targets in person to ensure that the voices of women and girls, as expressed in the Soroptimist International statement, are included in decision-making at this year’s CSW (the statement is available on the website). Make sure they have a copy of the Soroptimist statement!
Learn more about the issues raised in SI’s statement and spread the word in your club and community. Discuss the issues with local community leaders.

And when you’re done, we’d like to hear about it! Use the Soroptimist online reporting system (the PFRs) (http://reports.soroptimistinternational.org/) to tell us what you did and feel free to send any photos to hq@soroptimistinternational.org.

World AIDS Day: Linking HIV/AIDS and Violence Against Women

2010-12-02T02:43:00.000-08:00

(from UNAIDS)

Meeting the HIV needs of women and girls and stopping sexual and gender-based violence

Meeting the HIV needs of women and girls and stopping sexual and gender-based violence is one of UNAIDS’ priority areas.

By building on the synergies between the gender and AIDS response for positive change to the lives of women and girls and by utilizing opportunities to comprehensively respond to sexual and gender-based violence, we can meet the HIV needs of women and girls and can stop sexual and gender-based violence.

Bold Results by 2011

At least 25 countries have included at least three strategic actions guided by the UNAIDS Agenda for Women and Girls in their national strategic plan, with an appropriate budget for implementation.
At least 15 countries have initiated implementation of a comprehensive set of actions to address and prevent violence against women.
At least 50% of the high HIV prevalence countries which have operationalized the Secretary General’s UNiTE Campaign, have integrated HIV into the campaign.

Country action for women, girls, gender equality and HIV

Agenda for accelerated country action for women, girls, gender equality and HIV (UNAIDS, 2009)
Community Brief for the Agenda for accelerated country action for women, girls, gender equality and HIV (UNAIDS, 2010)

Key publications

Facts on violence against women (WHO)
Update on United Nations Interagency Activities on Women, Girls, Gender Equality and HIV(UNAIDS/UNDP, 2009)
Guidelines: Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (UNHCR, 2005)

Operational guidelines

Operational plan for UNAIDS Action Framework: addressing women, girls, gender equality and HIV (UNAIDS, 2009)
Integrating gender into HIV/AIDS programmes in the health sector: Tool to improve responsiveness to women’s needs (WHO, 2009)

UNiTE to End Violence against Women

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign aims to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls in all parts of the world. UNiTE brings together a host of UN agencies and offices to galvanize action across the UN system to prevent and punish violence against women.

Cosponsor links

UNFPA on Gender-based violence
WHO on Gender-based violence

Partners

UNIFEM Gender and HIV/AIDS
Commission on the Status of Women

Violence Against Women - WHO definition

2010-11-30T05:53:00.000-08:00

As campaigning continues to raise awareness of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, we take a look at what the UN says about Violence Against Women...

Here are some key facts, taken from the WHO website:

Violence against women is a major public health problem and a violation of human rights

Lack of access to education and opportunity, and low social status in communities are linked to violence against women

Violence by an intimate partner is one of the most common forms of violence against women

A wide range of physical, mental, sexual and reproductive and maternal health problems can result from violence against women

Many women do not seek help or report violence when it occurs

The United Nations defines violence against women as any kind of gender-based violence whether occuring in public or in private life.

The social and economic costs of violence against women are far reaching and have a ripple affect through communities and societies. These women and girls are often very isolated, are often unable to work or go to school and are excluded from participating in civil society. Often their ability to care for themselves and any dependents is limited.

The WHO have found that although more research is needed, increasing education opportunities, improving self esteem and negotiating skills and reducing gender inequities in communities do have promising results.

You can learn much more about the UN's position by clicking HERE.

For a summary of Soroptimist International's position on Violence Against Women please click HERE

There is so much clubs can do to campaign and raise awareness on this important issue. If your club is holding an event or getting involved in the 16 days of activism in other ways, please let us know! You can email hq@soroptimistinternational.org or post a comment.

Today is the Global Day of Action Against Militarism and Violence Against Women

2010-11-29T08:46:00.000-08:00

November 29^th is International Women Human Rights Defenders Day - a day set aside to recognize women human rights defenders and commemorate activism, advocacy and courageous acts of resistance. In 2004, an international campaign Defending Women Defending Rights was launched for the recognition and protection of women human rights defenders who are activists advocating for the realization of all human rights for all people. The campaign asserts that women fighting for human rights and all activists defending women’s rights face specific violations as a result of their advocacy or their gender. For more information, check the women human rights defender campaign website: http://www.defendingwomen-defendingrights.org/.

Say no: UNiTE to end violence against women, as part of the international 16 Days Campaign Global Day of Action, is asking groups to organize public vigils, nonviolent demonstrations of one or more people in a public location, or peaceful marches on Monday, November 29^th– International Women Human Rights Defenders Day. No specific form for the vigil is required, and individual groups should create an action that best fits local campaign initiatives. To unify the actions, the campaign simply asks that you reflect the commitments articulated in the Global Call to Action:

1. Challenge militarism and end violence against women

2. Strengthen women’s leadership to promote peace

3. Realize human rights for all to achieve genuine security

Please click HERE for more information!

16 Days of Activism - Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL)

2010-11-26T02:44:00.000-08:00

(from the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL): http://16dayscwgl.rutgers.edu/2010-campaign/theme-announcement )

Structures of Violence: Defining the Intersections of Militarism and Violence Against Women

This year marks the 20th 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign, and with this important landmark, the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) is considering new ways to utilize the campaign for transformative change. Year after year, new partners join the 16 Days Campaign to bring local, national, and global attention to the various forms of violence that women face. The attention that gender-based violence has received in international forums is a testimony to the powerful actions of women’s rights activists around the world. Yet, despite this increased awareness, women continue to experience violations in alarming numbers and new forms of violence are emerging. We, as defenders of women’s human rights, have a responsibility to look more closely at the structures in place that permit gender-based violence to exist and persist. After much consultation with activists, organizations, and experts from around the world, militarism has emerged as one of the key structures that perpetuates violence.

While there are many different ways to define militarism, our working definition outlines militarism as an ideology that creates a culture of fear and supports the use of violence, aggression, or military interventions for settling disputes and enforcing economic and political interests. It is a psychology that often has grave consequences for the true safety and security of women and of society as a whole. Militarism is a distinctive way of looking at the world; it influences how we see our neighbors, our families, our public life, and other people in the world. To embrace militarism is to presume that everyone has enemies and that violence is an effective way to solve problems. To leave militaristic ways of thinking unchallenged is to leave certain forms of masculinity privileged, to leave global hierarchies of power firmly in place, to grant impunity to wartime perpetrators of violence against women. To roll back militarism is to inspire more expansive ideas about genuine security, to bring more women into public life, to create a world built not on the competitive sale of weapons, but on authentic relations of trust and cooperation.

There is a need to address militaristic beliefs in all of our societies. Militarism has material and institutional, as well as cultural and psychological consequences that are more difficult to measure. Wars, internal conflicts, and violent repressions of political and social justice movements – all of which are a result of a culture of militarism – have a particular and often disproportionate impact on women. Rape is used as a tactic of war to drive fear and to humiliate women and their communities. But sexual violence is just one form of violence that women and girls suffer throughout the continuum of violence before, during and after conflict has ostensibly ended. Militarism neither ends nor begins in warzones, nor does it confine itself to the public sphere. The families of militarized men and women may experience violence in their homes where ‘war crimes’ and armed domestic violence are hidden from public view, and women who serve in the military are just as easily victims of sexual assault by their fellow soldiers. Even places that are not experiencing conflict directly are not exempt from militarism: they send troops, produce and sell weapons, and invest in the militaries of foreign governments rather than supporting development efforts. These governments have skewed priorities, spending huge percentages of their budgets on the military and arms rather than on social services, such as education, health care, job security, and development that would yield real security for women. For these reasons, the international theme for the 2010 16 Days Campaign will be:

Structures of Violence: Defining the Intersections of Militarism and Violence Against Women

CWGL envisions that a theme on the intersections of militarism and violence against women will be a multi-year project. We look forward to launching the campaign in 2010 and using it as an opportunity to collect information from you about your individual and collective experiences of militarism, which will help us to develop a more robust strategy for future campaigns. Please join CWGL as we work to support a coordinated, global, feminist critique of militarism and the violence it perpetuates.

We appreciate that this campaign theme will not be an easy issue to address, and many activists could experience a backlash against their work. CWGL encourages activists to carefully consider their own safety when working on the campaign. For those activists who are relatively new to the campaign, those who feel that their energy is better directed towards general sensitization efforts around gender-based violence and human rights, or those who cannot openly work on militarism, CWGL will continue to provide general resources and information.

What are some examples of issues the campaign can address?

A discussion of “genuine security” and gender justice
Economic consequences of war on women
Women’s role in peace negotiations, peace-building, diplomacy and decision-making positions
Proliferation of small arms and the role of arms in domestic violence
Reparations, healing and reconciliation
Global production and sale of arms
Domestic violence committed by members of the military
Sexual violence and sexual slavery in conflict situations
Abuse of sexual and reproductive rights in conflict situations
Sexual violence within the military
Impunity for military personnel in cases of violence against women
Women and girl’s vulnerability as refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs)
Women and girl combatants
Violations committed by peace-keeping forces
Violence and abuse of women living and working around military bases
Governments’ use of force against civilians, suppression of pro-democracy movements
Suspension of rule of law and basic human rights in an “emergency”
The use of ‘anti-terrorism’ laws to silence women human rights defenders
Communal violence and riots
Linkages between militarism and conservative religious forces
Environmental contamination by military operations and its consequences for women and children
Military spending by government – cost-analysis compared to social programs
Militarized police forces and social institutions (schools, public spaces, etc.)
Send us your ideas!

Resources for the 2010 16 Days Campaign

CWGL is pleased to announce that the English, Spanish and French translations of the 2010 Take Action Kit materials are now available online. Hard copies of the kit are available as well. If you would like a free copy mailed to you, please complete the Take Action Kit Request Form.

Join the 16 Days movement!
Create or join a community, campus, national or international activity for the 16 Days! Request campaign materials, join the 16 Days listserv, and use past International Calendars of Activities to spark ideas for your activities or to find information about groups in your area. As November approaches, remember to submit your plans to CWGL for posting to the 2010 International Calendar of Activities to become part of the global 16 Days movement.

Find us on Flickr!
Pictures from previous 16 Days Campaigns can be viewed on Flickr.

Find us on Facebook!
Become a fan of the “The Official 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign” Facebook Page. We’ll be posting updates, pictures, video links, and other fun facts about what activists around the world are working on. Don’t forget to share your thoughts and ideas there too!

Sign up for the 16 Days e-mail discussion!
Join the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence e-mail listserv discussion, which gives activists a space to share work against violence, build partnerships with others worldwide, and develop strategies and themes for the annual 16 Days Campaign. To join the discussion, click here.

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an international campaign originating from the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute sponsored by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL) at Rutgers University in 1991. Participants chose the dates November 25, International Day Against Violence Against Women, and December 10, International Human Rights Day, in order to symbolically link violence against women and human rights and to emphasize that such violence is a human rights violation.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

2010-11-25T03:08:00.000-08:00

Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Women began campaigning on this day in 1981, and chose 25^th November to commemorate the brutal assassination of the three Mirabal sisters, political activists in the Dominican Republic, on orders of Dominican ruler Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961) in 1960. The UN General Assembly passed a resolution in 1993 officially recognising this day and resolving to eliminate violence against women.

To mark the day, activists, governments, international organizations and NGOs organize activities designated to raise public awareness on the issue. At UNIFEM’s event in New York, highlighting the theme of corporate leadership, Secretary Ban-Ki Moon shared the following:

“There has been real progress. Across the world, people are mobilizing to stop the abuse of women and girls. This is no longer just the concern of women's organizations. More and more people realize that gender-based violence is everybody's problem and that everybody is responsible for stopping it.

This year's observance highlights how business leaders can contribute. Just this morning I met with a number of corporate partners. CEOs who are creative...Company presidents who are committed...Corporate executives who care about the health and safety of the world's women and girls.

They are finding new ways to address violence against women from the pages of fashion magazines to the interactions between cosmetic salespeople and their clients. We welcome what these energies and ideas are doing to advance the goals of my UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign.

The problem is complex and widespread. But the solutions are within reach.

There are simple steps we can take: to get counselling to victims, To raise awareness that violence is a crime, To be sure that it is always punished, To free young girls enslaved by traffickers, And to enable all victims of violence to overcome their struggles and realize their potential.

...

Our challenge is to keep advancing after today. To make new plans. To start new projects. To gather our forces. So that we can meet again next year to discuss our successes what we have learned from them and how to ensure they can have global impact, for no country is immune from this problem.

United, we can end violence against women.”

Soroptimists are joining in this challenge every day in every corner of the world. Since 25^th November, 2009, clubs have reported the following:

551 programme focus reports submitted on work relating to violence against women and girls, including human trafficking.
$495,676 funds raised
860,370 beneficiaries - 41,103 women and 45,267 young women and girls
An average of 46 projects per month, 11 per week, and 1.5 per day!

SI will be raising awareness around different issues, campaigns, and activities related to ending violence against for the next 2 weeks as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign. If your club is taking action, we’d love to hear about it! Please comment here or email hq@soroptimistinternational.org.

For more information, please visit:

http://16dayscwgl.rutgers.edu/

http://www.saynotoviolence.org/

http://www.unifem.org/

Commonwealth Day 2011: Women as Agents of Change

2010-11-24T02:04:00.001-08:00

The theme for Commonwealth Day 2011 is "Women as Agents of Change".

Soroptimist International, accredited to the Commonwealth, attended a meeting of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) at the Commonwealth last week where this exciting theme was announced. The announcement was enthusiastically welcomed by all CSOs present and Margaret Cook, SI International Assistant Programme Director wholeheartedly congratulated the organisers on selecting this theme.

The theme will provide a great opportunity for SI to draw attention to the inspiring work women do in communities and societies in all Commonwealth Nations.

More information is expected to be released at the beginning of December so watch this space for more details about how SI will be getting involved!

Soroptimist International signs joint statement for CSW 55

2010-11-24T01:28:00.000-08:00

Soroptimist International has joined with other NGOs to submit a joint statement to be presented at CSW 55 which will be taking place 22 February - 4 March 2011.

The theme of CSW 55 is "Access and participation of women and girls to education, training, science and technology, including the promotion of women's equal access to full employment and decent work".

The statement argues that Governments have not gone far enough in ensuring adequate legal provisions regarding the inclusion of women and girls in education and training for science and technology.

Economic growth, economic recovery and development are driven by scientific and technological innovations and countries cannot afford to neglect the value of women's and girls' talents in these fields. Promoting inclusion in these fields can only be a 'win-win' strategy for national economies.

Important recommendations forwarded by the NGOs include:

the need for support structures and policies to retain women as well as girls in education and training;
safe transport to teaching institutions;
appropriate sanitary facilities for both sexes as well as affordable and safe child and dependent care provisions;
the importance of counteracting prevailing gender stereotypes through revising curricula and text books and adopting non-discriminatory teaching methods and practices;
the importance of including women in shaping innovative policy.

The full statement can be found in the members section of the website. Visit:
www.soroptimistinternational.org

Keep checking the Blog for more information about CSW 55 over the coming weeks!

Education For All Still Within Reach!

2010-11-23T08:59:00.000-08:00

SI UN Representative, Dominique Mertz, attended the 2010 UNESCO Education For All monitoring and progress meeting.

Dominique writes: "Children all over the world are marginalised and excluded from education. At first glance, the lives of these children may seem poles apart but what they have in common are missed opportunities to develop their potential, realise their hopes and build a better future for themselves and for their communities through education."

A decade has passed since leaders from 164 countries adopted the Education for All goals. Click here to see the six goals in full. While a great deal of progress has been made since the goals were developed, millions of children are still missing out on an education. A disproportionate number are girls.

Set against the global economic downturn, the 2010 report calls for a renewed financial commitment by aid donors and recipient governments alike to meet the Education for All goals by 2015. If more is not done, the goals will not be met and the MDGs on education will be missed.

Governments must do more to reach the most marginalised in society to truly extend education opportunities to all children. The challenge to meet the 'equity' goal has also proved challenging for 'developed countries' so there is a great deal Soroptimists can do to campaign and advocate on this issue. The Philippines and Turkey were highlighted as facing particular challenges given the relative levels of wealth in these countries.

The meeting concluded that the goal to have all children completing a full cycle of primary education is still within reach but there is still a great deal to do.

Dominique's full report, complete with detailed information about all areas of the Education for All goals, can be found in the members section of the SI website.

Second Report from the 63rd WHO South East Asia Regional Meeting

2010-11-23T02:09:00.000-08:00

Second Report from Dawn Lynn Bowness, President of SI Bangkok, Thailand.

The recent South East Asian meeting of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Thailand found that although there has been a great deal of progress towards achieving the MDGs, progress in MDG 5, maternal health, has been too slow.

Issues affecting the disappointing progress made under MDG 5 include:

Inadequate financial allocation at national and sub national levels;
The health budget does not efficiently target preventative measures;
Social and cultural barriers which prevent access to maternal and neonatal care persist which deprives women and girls of essential health care;
Poor standards of care;
A shortage of female health workers.

At the end of the meeting, many draft resolutions were made. The WHO called for Governments in the region to prioritise health and make this an explicit within policy.

Dawn's full report can be read at www.soroptimistinternational.org. Just log into the members section. Her report also covers the other issues discussed at the meeting, including the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, the use of eco-chemicals and climate change.

Many thanks to Dawn for attending this meeting!

SI UN Reps attend the 5th Session on Transnational Organised Crime

2010-11-23T01:24:00.000-08:00

SI UN Representatives, Roswitha Benesch and Sina Stiffler, attended the 5th Session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention of Transnational Organised Crime in Vienna.

State representatives expressed deep concern that organised crime has become a business of macro economic proportions. Concerted efforts are required to dismantle powerful international criminal networks which have "ballooned to global proportions" said Yury Fedotov, the Executive Director of United Natons Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Nicolas Cage, UNODC's Goodwill Ambassador for Global Justice, spoke about the impact of organised crime, especially on children. He said: "We must never forget about the victims, the ordinary people, whose lives are damaged by criminals".

Of particular interest to Soroptimists is the issue of trafficking in persons which was a major area of discussion. Trafficking is persons for sexual exploitation is thought to be worth $3 billion annually and involves 140,000 victims, mostly women and children. The importance of setting up a UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children, was stressed. Adequate financial and social support must be made available. It is hoped that this will be launched in the coming months - keep checking the blog for updates.

Soroptimist International joined with other NGOs to write and deliver a substantial statement on issues of trafficking and victim protection. The statement was read at the Plenary Session by a member of Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW). Visit the members section the of the SI website to read the statement.

Visit the News and Events page of the UNODC to read a brief report and see a photo. Our Reps are in the front row, third and fourth from the left...

Report from the 61st Session of the WHO Western Pacific Region

2010-11-22T02:37:00.000-08:00

Siew Yong, President Elect of South West Pacific, attended the 61st Session of the WHO Western Pacific Region in October. 38 member states and many representatives from Civil Society Organisations attended the 5 day meeting where many topics of relevance to Soroptimist International were discussed.

The meeting covered a wide agenda including the Annual Report of the Regional Director, Regional Strategy for Health Care Systems and strengthening Primary Care, Women's Health, Healthy Settings and the regional strategy to stop TB 2011-2015. Technical progress reports were also made on:

Achievement of the MDGs;
Dengue Fever - Prevention and Control;
Protecting Health from the Effects of Climate Change.

Of particular interest to SI was the session of women's health, during which Siew Yong was able to deliver a statement to the member states.

It was highlighted that the region has progressed well on many MDGs. However progress on the MDG 5, Maternal Health, has been slow. In particular, Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic and Papua New Guinea are struggling to improve maternal and neonatal health. The Regional Director said: "I find it shameful that women are still dying in child birth".

Siew Yong was able to include to the SISWP Biennium project in her statement: Birthing in the Pacific. This project will be based in Papua New Guinea and aims to further the skills of midwives and traditional birth attendants as a way of reducing infant and maternal mortality rates. The statement and the details about the SISWP project were very well received elicited a response from the Minister for Health and HIV/AIDs and the Secretary of Health!

International convention on domestic workers one step closer

2010-11-22T02:05:00.000-08:00

Steps to launch an International Convention on domestic workers, led by the UN agency the International Labour Organisation, seems to gaining global support. Senior ILO official who oversees work conditions and employment said the convention would mark a major step in employment protection for domestic workers.

In the June talks, held in Geneva, more than 60 countries voted for a set of binding international standards to protect and empower domestic workers.

Sina Stiffler, SI UN Representative to Geneva, attended the meetings along with 2,500 other delegates. She reported back to SI the main reasons why a convention protecting the rights of domestic workers is so important:

"Many domestic workers around the world are either excluded from national labour laws or work under loosely regulated conditions. Where legal protection exists it is often poorly implemented. Domestic workers remain hidden and faceless, vulnerable to abuse."

Domestic work is a global phenomenon and mainly affects women. It is thought that 90% are women.

Senior ILO officials are confident that the convention, currently in draft form, will provide the necessary protection for domestic workers, particularly the right to freedom of association, fair terms of employment, decent working and living conditions and the protection of migrant domestic workers.

SI UN Rep New York, Linda Stillman, attends annual International Rotary UN Day

2010-11-16T03:09:00.000-08:00

Report from SI UN Rep Linda Stillman:

As a UN SI representative, I was invited to attend the annual International Rotary UN Day on Saturday, November 6, 2010. Several of the issues discussed in-depth are connected to the work we do and worth sharing. Regarding education and leadership, the Rotarians support their younger generation of women and men in their subsidiary program called the Rotaracts. The focus is education and leadership to advance global/local community projects. I have been a speaker for the UN Rotaracts on Young Global Leadership this fall, and many young woman are members in leadership roles.

Another topic at the RI UN Day targeted educating girls and their theme: To educate a girl is to educate three generations: The girl, her mother and her future daughters. They are using this approach to tackle two key topics of ours: poverty and its feminization and sex trafficking, particularly in Southeast Asia.

Hopes and Dreams for Everyone: Soroptimist Tora Brown talks about her trip to Moldova

2010-11-12T01:42:00.000-08:00

Click HERE for the full article.

News clip from the-signal.com

Moldova Adventure Opens Eyes

Trafficking preyAs Region 1 chairwoman for Soroptomist International, Brown recently returned from a trip to Moldova, a hotspot for human trafficking, which was determined as the organization’s 2010 human rights focus.

“Human trafficking is not always for the sex trade. Many of these women are looking for opportunity, and think they’re going to be a nanny or a housekeeper. Then they get there and are kept against their will, have their passports taken and earn no wages,” she said. “We definitely need to work to provide women with opportunities so they don’t get stuck.”

In addition to Brown, 14 other Soroptimists, including members from Norway and other parts of Europe, made the early October trip to Moldova. The tiny country, located between Ukraine and Romania, has incredibly high unemployment.

“One of the things I found really interesting is that 62 percent of the country has had at least three family members leave due to poverty,” Brown said. “There’s no commerce, no structure, no real industry.”

Moldova’s childrenWhat Moldova does have are numerous children that live in boarding houses, left behind by parents in search of work.

“Unlike the foster-care system here where kids leave at age 18, it’s 16 in Moldova. Often the kids don’t have documentation and can’t get social services, which will allow them to continue school,” she said.

The youngsters then become prime prey for trafficking operators.

“The traffickers will hang out and tell them, ‘I have an opportunity for you. Come with me, I’ll take you to Russia,’” Brown said. “These aren’t even for glamorous jobs, but for things like housekeeping and construction.”

Creating opportunitiesAccording to Soroptimist International, there are 68 boarding schools in Moldova. The organization has chosen four schools in the northern part of the country to act as a model for easily transferable programs to other schools and regions.

Programs include life and skill education such as career guidance, health care, sexual education, communication with public offices, and information about domestic violence.

The latter is key, Brown said.

“I found out on our trip that 90 percent of woman who are trafficked have been victims of domestic violence,” she said.

Soroptimist International also provides higher education to selected children in the four schools. Students receive housing allowances and living support, as well as access to social assistants, during their continuing education.

Support for victimsFrom 2005 to 2009, more than 300 girls age 13 to 16 attended the life-skill education training course, 30 girls received support through high school and college, and nine social assistants were trained to support the girls.

There’s also support for victims of trafficking who have managed to get back to Moldova and attempt to resume their lives, though it’s not a simple process, according to Brown.

“It’s really hard after you’ve been trafficked to get reintegrated. They still don’t have opportunities,” she said. “Even when you know trafficking exists, if you had nothing, would you take the chance of getting a better life so you could eat?”

URGENT APPEAL: RED SLUDGE VICTIMS PROJECT IN HUNGARY

2010-11-11T05:24:00.000-08:00

From SI Budapest, October 27, 2010

In Hungary early October 2010 occurred a catastrophe, when an industrial reservoir collapsed and suddenly a major spill of toxic red sludge covered a number of villages.

9 people died and thousands of people lost their homes, hundreds of children, women and men were taken to hospital.

This is a major disaster for our nature and for old and young people who can never return back to their homes, as the environmental damage is long lasting. The victims are temporarily sheltered in sport halls, at their friends’ houses and in government houses. They are deeply shocked by the loss of all their properties and by having lost the feeling of personal safety and security.

The Soroptimist Club Budapest decided to raise funds and ask our network of Soroptimist Friends for contribution. Our aim is to support to build an institute in a new village that the victims will need most to start a new life: a kindergarten, a medical center, a social home or a women’s house.

Please click HERE for more information on how YOU CAN HELP!

Can the MDGs do without human rights?

2010-11-09T05:19:00.000-08:00

High commissioner for Human Rights

"Can the MDGs do without human rights?"

22 October 2010

Today's panelists were

Ms. Catarina De Albuquerque, independent expert on the human rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

Ms. Gay McDougall, Independent expert on minority issues.

Mr. Paul Ladd is head of Globalization UNDP.

and

Ms. Pollyanna Truscott, Deputy Representative at the UN Amnesty International.

SI's UN Rep in NYC, Yoko Komori Olson, commented that the MDGs can not be achieved without human rights, particularly equality. The MDGs have different 7 issues but all goals relate to issues which particularly affect women and girls. Women need education, gender equality, improved maternal health, reduction of the impact of climate change, access to clean water, and prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and TB.

All MDGs are women's rights.

Women Rights equal Human Rights.

Click HERE to watch a video and see SI's UN Rep in action, speaking to the panel.

Soroptimist International Soloman Islands launches its 2011 Hapi Helti Family Calendar

2010-11-08T04:12:00.000-08:00

Soroptimist International Solomon Islands, a global women's network, yesterday launched its 2011 Hapi Helti Family Calendar.

With the focus on topics on health related issues of interest to women, the Hapi Helti Family calendar first emerged in 2003 with support from the New Zealand High Commission and has been seen as gradually growing from strength to strength.

Click HERE to watch a video about the work and to learn more!