Four
new Soroptimist representatives have joined our dynamic UN teams in
New York and Paris to take over the influential international
advocacy roles of retiring Soroptimist delegates.

Soroptimist
International’s UN representatives are active at all six major UN
centres.  With
SI’s General Consultative Status at the UN, these expert volunteers are able to speak
out on behalf of Soroptimists around the world to ensure that the
needs of all women and girls are considered during international
decision making and policy setting.

What
can be achieved through our international advocacy network was
clearly demonstrated last year when one of the “greatest
efforts” of Soroptimist action at the UN contributed
to an historic agreement on Violence against Women getting signed
during the 57th Commission on the Status of Women.

 

New
Year in New York, a new team

New
York is the headquarters for the UN and so it is here that we have
the largest team of representatives. Joining the team there are ..

Angelina
Akhvlediani, who practises as a
psychotherapist. She is a co-convenor of the Human Rights &
Mental Health Working Group and sits on the NGO Committee on Mental
Health. Graduating with a PhD in Psychology, Angelina was a Post
Doctorate Fellow at St Petersburg University, Russia and holds a M.S.
in Clinical Health Counselling

Khadija
Dee Ali, whose main area of interest is the economic empowerment of
women. A Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor with a B.S. in Finance,
Khadija has travelled widely gaining direct insight into the problems
women and girls experience.

Gloria
Essoka, a health professional specialising in the holistic care
of women and children. As a visiting Professor in Malawi, Gloria
interacted with many NGOs and witnessed first hand the wide ranging
issues facing women and girls there. Gloria has a PhD in Maternal &
Child Health and has practised as a nurse for many years.

 

Recruited
to Paris

SI’s
representatives in Paris focus only on UNESCO – the UN Educational,
Scientific, and Cultural Organisation. This is a particularly
important centre given SI’s long term theme: “Educate to Lead”.

Introducing Evelyne Para (2nd from left), Governor of SI’s French Union
with a particular interest in education and training projects that
allow women to escape poverty, dependence and violence. She is a
Regional Consulting Engineer and Director of the Occupational Risks
Dept. of the Social Security Fund in Martinique. With more than 30
years experience as head of department in various Social Security
organisations, Evelyne also gives expert advice to regional
and national health planning committees.

Huge
thanks to our retiring UN Reps

A
worldwide Soroptimist round of applause and thanks goes to our
outgoing UN Reps for their skilled and dedicated efforts to improve
the lives of women and girls everywhere.

In New York, Lead Representative Lois Beilin
and Carol Themm have each served as UN Repsf for over two decades – an outstanding contribution!  Lois will continue to mentor new
appointees. Yoko
Komori Olson is also standing down after 4 hard working years of service in New York.  Cinzia Palmi has
represented SI
at the Food and Agricultural Organisation and the World Food
Programme in Rome for more than four years. Her replacement is
currently being recruited.

Read
more about the work of our UN Representatives here

Images:

First
image, New
York : Khadija Dee Ali (new Rep); Lois Beilin (retiring Rep);
Paulette Forbes Igharo (new lead Rep); Caroline Leach (SIAPD); Carol
Themm (retiring); Yoko Komori Olson (retiring) & Angelina
Akhvlediani (new Rep.)

Second
Image,SI UN Paris: Dominique Mertz, Evelyne Para (new UNESCO Rep)
Marie Christine Gries
&
Rina Dupriet.