On 15 March 2023, Soroptimist International of the Americas (SIA) hosted a parallel event at CSW67 entitled “A Century of Innovation for Increased Access to Education for Women and Girls”.

With a focus on the priority theme of innovation and technological change and education, this session was led by SIA President Stephanie Smith and Immediate Past SI President Sharon Fisher-Johnson. The session took a brief look back at where our organization started as one of the first women’s service organizations. First, the panelists identified some early Soroptimist projects. They then discussed where the organization stands today, with our 72,000 members in 120 countries serving clubs in six languages; and concluded by underlining where we still need to go to continue to meet the ongoing needs of women and girls by investing in their dreams through access to education.

Education is the ultimate equalizer to aid women in achieving equality. SIA has implemented a big goal of investing in the lives of 500,000 and girls through our Dream Programs by the year 2031. The Dream Programs directly support at least five of the Sustainable Development Goals (1) ending poverty, (4) ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education, (5) achieving gender equality, (8) promote economic growth, and (10) reducing inequalities.

There are two components to the Dream Program: the “Live Your Dream Award” which was launched for women who have primary financial responsibility for their family and are enrolled in an undergraduate or vocational program, and the “Dream It, Be It” program, which provides mentorship and career support for girls in secondary schools.

The Dream Programs offer a unique delivery model and provide clubs the opportunity to be innovative in their approach to addressing problems faced by women and girls in their local communities. Some examples of project flexibility shared include the use of the Live Your Dream Award to cover expenses other than books or tuition, including transportation, daycare cost, or any other expense that would aid the awardee in pursuing the education needed to support her family and achieve economic empowerment. Additionally, SIA clubs have adapted to the changing needs of the girls served through the Dream It, Be It program by offering virtual as well as in-person forums for girls to connect, meet with mentors, and explore future goals as well as discuss current issues of concerns or steps to overcome obstacles.

A few key takeaways from this event include:

• The importance of developing personal connections within the community to promote the club projects and programs by involving college officials, vocation school officials, and other women’s organizations;
• Including former awardees or program participants as presenters at club events. This is an impactful way of raising awareness about the importance of the work of Soroptimist to a wider audience and how the program has impacted the awardees; and
• Offering membership to former Live Your Dream Awardees. This creates networking opportunities and continues personal growth as well as the potential for further economic development.