CSW always proves to be a big event for Soroptimist International, and 2015 will be no exception. At this critical event which will also be the
Beijing+20 review, SI will be hosting its largest number of events yet! These
events will not only highlight the excellent on-the-ground project work of
Soroptimists, but they will also discuss the needs of women and girls across
all locations of the globe.
These
parallel events will be held as part of the CSW59 NGO Forum, and will be open
to all members of the public who register for the CSW NGO Forum. You can register here.
Here is a
taster of some of the events that SI will be organising at CSW59:
Bringing
an End to Sex Trafficking: We Can Do It!
Featuring an
expert FBI Agent and a survivor of human trafficking, this event will follow on
from the excellent work done by Soroptimists across the world. Human
trafficking is a known about, but often hidden, multifaceted issue. At this
event SI will aim to shatter some of the myths surrounding trafficking and look
at how communities can be empowered to take action, and what concrete actions
governments can take. There will also be the premiere of a short film about
trafficking that will educate and inspire participants. Trafficking, and sex
trafficking, are major crimes and human rights violations, and constitute
violence against women and girls. As an increasing problem, it is very
important to promote discussion and prevention methods to bring these crimes to
an end. You can read
more about what Soroptimists are doing about trafficking here.
Voices
from the Grassroots: A Life Course Approach to Economic Empowerment
All of
Soroptimists’ work is grassroots, community-based work. This means that SI has
hands-on knowledge about what works in communities and what actually helps to
empower women and girls. This event will use that knowledge to look at the life
stages of women and girls who live in poverty, and look at interventions that
could occur at each stage to life them out of poverty. Women and poverty is a
Critical Area of Concern of the Beijing Platform for Action, and CSW59 provides
Soroptimist International a key opportunity to feedback information and
knowledge to governments and other organisations about how to help economically
empower women.
Present
but Invisible: It’s Time to Hear Our Stories
Women who
are not in ‘defining relationships’ or who live alone or in isolation, be it by
choice, widowhood, or other reasons often experience multiple forms of
discrimination. They can face increased risks of exploitation, violence and
poverty. To move forward after the Beijing+20 review we must scrutinise the
problems that these women experience. Using inspiring Soroptimist work, like
the work done in India and Nigeria, Soroptimist International will present how
women can create effective, lasting change in their communities. Although the
have been problems for a long time, they are finally getting attention, and SI
will help to spearhead action to bring discrimination to an end. You can read
more about what Soroptimists are doing to help widows and older women here.
Photo: Nigerian Soroptimists, leading a campaign to improve rights for widows.
Soroptimist
International will also be collaborating with other organisations on a number of
events:
Uniting
Our Voices Against Violence: a bottom up approach to equipping women and girls
in their communities
This event
will be a collaboration between SI, the World YWCA and the World Association of
Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), and will aim to showcase practical
solutions to violence against women and girls within communities. In a changing
world, women and girls are forever confronted with new gender inequality challenges
and women and girls, and men and boys, must be equipped to combat those
challenges. By providing participants with a toolkit to fight stereotypes and
violence against women and girls, and talking about successful grassroots work,
this event will directly contribute to the Beijing+20 Review. You can read
more about what Soroptimists do to combat violence against women and girlshere.
‘Life
Without Water’
This event will address health issues that
arise as a result of unsanitary water, and SI, Solar Cookers International and
Nation to Nation will be collaborating together on this event. Soroptimists
across the globe are engaging on issues to do with sanitation and water, which
is a key issue for women and girls who often are those who fetch water, cook
and clean. You can read
more about the actions of Soroptimists on this issue here.
Being at
CSW59, and hosting parallel events such as this shows the truly international
voice of Soroptimists, and the international delegation will reflect that. SI
will be providing more information and news about CSW59 in the coming weeks and
months, and will be providing resources to help all Soroptimists advocate for
the Beijing Platform for Action and the needs of women and girls.
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