Blog - Soroptimist International

16 Days of Activism at UN Geneva

A Blog by Donatella Benjamin, SI UN Representative in Geneva. For a number of reasons, Geneva is an important city for international co-operation and key for multilateral negotiations. It is home to the United Nations Geneva Office (UNOG), alongside several other UN Agencies, Member States Missions, NGOs, and more; at

Preventing Femicide Against Women

Blog of Linda Witong, SI Advocacy Advisor 16 Days of Activism Campaign The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual campaign that runs from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, through to International Human Rights Day on 10 December. Anyone and

Enabling Intercultural Dialogue

Blog of Evelyne Para, SI UN Representative at UNESCO, Paris. “Two major events were organised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in September 2022 on the theme of intercultural dialogue, in order to promote and disseminate values, attitudes and behaviours conducive to learning to live together

Population, Education, and Sustainable Development

As part of preparations for the 56th session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development, an expert group meeting was held to discuss the theme of “Population, Education and Sustainable Development” (6-7 September). The purpose of the meeting was to review the latest evidence and analyses in relation

Education for Sustainable Development

Blog of Evelyne Para, SI UN Representative at UNESCO, Paris. “Our current way of life is unsustainable, we are depleting the resources of the planet, and if we continue to live as today, we will need the resources of three Earths by 2050! For many years, human behaviours and activities

World Humanitarian Day

SI UN Representative, Berthe De Vos-Neven, blogs from World Humanitarian Day at UN Geneva – August 19, 2022. “The General Assembly of the UN has marked August 19th as “World Humanitarian Day” to create awareness around the problems aid workers and humanitarian helpers are daily facing in the crises and

International Girls in ICT Day

Stacy Ciulik, SI UN Representative in Geneva, blogs about the importance of empowering girls in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). “International Girls in ICT Day is an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) global initiative that takes place every year on the 4th Thursday of April. It aims to encourage young women

World Day against Child Labour

Blog by Berthe De Vos, SI Representative to the International Labour Organisation. “What is Child Labour? Child labour is work that harms the health of the child, endangers it, and it is a violation of international and/or national laws. It deprives children of education and/or puts a double burden on

Human Rights Council 50th Session

During the Human Rights Council 50th Session, the annual full-day discussion on the human rights of women was held on June 27, 2022. Donatella Benjamin, SI UN Representative in Geneva, reports on the panel exploring the nexus between climate change and violence against women and girls (VAWG). “In her opening

Save the Ocean, Protect the Future

Rita Nogueira Ramos, blogs from the 4th UN Ocean Conference, held in Lisbon, Portugal, 27 June – 1 July 2022. "In 2017, at the first edition of the UN ocean conference in New York, the United Nations Secretary General had already warned that the oceans face "an unprecedented threat" and