As we await the final agreed conclusions from CSW 56, Soroptimist International shares its message to Governments and UN leaders alike. Soroptimist International, speaking on behalf of nearly 90,000 women worldwide, representing 3,000 local communities in 124 countries and territories, calls upon governments to recognise women and girls as the

International Women's Day 2012: WECF, organising partner for the Women’s Major Group for Rio+20 states: the “Green Economy” needs Gender Equality In three months time, on 20-22 of June 2012, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), Rio+20, will take place in Rio de Janeiro. 20 years after the

MESSAGE ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY FROM SECREATRY GENERAL BAN KI- MOON "Gender equality and the empowerment of women are gaining ground worldwide. There are more women Heads of State or Government than ever, and the highest proportion of women serving as Government ministers. Women are exercising ever greater influence in

Message from International President Alice Wells: Each year around the world, International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8. Thousands of events occur not just on this day but throughout March to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. In fact, International Women's Day has been observed since

UN Women Press Release Focus is on initiatives with high impact on women’s political and economic empowerment. United Nations, New York, 1 March 2012 — At a high-level event at the Commission on the Status of Women in New York, Michelle Bachelet, Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director, issued a

Soroptimist International Assistant Programme Director, Anusha Santhirasthipam, was selected to address CSW member states and civil society representatives during a panel on the role of gender-responsive governance and institutions for the empowerment of rural women. Soroptimist International called Government attention to the following three areas: 1.     Information Women farmers often struggle

UN DESA Press Release “For 50 years, we have been working together to ensure that development is primarily about people,” underscored Mr. Sha Zukang, UN DESA’s Under-Secretary-General and the Rio+20 Secretary-General, at the opening of the 50th session of the Commission for Social Development on February 1st. The session, with its

Have you ever wondered what role UNESCO plays? Here, SI UNESCO Representatives Marie Christine De La Barbelais and Dominique Mertz report back from the 36th UNESCO Conference where the role and achievements of UNESCO in 2011 were reviewed: This was the title of the opening statement to the 36th UNESCO

SI UNESCO Representaive, Rina Dupriet, attended the January meeting of the NGO Joint Programmatic Commisson for Sustainable Development. Severals proposals were forwarded for consideration by Rio+20, closely matching the priorities of Soroptimist International: - Poverty eradication - Creation of safe water supplies - Empowerment of people through education and leadership

Last week, SI UN Representatives Alice Odingo and Rose Mwangi attended a series of meetings at the UN Environmental Programme  (UNEP) in Nairobi. Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum (GMGSF): 18-19th February SI attended the second day of the meeting.  A great deal of discussion centred on Rio+20 and how