SI was privileged to take part in the Commonwealth’s ‘Women as Agents of Change’ competition, launched to celebrate the theme of Commonwealth Day 2011. Although we were restricted to only 3 nominations we received many fantastic submissions. This week, we will be running a special blog series to celebrate all the

This weeks guest blogger is Kirsti Guttormsen from SI Molde, Norway. Here she considers the importance of getting more women into science and technology and shares ideas on how to do it! Women and Girls in Science and Technology - this was a main topic at CSW 55, but who

This weeks guest blogger is Margaret Cook, SI's International Assistant Programme Director. Here she reflects on her CSW experience and pulls out the best bits of week 2 to share. It is now two weeks since I returned home and I have had a chance to reflect upon the experience.

If you are planning for a day, catch a fish. If you are planning for a year, plant rice. If you are planning for a decade, plant trees. If you are planning for a lifetime, educate a woman.  Soroptimist International, a global voice for women and girls from a wide

The second week at CSW is usually less packed with parallel events. However, these important events continued to address crucial aspects for gender equality. I was especially interested in the aspect of economic empowerment. Improving and accelerating the economic empowerment of women leads to gender equality and the better status

So we reach the end of the CSW55: friends made, acquaintances renewed and so much knowledge gained. Having arrived slightly later than others from the SI delegation, I was on a swift learning curve as I attended Official UN sessions and the Parallel events organised by the affiliated NGOs. It

Here at CSW 55 reference is often made to  CEDAW. The 1979 United Nations "Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women" (CEDAW), which entered into force as an international treaty on 3 September 1981, can properly be considered a sui generis bill of rights for women, a 30-article road map

This was the question asked by Michelle Bachelet,  head of UN Women, at a conference held by the Women's Learning Partnership during CSW 55. Women from all over the world were sharing their experiences and their thoughts for the future of women’s rights and gender equality in the light of the

United Nations Security Council Resolution (SCR) 1325 was established to address the impact of war on women, and increase women's contributions to conflict resolution and sustainable peace.10 years has passed since this important resolution was first published. It has been enhanced by further SCRs but is still ignored in many countries. Soroptimists around

Tonight was the Launch of UN Women and what a line up for the evening. The event included Ban Ki-Moon, Michelle Bachelet, Ted Turner, Geena Davis, Nicole Kidman, and a special message from Shakira. Women's rights are human rights is the theme and the same theme that Hillary Clinton mentioned