A vast array of Soroptimist activities worldwide were reported in June to educate, empower and enable opportunities for women. Many clubs participated in events to mark celebratory days, such as World Environment Day. Violence against women and human trafficking were also common themes, with events to raise awareness and support those affected in Romania, Australia and Barbados.

SI Bombay Chembur (India) celebrated World Environment Day with the students of Sadhana Vidyalaya for the Deaf, educating them on environmental issues and sustainability. Topics discussed included non- biodegradable materials and the importance of nurturing the environment. The club also spoke to local shopkeepers adjoining the school, informing them of environmental issues. The day ended with planting a tree in the grounds of the school.

Continuing with the theme of growth and sustainability within the environment, SI Ba (Fiji) donated 100 coconut seedlings to the town council, to coincide with their ‘Environment Celebration Campaign’. The club helped council workers to plant these seedlings close to Ba river bank to act as a means of preventing flooding, but also to make the area more aesthetically pleasing.

SI St Albans and District (UK) hosted a coronation lunch to mark the Diamond Anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The coronation lunch was held in order to raise funds for the Birthing in the Pacific project and to raise local awareness of Soroptimists in the hope of recruiting new members. 50 guests attended and £750 was raised for the Birthing in the Pacific Project.

SI Targoviste (Romania) organised, together with a psychologist and a police officer, educational and debate sessions in over 20 schools on the subject of human trafficking. Students were told about the dangers of human trafficking and preventative measures. Film clips about trafficking were shown to students and they actively participated in debates on the topic.

SI Lautoka (Fiji) donated various stationery and supplies to a local primary school, in the wake of devastation left by tropical cyclone Evan.

SI Geelong (Australia) supported the launch of an environmental educational project for girls in Zambia; the club donated t-shirts for the girls to wear as a form of uniform. Girls were educated about the environment in a local conservation area.

SI Whittier (USA) financially sponsored the launch of a family resource centre for homeless mothers and their children. Funding has gone toward computers and employment related training for mothers that attend the centre. Homeless mothers are given support and training on topics such as CV’s/resumes, interview skills and applying for jobs. A total of 6 sessions will be held to provide mothers with relevant job skills.

SI Ba (Fiji), in collaboration with SI Lautoka (Fiji), donated stationery supplies to a local school for those with special educational needs. Stationery was given to poor students who would not otherwise be able to afford stationery required.

SI Mumias (Kenya) gave talks in local schools about girls’ growth and development. The club demonstrated the use of sanitary towels and distributed them within local schools.

SI Cremona (Italy) organised an event whereby athletes were invited to speak about their sports. The event was designed to inspire women to pursue sports, but also their own personal goals.

SI Freemantle (Australia) have been busy making ‘I Spy’ quilts for children in foster care. Each quilt is designed to engage the child in play and interaction with foster carers, creating a bond. Children are encouraged to use the quilt to play games such as ‘I Spy’ and other literacy activities.

SI Grange over Sands (UK) hosted a ‘Shoebiz’ appeal for shoes to be donated, which were then sorted by the club and sent to Clarks. Clarks then works with UNICEF to provide educational materials for poorer children in the UK and other parts of the world.

SI Anglesey (UK) reported on their International Peace Day celebrations; they attended a church service in recognition of the day and lit candles for countries currently affected by conflict. The club then hosted a peace walk to a local beauty spot and floated paper boats on a nearby river, symbolising peace messages for countries in conflict.

SI Western Australia (SIWA), which consists of all groups in the Perth metropolitan area, reported on their joining together to participate in the ‘walk the talk’ silent march against domestic violence. Club members distributed snack packs and SI promotional materials to all who participated in the march. SI members marched with placards emphasising a need to stop domestic violence. Another ‘walk the talk’ march was hosted in Fiji by SI Ba (Fiji) who organised a silent march against domestic violence. SI Lautoka, civil servants, Ba Police and Ba’s town council were invited to participate.

Finally, another club hosted a march, but this was in aid of raising awareness of human trafficking. SI Barbados organised and participated in a ‘Purple Tear’ march against human trafficking to raise awareness of its existence in Barbados and educate people on how to report it. Members wore purple and distributed fliers and pamphlets about human trafficking in Barbados.

ACTION, ADVOCACY AND AWARENESS RAISING

There are around 3000 Soroptimist clubs around the world, all working to educate, empower or enable opportunities for women in their local communities and beyond through action, advocacy and awareness-raising.  Working across the world in over 120 countries, clubs undertake a huge range of projects depending on local need. However, all serve the following objectives:

• to increase access to formal and non-formal learning opportunities.
• to improve access to economic empowerment and sustainable opportunities for the employment of women.
• to eliminate violence against women and girls and ensure women’s participation in conflict resolution.
• to ensure women and girls have food security and access to the highest attainable standard of health care.
• to address the specific needs of women and girls by improving environmental sustainability, and mitigating effects of climate change and disasters.  

These actions were all reported by clubs on the Project Focus Report database, which enables SI to track club activities across the globe and monitor the collective impact of Soroptimists worldwide.