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Author: watchthedot

  • New UN Report on Gender-Violence: Educating Men and Boys and Changing Attitudes Crucial

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    Changing attitudes among men and boys and tackling inequality are vital to eradicating gender-violence, re-affirms a new UN study, which interviewed 10,000 men in Asia and the Pacific.  The report uncovered shocking levels of domestic abuse, sexual violence and rape, but also reaffirms that violence against women is not inevitable, with education programmes and community mobilization playing…

  • "Spare me the gruesome details" – 10 years of UK Awareness-raising and Advocacy on FGM

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    Wendy Bell is co-ordinator for the Awareness Campaign on Female Genital Mutilation/ Circumcision by Soroptimist International Tenby & District, a club in the Wales South Region of the UK.  Although SI Tenby and District is a small club in a rural area unaffected by FGM, they have been at the forefront of Soroptimist campaigning against the practice in…

  • Birthing in Pacific video launched!

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    SI is delighted to launch this film celebrating the achievements of  the Birthing in Pacific project, working to reduce maternal mortality in Papua New Guinea by training and equipping birth attendants, educating women and communities about reproductive health and improving facilities.  Birthing in Pacific was set up by SI South West Pacific and involves the…

  • Introducing the new SI President and International Assistant Programme Director

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    At an inaugural dinner at Newnham College, Cambridge (UK) following the Soroptimist International Board meeting, Ann Garvie  succeeded Alice Wells as President of Soroptimist International for the 2013-2015 biennium. We thank Alice Wells for her tireless work as President for the 2011-2013 biennium and her outstanding leadership to improve issues for women and girls worldwide.    Photo: Immediate…

  • The Soroptimist International Board Meeting in Cambridge – a First-timer's view

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      This week’s SoroptiVoice blog comes from Caroline Leach, who succeeded Anusha Santhirasthipam as   SI’s International Assistant Programme Director this month. Caroline has been a member of SI Riverside in California, USA, for 25 years and has undertaken many roles at Club and Regional level. In her professional life, she has worked in senior management and executive roles…

  • Fit for Purpose for the 21st Century – Key decisions by SI Board

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    Soroptimist representatives from around the world gathered in Cambridge, UK from 15-20 August for the annual Board meeting.  Delegations from the four Federations, between them representing over 80,000 members in 127 countries, met to discuss issues facing the worldwide movement and formulate strategy for the coming year, enabling Soroptimist International to make the greatest possible…

  • Soroptimist Representatives meet new UN Women Leader

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      Picture (left-right): Soroptimist UN Reps Paulette Forbes-Igharo and Lois Beilin meet UN Women Leader Phumzile Mlambo-Nguka Just two weeks into her tenure as Under Secretary General of UN Women, Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka invited NGO representatives for a two hour meeting to get acquainted in New York. Soroptimist International’s UN Representatives Paulette Forbes-Igharo, Betty Levy and Lois Beilin…

  • Vienna + 20 – Achievements for women's rights

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    This week’s blog comes from Dora Vrdlovec, SI UN representative, Vienna. At the Vienna + 20 conference Dora attended the meeting entitled ‘Women’s rights at stake?! Voices of women’s right’s activists’ which took a look at past achievements in women’s rights. ‘Women’s rights at stake!?’ talked about the history of human rights. It was 20…

  • Soroptimist Clubs in Action July 2013

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      July was a month packed full of Soroptimist projects. Themes included human trafficking and domestic violence. These topics were the main focus of many educational outreach activities in schools and the wider global community. All Soroptimist projects have educated, empowered or enabled women and girls to pursue opportunities that may otherwise be unattainable. Here…

  • Soroptimists in Papua New Guinea highlight shocking incidents of gender-violence

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    At 4am on Friday 9th August, a woman was found dead in Ramu Village, Papua New Guinea. She was preparing to go work at the Oil Palm plantation, when she was brutally raped, murdered and her body dumped in a nearby village garden.  Her female colleague escaped with a knife wound to her back.    Judy…