Soroptimist International Programme Director

Hilary Ratcliffe

Soroptimist International:a Global Voice for Women?

So what do we mean by Global?

• 127 countries & territories

• Links with other global networks Commonwealth, AWID, YWCA, WAGGGS, Women for Women International

• Part of UN Women

• Over 87,000 women worldwide

International Women’s DaySoroptimists worldwide speak out

How do we have a Global Voice?

New York UN Reps meet new Head of UN Women

Delivering oral statement on femicide and delegation to CSW57

International President speaks on your behalf

• Malala in Pakistan

• Multiple rapes in India

• Thanks Michelle Bachelet

• Congratulates Commonwealth on new Charter

Accredited to the Commonwealth

• Education conference in Mauritius

• Attending reception where the Queen signed the new Commonwealth Charter giving due importance to issues on gender

• CHOGM (Commonwealth heads of government meeting) to be held in Sri Lanka

Accredited NGO at the United Nations• SI granted general consultative status in 1996 and SIGBI special consultative status in 2013

• Status is subject to review every 4 years (last in 2012)

• Accreditation with UNHCR:UNICEF:UNEP

• Official relationswith UNESCO:ILO:UNIDO:FAO

SI UN Representatives

We work for Women and Girls

So if we are a Global Voice for Women, where do you come in?

• Without you we have no voice

• We are a grassroots organisation

• Your work gives us the right to speak and be listened too

• With you we are a credible voice at the international table

How do we know what those voices say?

Soroptimist International Global Impact Report 2013

• Based on evidence collected from you• Programme Focus Report Forms • Collated in the Soroptimist International database

Global Overview: Action

• 109,632 women and girls directly benefited from Soroptimist projects

• Soroptimists carried out 3,727 Educate to Lead projects

• 630 projects reached a wider audience of indirect beneficiaries – ranging from community-wide to nation-wide work

• $5,743,307 was raised to support this work

Global Overview: Action

• 31% of projects working to educate, empower and enable at risk adult women

• 26% helping girls and women into work

• 18% increasing women’s participation in society

• 14% working to increase enrolment, retention, and survival rates

SI/UN Feedback Loop – Our Channels

• Websites

• Blogs/News stories

• Social Media

• Monthly focus

• Global Voice

• Reporting & Databases

• Federation publications

SI/UN Feedback Loop – In Action

• UN DPI/NGO 2011 – Bonn, Germany

• CSW 57 in 2013

• UN Conference on Sustainable Development 2012 in Rio de Janeiro

So are we a Global Voice for Women?

• You Educate; Empower; Enable

• You are the grassroots approach to change

• You are committed to a world where women and girls together achieve their full potential realise aspirations and have an equal voice

• You truly are a Global Voice for Women