Each year, SI clubs support thousands of projects, each focusing on the SI mission of Educating, Empowering and Enabling women and girls. Today, on International Day, I invite you to harness your collective power in support of the Soroptimist International President’s Appeal, 2017-2019, and make a tangible difference to the lives of women and girls most in need.
25 November is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, marking Day One of the annual 16-day campaign against gender-based violence. For almost 100 years, Soroptimists have advocated for the rights of women and girls; fighting violence in all forms. The forthcoming 16 days will see our 75,000-strong membership UNiTE together to spread a message of hope and determination, for women and girls world-wide.
SI President's Message on world toilet day. This year World Toilet Day focuses on wastewater, continuing the theme of World Water Day. Inspiring action to tackle the global sanitation crisis, this annual event is an important day on the Soroptimist calendar.
During the Climate Change Conference COP23 in Bonn 6-17 November 2017 there will be a WATER ACTION DAY on Friday, November 10th, during which SI President shall report on the progress of The Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture, or WASAG and explain why women should be seen as key allies and thé access to sustainable behavioral change in the water dimensions of climate adaptation.
The very first Dutch professor in Human Rights Education (HRE) in the Netherlands, Felisa Tibbitts, held her inaugural speech at the Utrecht University this week. This chair of HRE was funded by a legacy of Soroptimist Carla Looman and put in place in close cooperation with the Utrecht University and Soroptimists of the Netherlands.
The coming week sees three notable International days, leading with, 15 October, The International Day for Rural Women, closely followed by World Food Day on 16 October and International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 17 October.
29 July 2017, Rotterdam, Mariet Verhoef-Cohen, Netherlands was inaugurated with overwhelming support as President of Soroptimist International (SI) for the 2017 – 2019 biennium; the first Dutch President in the organisation’s almost 100-year existence. In our first interview for the new SI Members Area, we talk to Mariet about her history as a Soroptimist, her love of Gender and Water, and her plans for the coming biennium.
SI President Mariet will be speaking at the event ‘Rules of Water, Rules for Life’ in Milan on the theme of water as a legal asset and as a key element of sustainable development. Her speech will be on the role women play in the provision, management, and safeguarding of water.
