The roadmap for Soroptimists’ engagement is Awareness – Advocacy – Action. Let us remind ourselves that Advocacy is defined as the influence of the public on politics by voicing collective interest; in other words by strategically including the public and the media, moral and political pressure is being created with the aim of influencing political decisions and instigate changes within our society – in the case of Soroptimist, these changes are geared to improve the lives of women and girls worldwide.
Here are a few key dates and initiatives for engagement:
- First, join us tonight for an inspiring webinar at 18:00CET. Alyssa Ahrabare, Advocacy and Legal Lead of the European Network of Migrant Women and Vice-President of the French Coordination for the European Women’s Lobby will offer detailed insight into her take on Advocacy, with examples of impactful Advocacy work from her organisation. There will be time for a Q&A session moderated by Rita Nogueira Ramos, SIE Vice President and Sabine Reimann, SIE President-Elect.
- On 8th March, International Women’s Day, join us as we Walk in Different Shoes to raise awareness about Gender Inequalities. Visual materials have been provided so do not hesitate to reach out to your Union or Single Club President or Programme Director to find out more information. Prior to this, all members are invited to attend a virtual meeting on the 7th March at 19:00 CET where we will explore the UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 -Gender Equality. Meet our representatives to the Council of Europe (CoE), European Women’s Lobby (EWL) and Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna and Warsaw, who will provide insights into their advocacy work for gender equality within these organisations.
- The 68th Commission on the Status of Women* will take place from 11th – 22nd March in New York. This year’s Priority Theme is: Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective. As an ECOSOC-accredited organisation SIE has the privilege to attend CSW 68, with a 37 strong and impressive delegation of Soroptimists. Given that many events will be hybrid, meetings in the General Assembly Hall can also be viewed on Youtube, seize the opportunity to participate as well.
*The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is an official Commission of the United Nations which focuses on the rights and empowerment of women and global gender equality. It’s an intergovernmental body consisting of 45 Member State governments of the UN.
Follow SIE social media for exclusive insights on CSW68 and SIE delegation as they navigate through the event.