For over 100 years, human rights have been a keystone to Soroptimism. They remain as relevant today as they were in 1921. They are one of the first things our members experience and learn. The new members who joined Soroptimist this year heard them repeated and highlighted at every charter welcoming new members to a club.
And with International Women’s Day coming up (8th March 2023), we also highlight that human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights.
Our commitment to human rights is central to everything we do. We see it in our projects, including our work eradicating violence against women. And in our main strategic goals – one of which is to provide education to women and girls.
But what about the other side? What about ‘human duty’?
Our commitment to human duty is just as high as our commitment to human rights. We do not hesitate when a manmade disaster hits, such as floods caused by climate change, and wars by power games. We do not hesitate either when natural disasters strike, such as the recent earthquake in Türkiye and Syria. Once again, our human duty drove action. We stood up united, joining forces with humanitarian organisations.
As Soroptimists, we always go one step further. We continue our support when the disasters have disappeared from the front-pages. We reach out to Soroptimists in the regions affected, gathering real and current information from the ground about the local conditions, and join them to map a strategy – a plan that brings sustainable, long-lasting solutions.
Our strength as Soroptimists is in our famous worldwide network of professionally and socially diverse women which allows us to bounce back stronger than ever when duty calls.
Yours sincerely,
Carolien Demey
SIE President 2021-2023
Let’s unite for women and girls in Türkiye.
Donate to Soroptimist International of Europe Disaster Recovery Fund to help Soroptimists support victims of the earthquakes in Türkiye.
