What is our purpose ?

Since 1921, Soroptimists have worked to improve the lives of women and girls and are committed to serving women and girls in local, national and international communities through our programme strategies. Soroptimists seek to be a global voice for women through awareness, advocacy and action.

Through Soroptimist International Quadrennial Programme of Service, projects are carried out in the areas of Human Rights and the Status of Women, through Education, Economic and Social Development, Environment, Health and International Goodwill and Understanding.

Soroptimist International members are encouraged to be aware of and involved in issues of society. They address a wide spectrum of women's concerns professionnally and voluntarily, working with all levels of civil society including states, governments, the UN system, non-governmental organisations, as well as other actors of civil society including business. SI is non-party-political and non-sectarian.

Partnerships

Soroptimist International holds

• General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council, United Nations (ECOSOC);
• Operational relations with the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organisation (UNESCO);
• Special List of the International Labour Organisation (ILO);
• Official Relations with the World Health Organisation (WHO);
• Official Relations with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO);
• Consultative Status with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).

Soroptimist International is also a Board member of CONGO and accredited to the Commonwealth. SI has representatives at the United Nations Centres in New York, Paris, Geneva, Vienna, Rome, Nairobi and the Regional Commissions. SI works in partnership as an international non-governmental organisation.

Commitment

Soroptimist International reaffirms its commitment in principle to the:

• Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action;
• Women 2000 Outcome Document;
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
• Convention on the Rights of the Child;
• UNCED Agenda 21 World Declaration and Plan of Action;
• Commission on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW);
• United Nations Millennium Development Goals;
• United Nations Global Compact.

Soroptimist International and its partners work together to help implement the objectives agreed by governments in these important documents.

For more information: www.soroptimistinternational.org and United Nations Organisation