Women for Global Action

The name Soroptimist comes from the Latin soror meaning sister, and optima meaning best.

Women’s participation in all areas of society is essential if we are to make big and lasting change; not only for women, but for all people.

Women and girls form a disproportionate share of people in poverty. They are more likely to face hunger, violence, and the impacts of disaster and climate change.

At Soroptimist International, we work to help women and girls reverse these disadvantages.

One of the major projects undertaken by the Oakland Club concerned the environment with legislative advocacy to “Save the Redwoods”– the great ancient trees which were being felled unmercifully. Soroptimists lobbied the legislature, took on the powerful lumber companies, and gained public support for the project.

The result was that a major portion of the redwoods were set aside in a protected reserve and still stand today. The Redwood Grove was subsequently purchased by Soroptimists.

Soroptimists believe that women’s contribution to the general preservation of the environment and to agriculture has never been fully realized or acknowledged. They are the silent partners in nurturing both environmental preservation and food consumption.

It has been universally acknowledged that women play a vital role in fostering plants, trees and everything that is grown out of Mother Earth. In all cultures there is some evidence of it in painting, sculpture, mythology and much more.

What better way to celebrate the first centenary of Soroptimists than to raise the profile of our Organisation and to help the environment #PlantTrees?

In this environmentally fragmented world, planting trees is the best way to combat climate change. Soroptimist International and its 70,000-plus membership have revisited their commitment to their organization and to the environment by focusing on trees.

See Solar Cook Solar

Ann Garvie, International President (2013-2015), chose ‘See Solar, Cook Solar’ as her President’s Appeal to help improve the lives of women, girls, and entire communities. The project was implemented at seven locations across Asia, Africa and Oceania during her tenure.

The project highlighted safety, minimised detrimental effects on the environment, and promoted sustainability. The availability of renewable energy improved significant educational and social benefits, and increased interaction within the community.

Women, Water and Leadership was the clarion call of SI President Mariet Verhoef-Cohen during her presidency. Her passion was for women and girls to manage water resources, and to gain professional careers in the water industry. This focus responds to one of the key global risks indicated by the World Economic Forum - water scarcity - and delivers specific contributions towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

Four projects were initiated and implemented in Kenya, Bulgaria, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

In 2015, members of SIGBI partnered with Child.org and CIFORD to deliver the Meru Women’s Garden Project over two years. SIGBI clubs improvised and innovated interesting projects as fundraisers.

The partnership aimed at mitigating the challenges of acute water shortage that the women of Meru faced. A regular supply of 3000-litre water jars donated by SIGBI gave the communities hope that their dry land could produce food, and saved the women their arduous trudge to fetch water.

Mangroves of the Sundarbans protect communities from extreme weather events. At a height of 6 to 10 meters, they have the ability to reduce the intensity of a Category 5 storm to a Category 3 storm, minimizing the force of cyclonic winds by around 60%.

Mangroves are great carbon sinks, helping to arrest the speed of climate change. They prevent coastal erosion, thus saving the land and homes of the marginalized coastal communities. Mangroves also provide the local people with much needed livelihood options through ecosystems that thrive within.

The watchword for humanity recovering from the pandemic is to Build Back Better but to face the mounting threats of climate change Build Back Green seems perfect. For every person a simple message for a simple action: One Tree at a Time.

The Soroptimist Representative at the United Nations Environment Programme Conference, relayed UNSG Antonio Guterres' warning that “the urgency for action has never been clearer”, adding that 2021 is a critical year to reset our relationship with nature.

The young are the bridge to a Brilliant Future. Soroptimists across the Federation have planned projects that reach younger communities to foster awareness. They are not the makers of environmental degradation; unfortunately, they are inheriting an environmentally impoverished planet.

We have held awareness sessions at schools and colleges, and conducted marches to drum home the message of global warming. Encouraging school children to plant and then nurture what they plant has sensitized them.