Soroptimist International is a global volunteer movement working together to transform the lives of women and girls with nearly 80,000 Members in 124 countries. Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI) has 7000 Members in 320 Clubs in 29 countries including Great Britain, Ireland and countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Malta, who work at a local, national and international level to educate, empower and enable opportunities for women and girls. Join the 80,000 Soroptimists worldwide, the majority of whom belong to their local Club, where they can make friends with like-minded women, have fun and work on projects that help improve the lives of women and girls locally, nationally and internationally. As a member of SIGBI you can have fun and work on projects that help improve the lives of women and girls locally, nationally and internationally. Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI) has 7000 Members in 320 Clubs in 29 countries including Great Britain, Ireland and countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Malta, who work at a local, national and international level to educate, empower and enable opportunities for women and girls. International Women’s Organisation Improve lives of women and girls Meet like minded members Opportunities to travel abroad Opportunities to volunteer Annual conference & meetings View our online magazine Access to Members’ Rewards Portal A three year SIGBI Project (2019-2022) in partnership with ChoraChori, to provide security, rehabilitation, education and training for vulnerable girls in Nepal. The project target is to educate and train girls, providing them with education and vocational training and create a sustainable 30-bed facility which will act as a safe and secure halfway house.
This Project ran from 2016 – 2019 and worked with the organisation CHILD.org. It provided an agricultural training programme to develop women’s skills enabling them to build a sustainable income to support their families. It was so successful that it was extended to provide nutritional classes for pregnant young women.
Every three years Clubs are invited to submit a project to be chosen as the Federation Project. All members have the opportunity to vote for the Project they prefer. To be selected it must address a number of Sustainable Development Goals and leave a lasting legacy in the locality. Delivery is ensured by working with partner organisations to ensure that targets are met.
Each President of Soroptimist International has an appeal lasting for their two year term of office, supported by all four Federations. The 2019 – 2021 appeal is “Road to Equality”, which aims to advance the human rights and equality of women and girls through empowerment and education.
“Being a Soroptimist brings close ties to other Members, developing long lasting friendships. I feel worthiness by contributing my time and efforts helping the community.” “I believe that young women should join because we can no longer sit by and allow injustice to be unchallenged” “If you enjoy the friendship of a group, enjoy trying to make the world a better place, join!” “Join and make a meaningful contribution to affecting the lives of women and girls around the world” I attended the 4 days of the Soroptimist International Board Meeting from Monday 27th July… Gender Balance/Equity Gender balance refers to “an equitable distribution of life’s opportunities and resources between… I am pleased that I can write my first blog for SIGBI for World Day… Please find a selection of Frequently Asked Questions that may help you, if you have further questions, please contact us. The name Soroptimist was coined from the Latin soror meaning sister, and optima meaning best. Soroptimist is perhaps best interpreted as ‘the best for women’. From the founding of the first Soroptimist club in Oakland, California, in 1921, through to the present day where over 3000 Clubs are flourishing throughout the world, Soroptimists have continued to strive to achieve ‘the best for women’ in every sphere of their lives. We are an international women’s movement and together our Members are a global voice for women. Our achievements have a huge impact on the lives of women and girls. We are an organisation with special consultative status at the United Nations (UN) through the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). In addition we make friends and have fun! Member benefits include: The opportunity to contribute to improving the lives of women and girls by doing projects with other women 1) Club Membership Join a local Club, attend regular meetings and events and participate fully in their project work which is local, national and international whilst enjoying close friendships forged through regular Club attendance. Interested? You can search for your nearest Club or if you know your local Club complete the online form. Then hold tight, your local Club will be in touch soon. If there isn’t a Club in your area, why not start one? Contact the SIGBI Membership Officer sally@sigbi.org to find out more. 2) Linked Membership Is for women who want to be “Linked” to and involved with what’s happening in a particular Club but due to their geographical location or personal circumstances they cannot physically attend a Club’s regular meetings. With this form of membership you can still get involved with Club projects and social events when you can. 3) Associate Membership Associate Membership is open to women who believe in what we do, want to be involved, but can’t commit to Club Membership. You will learn about our organisation and get involved in our project work to improve the lives of women and girls through our magazine, website, social media and email updates. This is an online membership although Members can attend our annual conference and may be invited to attend local Club and regional events. To join a local Club, attend regular meetings and events and participate fully in their project work which is local, national and international whilst enjoying close friendships forged through regular Club attendance. Interested? You can search for your nearest Club or if you know your local Club complete the online form. Then hold tight, your local Club will be in touch soon. If there isn’t a Club in your area, why not start one? Contact the SIGBI Membership Officer, please visit: https://sigbi.org/get-involved/membership/ To contact Soroptimist International Great Britain & Ireland (SIGBI) or for information about how to join, please fill in the enquiry form. For urgent matters, please call our head office:
Make That Difference
Have fun and work on projects that help improve the lives of women and girls locally, nationally and internationally.
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About Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI)
Educate. Empower. Enable
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SIGBI Member Benefits
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Federation Projects
Empowering Girls in Nepal
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Meru Women Garden Project
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Selection of Projects
International President’s Appeal
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Making A Difference Worldwide
109403
Women & Girls Helped
80000
Soroptimists Worldwide
7673
SIGBI Members
320
SIGBI Clubs Worldwide
Aminatta LR Ngum
SI Banjul, The Gambia
Lydia
SI Widnes, UK
Peggy
SI Beckenham, UK
Caron da Silva
Pretoria, South Africa
Recent Articles
President Isobel’s August 2020 Message
Programme Director’s August 2020 Message
World Day Against Trafficking in Persons – 30 July 2020 (Kim Ann Williamson)
Frequently Asked Questions
The opportunity to meet Soroptimists in other countries when travelling abroad
Access to our Members’ Rewards Portal, which has selected offers for Members which change every few weeks
Access to our online magazine, issued four times a year
The opportunity to attend our annual Conference, Regional Conferences and Club Meetings
Contact SIGBI
+44 (0)161 480 7686
