One of the biggest women’s conferences in the UK, took place in Birmingham last week as over 400 Soroptimists gathered together.
On 31 October to 2 November, the charity – which has consultancy status at the United Nations and over 5,000 members across the Federation – held its 91st conference at the Birmingham Conference & Events Centre.
Soroptimists campaign widely for equality on issues such as gender-based violence, gender pay inequality, period poverty, and female safety. This annual conference aimed to celebrate its impact over the past 12 months.
In this time, Soroptimists have delivered 1,100 new projects across 19 countries in Europe, Asia and the Caribbean, donated 38,500 volunteer hours, supported 82,000 women and girls directly, raised £420,000 to fund local and international initiatives, and seen a 10% uplift in new members.
The conference, which saw a keynote by Professor Suzie Imber, a British planetary scientist, shined a spotlight on awareness, advocacy and action as its themes for the three days.
Esteemed speakers also included Shazia Choudhry, an expert on European Human Rights and Family Law, who delivered a talk on ‘The Family Justice Response to Domestic Abuse’.
Ruth Healey, Outgoing President of Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland, said: “We’re so proud of the work our members have carried out over the last year.
“The goal of all our projects is to stand up for women and girls, advocating for equal rights, opportunities, and representation. Our volunteers have shown extraordinary commitment and creativity in a year of celebration and challenge.
“It’s been incredible to see what we’ve achieved together.”
During this year, Soroptimists kickstarted a campaign for mandatory Gender Impact Assessments (GIAs) to be part of government policy. Throughout this work, the charity has encouraged organisations of all types to also implement GIAs to ensure that decision making processes are fair for men and women in all areas.
This work will continue in 2026, along with the charity’s relaunched ‘Women’s Safety on Railways’ survey which revisits their 1996 report, ‘The Future of the Railways’. This was published almost 30 years ago after the charity investigated personal safety on trains.
Soroptimists have carried out new surveys, covering over 400 British railway stations in different parts of the country, again, to assess the visibility of railway staff, emergency help points, and station signage, and to evaluate the clarity and quality of safety information.
The conference referenced these upcoming campaigns and provided the charity space to share its annual Best Practice Awards, which celebrated the project work of its members and showcased a dedication to improving the lives of women and girls around the world.
As the conference ended, the charity shared its Change of Insignia as outgoing President, Ruth Healey, gave her chains to incoming President, Gillie O’Rourke.
Gillie O’Rourke, Incoming President of Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland, said: “When I rejoined my mother club SI Bristol in 2011, I did not expect that I would be standing here some 14 years later in front of a terrifyingly inspirational group of women, as President.
“Throughout history, women like our Soroptimists have fought against the odds, rising to prominence in science, politics, literature, business, and activism. They have refused to be silenced, proving time and again that gender is not a limitation but a source of power. So let us continue to celebrate, support, and champion women – today and every day.
“I am very proud to be working with members to progress all of the amazing work they do in support of women and girls.”
Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland has over 5,000 Members in almost 250 Clubs in 18 countries and they work at a local, national and international level to educate, empower and enable women and girls.
Learn more here: https://sigbi.org/2025/2025-annual-report-our-year-in-numbers/