We are very proud that our Club project “Young sportsmen & healthy relationships” has been included in Soroptimist International’s influential and formative report to the United Nations’ High-Level Political Forum 2020.
“The Road to Equality: the SDGs, and Women and Girls” is the title of the latest Soroptimist International Report for the 2020 United Nations’ High-Level Political Forum (HLPF). The HLPF provides a critical opportunity to review progress to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
2020 is a key review year being the 5-year point after the SDGs were agreed. The aim of the SI report is to help the HLPF find ways of accelerating action to prevent women and girls being left behind.
The report showcases Soroptimist International’s approach. The projects in it demonstrate the innovations that SI members bring to their own communities, and in supporting countries on their pathways to sustainable development.
These areas, which affect the most marginalised women and girls in societies are all core areas of SI project (Programme Action) work.
- Forced, early and child marriage
- Human trafficking
- Female genital mutilation and cutting
- Education and training of women and girls
- Human rights of older women
- Domestic violence
The report focuses on the projects SI clubs and members carry out in order to build capacity within communities.
It is very wide ranging and a fascinating read. There is an extraordinary and diverse range of work being done at local, national and international level across the Soroptimist world.
At SI Lichfield & District we are especially proud to have had one of our key projects included in the report alongside many others of exceptional quality and depth.
Our “Young sportsmen & healthy relationships” project focuses on engaging young men as allies to achieve gender equality and help eliminate violence against women. You can read all about the first presentation of the project with young footballers here.
It’s a great example of the innovative partnership working that characterises Soroptimism, as the report says: “working with sports organisations and other community institutions can mean that messages of equality reach new groups and can engage people in new ways”.
There are many practical, apposite messages for the UN HLPF contained in this report, but perhaps the most powerful is this one:
“It is clear that investing in girls and women needs to be seen as equally important as investing in men and boys.”
Would you like to know more? For a copy of the report or to discuss any aspect of it, please get in touch with us.