Soroptimist International London Chilterns Region Human Rights Day celebration on Sat 7 Dec hit the spot for President Kate Belinis’ theme of “Impactful Women” for the Region year.
The United Nations Human Rights Day Theme for 2024 is: “Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now” https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day
Members were encouraged to wear something orange because Human Rights Day marks the end of the “Orange The World” campaign – 16 Days of Action to End Violence Against Women. As a bright and optimistic colour, orange represents a future free from the scourge that is violence against women and girls. www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/unite/orange-the-world
Our first impactful woman and keynote speaker for Human Rights Day was:
Kathleen Tripp: the title of Kathleen’s talk was: “Current issues for Neurodivergent Women and Girls in the UK.” Kathleen is a Senior Lecturer in SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and Inclusion at the University of Hertfordshire. Her interests include Neurodiversity, Social Justice, and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion.
Kathleen’s passion and love is autism, which came across in every word she spoke – please click here and read Kathleen’s presentation so you too can understand more: Kathleen Tripp Presentation HR Day
Kathleen was able to link her subject to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:
SDG4 Quality Education: This goal focuses on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. It emphasizes eliminating gender disparities in education and ensuring equal access for vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities. For Neurodivergent girls and women this is hindered by a lack of identification, late identification and lack of subsequent support that affects their education and ability to thrive in school.
SDG 5 Gender Equality: This goal aims to achieve gender equality and empower
all women and girls. It includes targets to eliminate discrimination and violence against women and girls, which is crucial for autistic women who often face additional barriers. For Neurodivergent girls and women this is hindered by increased likelihood of school non attendance due to anxiety and bullying. They also have a higher likelihood of violence due to vulnerability, dependence on caregivers.
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth: This goal promotes sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. It includes targets to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities, including autistic individuals. For Neurodivergent girls and women this is hindered by the dual discrimination as women in employment and the fact that autistic people are the least employed of all the categories of disability.
Kathleen asked if we’d noticed how plain her slides were – this is to aid neurodivergent viewers.
She took us through some of the myths of neurodiversity and the key issues which are underdiagnosis, mental health and school non-attendance.
Kathleen played this video called “Me, My Autism & I” – click here to view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Xtog_zRRJg
We were asked what this girl had that other less privileged may not have? She has a supportive family, the school is adaptive and even has a sensory room, people around her understand her, she has a white well-off family and she is beautiful.
Kathleen went through the reasons for underdiagnosis:
Autistic women and girls have characteristics that don’t fit with the traditional profile of autism.
Autism assessments are less sensitive to autistic traits more commonly found in women and girls.
Women and girls are more likely to ‘mask’ or camouflage their differences.
Autistic traits in girls are under-reported by teachers.
Kathleen left us with these useful links to more information.
https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/what-is-autism/autistic-women-and-girls https://spaceherts.org.uk/services/ https://findtheadhdgirls.org/
https://www.ndti.org.uk/news/rewriting-the-narrative
https://autisticgirlsnetwork.org/
https://autism.org/women-in-autism/ https://soyoureautistic.com/
One of our Members bravely shared that she has ADHD, and explained that it has a spectrum of traits that are different in girls/women to men/boys. One question about special interest hyper-focus led Kathleen to explain that it can lead to great achievements, happiness and wellbeing. Understanding strengths like categorisation and systemisation is a win-win for everyone. Kate Belinis thanked Kathleen on behalf of everyone and feedback from attendees in the Zoom chat was “Thank you so much!”, “Excellent”, “Brilliant and very helpful – thanks!”
After Kathleen’s presentation we had the Region Roll Call and received the Officer Reports for the Region (they had previously been circulated to Clubs). This part of the agenda was led by SI London Chilterns Region secretary Joanna Swift. Then we had a short break for coffee.
President Kate Belinis DL was chairing the event and led us to mark and reflect on Human Rights Day and the 76th Anniversary of the signing of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Kate is pictured here on Zoom with the Region’s Programme Action Officer Pamela Robertson who lit the candles to mark Human Rights Day.
Kate’s script is here:
Human Rights Day is observed annually around the world on 10 December. It commemorates the anniversary of one of the world’s most groundbreaking global pledges: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This landmark document enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being – regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
The Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 and sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected.
As a “common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations”, the UDHR is a global blueprint for international, national, and local laws and policies and a bedrock of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.
It is available in 577 languages, from Abkhaz to Zulu, making the UDHR the most translated document in the world.
2024 Theme: Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now.
Human rights can empower individuals and communities to forge a better tomorrow. By embracing and trusting the full power of human rights as the path to the world we want, we can become more peaceful, equal and sustainable.
This Human Rights Day we focus on how human rights are a pathway to solutions, playing a critical role as a preventative, protective and transformative force for good. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said, “Human rights are the foundation for peaceful, just, and inclusive societies.”
This year’s theme is a call to acknowledge the importance and relevance of human rights in our everyday lives. We have an opportunity to change perceptions by speaking up against hate speech, correcting misinformation and countering disinformation. This is the time to mobilise action to reinvigorate a global movement for human rights.
After this Kate lit a candle to remember those in the world who are still denied their human rights.
Angela Spellman from SI Newbury read movingly – click here for the script HR Day Reading 1 Taliban. A candle was lit to highlight the plight of women and girls who, having enjoyed freedom and education, have seen their rights so cruelly taken from them.
Margaret Badley from SI Bedford opened our eyes to what was happening in Iraq – click here for the script HR Day Reading 2 Iraq. A candle was lit to recognise the work of Soroptimists as we strive to stand up to the abuse and violence against women and girls, both here at home and across the world.
Lynne Tedik from SI Milton Keynes explained what a difference clean water can make to people’s lives – click here for the script HR Day Reading 3 Water Aid. The last candle was lit to celebrate the work of our partner organisations as we work together to ensure that women and girls enjoy their basic Human Rights.
We all then took a moment to reflect on what we had just heard, and why Human Rights Day is so important before hearing from our second keynote speaker.
Ashleigh Risely, was our second impactful woman speaker for Human Rights Day. Ashleigh is the Resettlement Coordinator, Refugee Council Hertfordshire’s Women’s Empowerment Project. Click here to read all about this wonderful project which Ashleigh presented to the group on Zoom Herts Women’s Empowerment Project . Ashleigh spoke passionately about her work on the Women’s Empowerment Project for Afghanistan refugees. The Refugee Council on Women’s Empowerment has provided: Education:
Guides on Maternity Care & Support, Missed Out Campaign. Employment:
Nextgen Programme. Empowerment: Mental Health Support for Refugee Women. Please view p14 of Ashleigh’s slides – the 8 point integration star – measuring where the women are with respect to these 8 areas: health and wellbeing, housing, money, practical English, education and work, family and children, community and connections, laws systems and services. The women have a lack of education and in Afghanistan much is the man’s role so they didn’t have to do it, making it even more challenging in a different country with different language and culture.. The Women’s Empowerment idea came about because women were finding it difficult to access ESOL, which they needed to make progress with anything else. Over the course of 2024, this project established 5 different Women’s Groups across Hertfordshire, with each serving a different purpose. Kate Belinis has been working with the Stevenage Group which is why she knew that Ashleigh would be a great speaker. Some of the women she has met had almost no education in Afghanistan, then came here with no support. Often the eldest child ended up taking massive responsibility because they learned English quickly at school – the children all go to school. Ashleigh told us proudly about how amazing some of the children are – one girl came to the UK age 16, and after 3 months took her GCSE in English and is now at University! How wonderful to hear such achievements from such appalling circumstances, as we heard earlier in the day about the crushing of women’s rights by the Taliban. Kate thanked Ashleigh on behalf of everyone and feedback in the Zoom chat included: “That was an amazing talk – and such great work”.
Finally we heard from Clubs about their “Orange the World” activities. From the 25 November, the UN international Day to End Violence Against Women to 10 December, Human Rights Day, Soroptimists join the United Nations Orange The World campaign – 16 Days of Activism to End Gender Based Violence. As a bright and optimistic colour, orange represents a future free from violence against women and girls. www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/unite/orange-the-world
SI St Albans and District #OrangeTheWorldHerts campaign 2024 was brighter and louder than ever! Everyone who joined in committed to CALL IT OUT ! saying NO! to violence against women – click here to read all about it: https://sigbi.org/st-albans-and-district/2024/orange24/
SI Hertford and District‘s recent Charity Quiz Night had an Orange theme – and the campaign was explained to all the guests with information resources on all the tables.
SI Thames Valley – they won photo of the month for their “Orange Café”, and had a stand on a Christmas market selling orange pomanders and bags for Women’s Aid.
SI Aylesbury – held an Orange Café at Bucks University with SIGBI cards and other materials available.
SI Milton Keynes – joined the White Ribbon Campaign with an orange stand for the 16 Days of Activism and have held an Orange Café every month.
There was no charge for joining this meeting, and it was wonderful to receive £115 in donations when people booked, for the SIGBI Diamond Education Grant https://sigbi.org/what-we-do/our-charities/deg/.