{"id":10998,"date":"2025-05-13T16:14:14","date_gmt":"2025-05-13T15:14:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sigbi.org\/st-albans-and-district\/?p=10998"},"modified":"2025-05-19T17:02:57","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T16:02:57","slug":"ann-beatty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sigbi.org\/st-albans-and-district\/2025\/ann-beatty\/","title":{"rendered":"Ann Beatty – Steve Sinnott Foundation Education projects and UN CSW 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

SI St Albans & District Member Ann Beatty was the speaker at the Club Meeting on Zoom on Mon 12 May. Many of our Club Members were unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances, so we decided to hold meeting on Zoom. It worked really well as an informal session which was more like a conversation with friends.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Ann is the Chief Executive of the Steve Sinnott Foundation https:\/\/www.stevesinnottfoundation.org.uk,<\/a> a charity working on education projects around the world, supported by the Club, Soroptimist Yorkshire Region and now by our umbrella organisation, Soroptimist International. She gave us an update on the work of the charity, in particular projects supported by the Soroptimist International Foundation https:\/\/www.soroptimistinternational.org\/soroptimist-international-foundation<\/a>\/. Ann also told us about her experience of attending the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) online this year.<\/p>\n

The Steve Sinnott Foundation (SSF) has the strap-line \u201cChanging Lives Through Education\u201d<\/strong>. The charity works with teachers and educators to deliver projects that progress the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 – ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.<\/p>\n

Please click here to download and view Ann’s slides from the evening: SSF – SISTSA Presentation May 2025<\/a>
\nAnn started by talking about access to education<\/strong>. SSF works with partners and people on the ground in countries like The Gambia, Ghana, Cuba, Haiti, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Nepal. SSF tries to provide whatever that particular country and area they are working on needs. In The Gambia bicycles are helping kids get to school. \u201cPositive Periods\u201d programmes teach women to make reusable sanitary pads \u2013 this leads to conversations about improving women\u2019s health, and ending violence against women and girls.
\nSSF provides resources for educators<\/strong> – access to a wide range of professional development materials, digital connectivity and online courses, curriculum materials, books and creative media for teachers and students.
\nEducation dialogue<\/strong> is important \u2013 one reason why Ann wanted to attend CSW is that SSF believes that none of the UN Sustainable Development Goals are attainable without the provision of education.
\nSSF has received a grant of \u00a340k from the SI Foundation<\/a> for gender-based violence and positive periods projects in Nepal and Haiti.
\nThe SSF is currently working on a project called \u201cDignity Defenders\u201d in South Africa where they are engaging men and boys in conversations about what they can do to prevent gender-based-violence.
\nAt this point Ann paused for questions.
\nQ: How do you measure success?
\nA: with surveys, people on the ground observing what\u2019s happening in communities, look at the changes over 6 months, number of children going to school, testimonies e.g. from girls feeling more confident.
\nQ: what are the sizes of the groups?
\nA: it can be 100! In Ghana they had a positive periods programme that ran over 3 days and they were swamped \u2013 they had people turn up who hadn\u2019t booked, but had found out and wanted to attend and they didn\u2019t turn anyone away. In Haiti events were held in churches and community centres with smaller groups. For Cuba the training was done with videos and WhatsApp. In Haiti two of the students became so skilled with sewing that they are now making school uniforms as a business.
\nQ: How much are the bicycles, and how are they maintained?
\nA: \u00a375, they are bought in country which is empowering that economy. The students have puncture repair kits and learn how to maintain the bikes.
\nQ: What is the reaction from governments? Any backlash?
\nA: not so far \u2013 SSF is always learning and is a culture-sensitive organisation. They work with NGO\u2019s and Teachers\u2019 Unions and have met with governments when asked to. They make sure that girls always benefit for example making sure that not just boys get bicycles.<\/p>\n

Next Ann spoke about her experience attending UN Commission on the Status of Women<\/strong> online in March this year. She said it had definitely given her the impetus to attend in person another time. There were lots of technical problems \u2013 but she wasn\u2019t surprised considering the numbers of people involved in joining online and hooking up to the live venues in New York. She was able to do a lot of useful networking \u2013 sharing information with other NGO\u2019s and having interesting discussions in online \u201cchats\u201d. Ann wants to stay in contact with the UK group that attended.
\nShe attended an event about the importance of digital connectivity. She heard some appalling first-hand stories from a session on menstruation and women\u2019s health.
\nShe was pleased to report that people attending seemed to be open, honest and positive.
\nQ: a criticism is that everyone who attends already agrees what the issues are and the challenge is involving those who don\u2019t acknowledge the problems.
\nA: with the number of people there it is difficult for voices to be heard, especially if they disagree.
\n\"UN<\/a>Q: there was a quote following CSW that \u201cthe world is at a crucial crossroads for women\u2019s equality” \u2013 how responsive was the UK delegation to this?
\nA: very \u2013 the focus was on 6 priorities aimed at advancing gender equality: the digital divide, freedom from poverty, gender-based violence, decision-making processes, conflict resolution, and climate justice.
\nIt was noted that Bridget Phillipson MP is UK Secretary of State for Education and the Minister for Women and Equalities since July 2024.
\nQ: Human Rights and Women\u2019s Rights have been going backwards.
\nA: this was discussed, along with conflict, the increase in right wing governments, the Trump administration. Ann reflected that sadly she she didn\u2019t think she had heard anything new, innovative or progressive to tackle the problems facing women and girls.
\nOverall CSW resonated with the work of SSF. There is so much to be done around the world and although small they can make a difference. They need to stay focused, knowing that they are doing the right things, working with people on the ground, creating opportunities and improving the self-esteem of women and girls.<\/p>\n

Everyone thanked Ann for her informative open and frank talk (as always).<\/p>\n

You may like to read the SSF magazine called “Engage”\u00a0 just click here to read the latest magazine and sign up to receive news : https:\/\/www.stevesinnottfoundation.org.uk\/engage<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SI St Albans & District Member Ann Beatty was the speaker at the Club Meeting…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":11000,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[473,12,60,11,206,475,13,111,99],"class_list":["post-10998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-club-news","category-club-projects","tag-ann-beatty","tag-soroptimist","tag-soroptimist-international","tag-st-albans","tag-st-albans-and-district","tag-steve-sinnott-foundation","tag-women","tag-womens-group","tag-womens-organisation"],"yoast_head":"\nAnn Beatty - Steve Sinnott Foundation Education projects and UN CSW 2025 | News | Blog | Events | SI St Albans and District<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"SI St Albans and District : Blog & News : Ann Beatty - Steve Sinnott Foundation Education projects and UN CSW 2025 : Keep up to date with the latest news, articles and events from the Soroptimists of SI St Albans and District . 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