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Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI)
This section is: SIGBI Work
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Human Rights and the Status of Women

At the Soroptimist International Convention in Glasgow in July earlier this year, Soroptimist representatives from all over the world had the opportunity to discuss our Programme Focus Goals for the next 4 years and a specific objective in the Programme area of Human Rights and the Status of women was identified as follows:-

Objective 2. End human trafficking and all forms of violence against women and girls

Soroptimists throughout the Federation have already been active in raising awareness, taking action and acting as advocates in relation to this objective. However many challenges still remain, where intimate partner violence is the most common form of violence against women and where globally over 2.5 million people are trafficked every year, fifty per cent of whom are children.

We can achieve our Goals by working effectively in partnership with other organizations and using the opportunity of United Nations international days to publicise our work. The following are some examples of opportunities for publicity and partnership. As always these suggestions are a menu not a prescription. If individual clubs, regions and national associations can take up some of these challenges then collectively we can support the theme of our Federation President, Marguerite Woodstock-Riley:

Be Bold. Think Big. Make a Difference

HUMAN RIGHTS AT 60

On 10 December 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The year 2008 it will be the 60th Anniversary of this Declaration. Under the Secretary General’s leadership there will be a UN system-wide advocacy campaign throughout the year. A website www.KnowYourRights2008.org to complement the UDHR60 campaign, launched on 10th December 2007, will be a market place of ideas about how to mark the anniversary and a source of information about the Universal Declaration. Visitors to the site will be invited to provide details of their special events, publications, illustrations, educational activities, performances, music and any other plans.

This anniversary presents an opportunity for Soroptimists to publicise work in the field of human rights. The end of the year coincides with the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women on 25th November and the 16 Days Campaign of Activism against Gender Violence (between 25th November and 10th December, Human Rights Day). Further information about the 16 Days Campaign is available at http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/16days/kit07/kit.html

END ALL FORMS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS

Kofi Annan, the outgoing UN Secretary General’s Report on Violence against Women was published in November 2006. It is a comprehensive, authoritative, evidence-based survey with recommendations for member countries to adopt in order to reduce violence against women in all its forms. An executive summary and the full report are available to download at: - http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/vaw/SGstudyvaw.htm

Other organizations working in this field include:-

END HUMAN TRAFFICKING

The following organisations are all working to end this evil trade, which is modern day slavery

Global coalition of over 800 member organizations from over 50 countries, working together to fight against people trafficking

Patricia McChesney,

Assistant Programme Director,

Human Rights and the Status of Women

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APD Profile

Portrait of Pat McChesney

Pat McChesney is the Assistant Programme Director for Human Rights and the Status of Women

I have been a Soroptimist since 1989 and I am currently a member of SI Chichester and District in Southern England. I have recently transferred from SI Durham in Northern England and have welcomed the friendship that Soroptimism brings when transferring clubs. I have been a club president and Programme Action officer and then went on to be Chair of the UK Programme Action Committee and Regional President of Northern England, before taking up the post of Assistant Programme Director in 2004.

I am now entering my final year as APD and during this time I have been heartened to read all your Programme Reports relating to human rights and the status of women. The new Programme Focus is very specific 'End human trafficking and all forms of violence against women and girls' and to date clubs have undertaken much Programme work in this field. Since I started in this role human trafficking and violence against women and girls have moved much further up the political agenda, but we must continue to raise awareness, take action and act as advocates. I look forward to reading more of your reports on the new online database.

I have twenty five years experience as a University Careers Adviser at the universities of Durham. Northumbria and Sussex. During this time I have met undergraduates and graduates of all nationalities and ages, many of whom are interested in international development and human rights

When not involved in work or Soroptimism my interests include being a school governor, a member of Amnesty International, arts and crafts and maintaining a garden and an allotment for fresh vegetables. My family – my sister and my grown-up son – live in the south of England, so I have enjoyed seeing more of them since my move.