About SIGBI
About SI
Soroptimist International is a worldwide organisation for women in management and the professions, working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women. The word Soroptimist comes from the Latin words soror meaning "sister" and optima meaning "best", and loosely translates as "best for women".
SI History
Soroptimist International was founded in 1921, when eighty women formed the first Soroptimist club in Oakland, California. Since then, membership has grown to nearly 95,000 women across the world. This makes us the world's largest classified service organisation for women.
SI Structure
Each Soroptimist International club is based in a geographical area, such as a town or city. Club members meet locally on a regular basis. These clubs are grouped into Regions or National Associations, and grouped further into the four Federations. These Federations are Great Britain and Ireland, the Americas, Europe, and the South West Pacific.
Our Federation
Countries
Our Federation, the Federation of Great Britain and Ireland, comprises 398 clubs in 30 countries:
- Anguilla;
- Antigua and Barbuda;
- Bangladesh;
- Barbados;
- Cameroon;
- Gambia;
- Grenada;
- Guernsey;
- India;
- Isle of Man;
- Jamaica;
- Jersey;
- Malawi;
- Malta;
- Mauritius;
- Nigeria;
- Pakistan;
- Republic of Ireland;
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines;
- Seychelles;
- Sierra Leone;
- South Africa;
- Sri Lanka;
- Trinidad and Tobago;
- Turks and Caicos Islands;
- Uganda;
- United Kingdom;
- Zimbabwe.
Membership
Members are women of all ages, cultures and ethnic groups, who join their local clubs to give service to others. Each club identifies the needs of its community, then establishes specific projects to address those needs.
Structure
The majority of clubs within our Federation belong to either a Region or a National Association. These are:
- Caribbean;
- Cheshire, North Wales and Wirral;
- India;
- Jamaica;
- London Anglia;
- London Chilterns;
- Midland Arden;
- Midland Chase;
- Midland East;
- Nigeria;
- Northern England;
- Northern Ireland;
- North West England and the Isle of Man;
- Republic of Ireland;
- Scotland North;
- Scotland South;
- South Africa;
- South East England;
- Southern England;
- South Lancashire;
- South West and Channel Islands;
- Trinidad and Tobago;
- Turks and Caicos Islands;
- Wales South;
- Yorkshire;
- Zimbabwe.
Clubs in the following countries do not belong to a Region or National Association:
- Bangladesh;
- Cameroon;
- Gambia;
- Malawi;
- Malta;
- Mauritius;
- Pakistan;
- Seychelles;
- Sierra Leone;
- Sri Lanka;
- Uganda.
Ultimately, together, these groups of clubs form the Federation of Great Britain and Ireland.