Anguilla to be represented at International Soroptimist meeting

Mrs. Brenda Carty

The Conference is an opportunity to join members from the other 30 countries of the Federation to hear the results of a world-wide survey charting the impact of their campaigns and fund-raising. They will also be discussing ways of achieving their next major project which is finding ways to educate women for leadership. Among the speakers at the Conference are writer and broadcaster, Sandi Toksvig, and the founder of the campaign for female education in Africa, Ann Cotton.

Brenda Carty will be reporting specifically on activities of the Anguilla Club during the past year. These will include reports on meetings held to celebrate international days, environmental campaigns to save plastic, a health fair, educational programmes to assist children in reading and Spanish speaking residents, as well as support given to community members in need.

President of the Anguilla Club Olive Hodge said, “We know how important it is for women and girls to be afforded the chance to lead and take part in decision-making at local, national and international level and we try to assist wherever possible. We also know they need greater access to the skills necessary to take on such challenges, from basic literacy and numeracy to vocational training, preparation for democracy and governance plus other practical abilities.”

Soroptimist International has nearly 90,000 members in 124 countries around the world and has consultative status at the United Nations. The organisation was founded almost 90 years ago and seeks to change the lives of women and girls for the better by raising awareness and funding projects. During the past four years Soroptimists in the Federation of Great Britain and Ireland raised £1million to help train women for employment in Sierra Leone following the 20 year civil war in that country.