Soroptimist International d'Europe

General information

Welcome to the official page of Soroptimist International of Europe.

Seeking ‘the best for women’
Educating women and girls to become leaders, empowering them to achieve their fullest potential, enabling them to use their skills to secure a better life for themselves and their communities – this and more is what defines Soroptimist International (SI) and its some 90,000 members around the world. Founded in Oakland, California in 1921, this service organisation of women in business and professions now boasts more than 3,000 clubs in 125 countries and territories.

The name Soroptimist was coined from the Latin soror meaning sister and optima meaning best. Over the years and on all five continents, Soroptimists have been striving to achieve ‘the best for women’ in every sphere of their lives. Through its global network of members, international partnerships and work at all the major centres of the United Nations as a non-governmental organisation with general consultative status to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), SI helps to ensure that the voices of women and girls are included in international decision-making and policy setting. ‘Educate to Lead’ is SI’s overarching programme of work and the focus of many projects.

Soroptimist International of Europe

Soroptimist International is structured in four Federations – the Americas (www.soroptimist.org), Europe (www.soroptimisteurope.org), Great Britain & Ireland (www.soroptimist-gbi.org) and South West Pacific (www.siswp.org ) – each comprised of Unions/Regions and Clubs. French plastic surgeon Dr Suzanne Noël founded the first SI club in Europe in Paris in 1924. Subsequently became the president of the Soroptimist International of Europe (SIE), established in 1930. Today, SIE consists of some 35,000 members in more than 1,200 clubs in 58 countries.

SIE has representatives with participatory status at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, is a member of the European Women’s Lobby in Brussels and is represented at the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Vienna and Prague.

Helping to transform lives

Also in partnership with other organisations, Soroptimists implement projects at local, national and international levels to educate, empower and enable women and girls to realise their potential in leading and decision-making. These efforts can range from providing basic skills and creating a better understanding of water and food security to funding vocational training or offering microcredits to secure a livelihood. SIE scholarships help women attain higher qualifications in their chosen fields, and allocations from the Action Fund support humanitarian projects and promote educational programmes for women. Disaster Recovery grants offer long-term relief to women and children in extreme need after catastrophes.