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Advocacy
The Legislative Advocacy Committee's continuing objectives
based on the Soroptimist organization Strategic Plan will be to promote
and educate our members to continue to be aware of all issues having
political implications that pertain to women and girls. We continue to
campaign for the ratifying of CEDAW - The United Nations Treaty to
Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women both at the State
and Federal level.
This year we plan on devoting much of our time to continue promoting
awareness about trafficking of women and girls and helping to promote
legislation at the state level to convict those perpetrators
responsible.
Human Trafficking Seminar Report
Human trafficking is the recruitment, smuggling, abducting,
transporting, harboring, buying or selling of a person by means of
force, fraud, threats, or coercion for the purpose of labor or sexual
exploitation. Prostitution is not the oldest profession, it is the
oldest form of OPPRESSION in the world.
Legislative Advocacy Alert
Californians for Patient Care is a new nonprofit organization whose
mission is to ensure that the voice of the patient is heard in all
health care-related discussions. Women play a key decision-making role
in health care for their families. CPC wants to be sure the public is
educated about health care issues as to they are discussed by
policy-makers and various stakeholder groups. Relying on the news media
and stakeholder group rhetoric often leads to misinformation.
SOROPTIMIST LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY: A BRIEF HISTORY...
The Legislative Advocacy Committee's responsibilities are to keep
Soroptimsts informed of Legislation relating to Soroptimist International,
Federation and Region focuses. The committee coordinates the
accumulation of information on legislation relating to our six programs
of service:
- Economic and Social Development
- Education
- Environment
- Health
- Human Rights/Status of Women
- International Goodwill and Understanding
This includes ways to influence the legislative body considering the
proposed legislation. We thrive to promote club involvement through
A Policy Statement adopted by the International Board makes it very
clear that a Soroptimist may and certainly should engage in legislative
advocacy. Our Organization is concerned with all issues affecting the
welfare of all humanity, particularly in our adopted areas of the six
programs of service.
Constitutionally, Soroptimist is a service organization, not a
political group, and therefore does not support particular political
parties or religious groups.
However, Soroptimist International encourages all members to be aware
of and involved in the issues of society which have political
implications. Members should take positions of advocacy (through media,
addressing public meetings, contacting officials), and to act through
our adopted programs of work to influence the legislation and official
policies to which our programs relate.
Legislative Advocacy is standing up for a principle, supporting a
cause, and actively upholding the organization's objectives of high
ethical standards, international understanding, and support of human
rights. |
