I recently had the honor to attend, “Marin Women of Change,” an event honoring women who have made a difference in Marin County. The event was hosted by Soroptimist International of Marin County. In 1921, in Oakland California, a time and place with communities plagued by poverty, women were not permitted to join male service organizations. A group of 80 women who wanted to volunteer to make a difference in their own communities decided to form the first Soroptimist club so they could do just that.

Today, Soroptimist is a global organization with nearly 1,275 clubs in 21 countries and territories, all working to improve the lives of women and girls facing poverty, violence, and teen pregnancy. They have their work cut out for them:

• Women represent 40 percent of the world’s labor force but hold just one percent of the world’s wealth.
• One in three women have been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused.
• More than 110 million children today are not in school and approximately 60 percent of them are girls.

Soroptimist strives to change these facts. Soroptimist means “best for women”—women at their best, working to help other women to be their best. Soroptimist values gender equality, empowerment, education, and diversity. In the year of the #metoo movement, where the movement for gender equality is rapidly accelerating, shedding light on what has gone on in the shadows for too many years, I was inspired to explore the work of this organization through my local Marin chapter.

Soroptimist’s local chapters participate in programs known as the Dream Programs. These programs are designed to ensure that women and girls not only have access to education and training but also to mentors and career education resources. Investing in women’s lives with the goal of producing a sustainable and measurable change in each of their lives is the mission of the Soroptimist organization.

In addition to the Dream Programs, Soroptimist also offers cash grants to fund local projects designed to assist women and girls in their own communities. Each year, Soroptimist awards more than $1.6 million to further access to higher education, childcare and daily needs like transportation. Awards have helped countless women and girls overcome poverty, domestic violence, and substance abuse.

One does not have to look far to observe the unique difficulties facing women and young girls. Right here in Marin, women still face domestic violence, poverty, substance abuse, and gender inequality. On the night of the event I attended, Soroptimist honored three women with its 2018 Ruby award. Each honoree had a story. Their stories showed how each had forged the way for other women like them within our own community. Women helping women—what Soroptimist is all about.

Visit www.marinsoroptimist.org for more information. Women who are interested in joining their local Marin Soroptimist club can contact siahq@soroptimist.org and reference this article.