The word
itself “Soroptimist” seems to be hard to pronounce for a lot of people. But it’s actually quite easy -- Sor and
Optimist. Soroptimist means “best for
women.” It is a global women’s service
organization began in 1921 in California and spread like fire throughout the
United States and then to Europe.
Soroptimist now has four federations, namely: Soroptimist of the Americas, of Great Britain/Ireland,
of Europe, and of the South West Pacific.
Most recently, women from all over the world converged on Istanbul,
Turkey, for the 20th international convention, with approximately
1,500 Soroptimist members attending from July 9 to 12, 2015, including me. Workshops held at the convention included “Slavery
in the 2lst Century” and “The Power of a Second Chance for Women.”
My
specific area is the Midwestern Region which encompasses the states of Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Kentucky, and we are all members of
Soroptimist International of the Americas.
There are approximately 721 members in those combined states as part of
32 clubs. Currently, my position is
Governor-Elect of the Midwestern Region.
In April 2016, my position will change to Governor of the Midwestern
Region for a two year term where my duties will be to lead Soroptimist members
of the Midwestern Region in their efforts to improve the lives of women and
girls locally and globally through programs leading to economic and social
empowerment for women and girls.
Soroptimist
members have been educating themselves about the problem of human
trafficking for approximately 10 years. It all began at a Soroptimist meeting in Grosse
Pointe, Michigan, where I met a survivor of human trafficking. Back then the term “human trafficking” was
just coming into existence. The story I heard that night was a story I had never heard before - of a young girl being trafficked as a child. You could hear a pin drop the entire time
this young woman spoke to a roomful of Soroptimist members.
Since
then, I have made it a point to attend as many events regarding human
trafficking as possible.
What affects me the most are the stories told by the survivors. The stories are real. The stories are believable yet
unbelievable. The stories told by young
women and girls is heart breaking and heart wrenching. How can this happen to our girls and women?
How can all of us prevent these things from happening to our girls? What can we do? The answer is that we must address the
problem of trafficking at both the global and local levels. The Soroptimists Stop Trafficking program can
help you! Here you can find a variety of
resources to educate yourself and to help you educate your community about
human trafficking and how you can take action to stop it.
Take Action:
- Visit the Soroptimists Stop Trafficking website and explore its resources.
- Join Soroptimist International in our fight against human trafficking and our ongoing efforts to empower women.
- Learn more about Soroptimist Midwestern Region or our national Soroptimist organization.
- Attend one of our conferences or invite us to host a workshop in your area.
- Finally, help Break the Silence by attending the Human Trafficking: A Closer Look Conference in Dearborn on October 15-16.
Vivian Walczesky is a Legal
Assistant, a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for abused and neglected
children, current Governor Elect of Soroptimist Midwestern Region, a Mediator
with the Michigan Southeastern Dispute Resolution Services, and former Board
Member for Friends of CASA and Monroe County Community College Alumni.
