Soroptimist International is a volunteer organisation for women.
Through a global network of members and international partnerships, it works at a local, national and international level to educate, empower and enable opportunities for women and girls.
United Nations Anti-Trafficking Gift Box
The United Nations Gift Box is part of a global ‘Stop the Traffik’ campaign aimed at educating people about modern day slavery.
The unique gift box is an enormous vibrant piece of street art decorated with invites and promises and welcoming people inside.
Inside the sculpture, however, people are presented with a very different reality where sexual exploitation and human trafficking themes are illustrated.
The idea of the box is to raise awareness of the issue of human trafficking and encourage people to support the campaign.
It is an effective way of bringing this important issue into the heart of the community and encouraging those in need of support to gain the confidence to come forward.
The box is being hosted for the Soroptimist International and is being unveiled at the central City Library in Newcastle on Friday 4 March 2016.
It is the first time the Gift Box has been brought to the North East and in the support of this; the three North East Police and Crime Commissioners have agreed to provide funding for the transportation.
It is hoped that by bringing it to the North East area, there will be greater public awareness about human trafficking and the issues surrounding it.
‘Loves me Loves me not’ bookmarks
The Soroptimists Middlesbrough have been supporting a project involving the provision of ‘Loves me, Loves me not’ bookmarks.
The idea is to distribute them throughout the Cleveland to raise awareness of what is acceptable and what is unacceptable behaviour. The aim is to prevent violence against women and girls.
The bookmarks are of an educational nature. They allow young people to think carefully about their relationships and give advice on any warning signs.
Funding will enable bookmarks to be printed and circulated widely to a range of settings including schools, colleges, Teesside University, GP Surgeries and Libraries etc.
Both initiatives support the North East regional Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy by raising awareness and encouraging discussion of these issues.
Decision 28. Soroptimist International Middlesbrough funding (application, 223kB)