Our History
Brief history of the Soroptimist International (SI)
Where we come from...
Founded in 1921
Since the founding of the very first Soroptimist club in Oakland, California in 1921, Soroptimist International (SI) has sought to bring about change to the lives of women and girls worldwide. Through its global network of four Federations and its dedicated volunteer membership of over 75,000, SI is driven by its mission of transforming lives through education, empowerment and by enabling opportunities.
Rooted in the vision that women and girls will achieve their individual and collective potential, SI’s advocacy work and on-the-ground projects seek to drive the realisation of these aspirations and ensure that women and girls have an equal voice in creating strong and peaceful communities, now and in the future.
The name Soroptimist was coined from the Latin soror meaning sister, and optima meaning best. And so Soroptimist is perhaps best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Rooted in the vision that women and girls will achieve their individual and collective potential, SI’s advocacy work and on-the-ground projects seek to drive the realisation of these aspirations and ensure that women and girls have an equal voice in creating strong and peaceful communities, now and in the future.
The name Soroptimist was coined from the Latin soror meaning sister, and optima meaning best. And so Soroptimist is perhaps best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
In 1921, the first Soroptimist club, Alameda County was formed in California with over 80 business and professional women from in and around the city of Oakland. With Violet Richardson as the first President, back then the first club, which changed its name to SI Oakland in 1928, met weekly, debating service projects and hearing speakers on various worldwide issues that would broaden members’ horizons.
The first project was to ‘Save the Redwoods’ – the great ancient trees which were being felled and the club lobbied the legislature, taking on powerful lumber companies, and winning public support, which resulted in a major portion of the forest being set aside as protected land, that still exists today. Additional Soroptimist clubs soon followed along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, amounting to 15 clubs with 5 years, with a growing concern for women in their communities.
A similar club was established in Britain, and here the first project sought to befriend girls who had no mothers and support a local Children’s Society to establish an open-air hospital school. Despite their similarity, neither club knew of the other and as similar clubs began forming in other cities, all without knowledge of each other, a seed was sown and a global membership was taking shape.
In 1924 Suzanne Nöel founded Soroptimist International of Paris, the first Soroptimist club in Europe using her worldwide lecturing series to share the Soroptimist concept and messages, prompting the establishment of clubs all over Europe. Nöel later became the first President of the European Federation.
1928 saw the Foundation of both the American and the European Federations and a Soroptimist International Association was created to provide a link between the Federations.
In 1934, Europe and Great Britain & Ireland were to form separate Federations and during this decade many service projects were taken on, such as vocational training for women and children, housing for the disadvantaged, assistance for the sick and disabled, and the caring of refugees. Australia joined the network in 1937 with the first of its clubs forming in Sydney, Eastern Australia.
How We Help
We Help Women Fulfil their Potential!
Soroptimists Educate,
Empower, Enable