What do a lawyer, four doctors, an IT consultant, a dietician, a home-maker and a dozen more women from different callings in Bangalore have in common? They are all members of Soroptimist International of Bangalore which is a motley group of 26 women from various professions holding responsible positions, who have got together for a social cause. Ours is the 13 th club in India to be affiliated to the sisterhood of the international voluntary body based in Great Britain and Ireland.

 

Soroptimist International is a worldwide organisation for women in management and the professions, working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women. The word Soroptimist comes from the Latin words soror meaning "sister" and optima meaning "best", and loosely translates as "best for women".

 

Soroptimist International was founded in 1921, when eighty women formed the first Soroptimist club in Oakland, California. Since then, membership has grown to nearly 95,000 women across the world. This makes us the world's largest classified service organisation for women.

 

Each Soroptimist International club is based in a geographical area, such as a town or city. Club members meet locally on a regular basis. These clubs are grouped into Regions or National Associations, and grouped further into the four Federations. These Federations are Great Britain and Ireland, the Americas, Europe, and the South West Pacific.

 

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