Soroptimist International of the Americas Projects

Disaster Recovery Fund for Women and Girls

Soroptimist's Disaster Recovery Fund for Women and Girls targets the special needs of women and girls during natural and man-made disasters. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable during disasters and lack access to resources. They also have special abilities to respond to disasters, which is often overlooked. Soroptimist's disaster relief program mitigates the barriers facing women and girls during disasters.

Soroptimist grants funds to local clubs for use in communities needing disaster relief. Funds are pooled from voluntary contributions sent in from Soroptimist members throughout the world.

Soroptimist recently disbursed disaster relief grants to: the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to support Iraqi educational programs for returning women refugees; the Ramona, California, Soroptimist club to help women recovering from the fires in Southern California; and women in El Chaco, Ecuador, to help rebuild the community's farming infrastructure following an earthquake.

To continue assisting women affected by Hurricane Katrina, Soroptimist funded a research project conducted by the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR). The study, titled "Women in the Wake of the Storm: Examining the Post-Katrina Realities of the Women of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast," was released at a congressional briefing in Washington, D.C. Read the executive summary of the IWPR study, or view the news release announcing the study's results and Soroptimist's plans to continue supporting women in the Gulf Coast.

To learn more about Soroptimist's Disaster Recovery Fund, visit http://www.soroptimist.org/SIA/Content/NavigationMenu/AboutUs/Programs/DisasterRelief/default.htm.

 

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