Women’s International and Intergenerational Friendship Celebrated

Graduate House was the venue for a happy event on Saturday 24th June 2023 for members and friends of the Soroptimist International (SI) Melbourne Inc. Exactly 75 years after the formal chartering of the first Soroptimist group in the State of Victoria, this celebratory luncheon attracted sixty attendees ranging in age from 16 to 60 plus. The international friendship that is at the core of this significant Civil Society organisation was shown by attendees from the four corners of the globe and many long standing members who had the benefit of international friendship and visits.

The current world president Maureen Maguire (SI President 2022-23) was quoted about the work of Soroptimist International:

As Soroptimists we work to ensure the full participation of women and girls in society which is so critical to addressing the complete and daunting challenges that women in the world face today. We do this through our Advocacy, Awareness and Action at local, national and international levels. Education is a basic human right. It is one of the strongest instruments for reducing the many barriers that effect women and girls around the world today. Education increases a women's empowerment and an improved quality of life for not only her but for her future family; and one day hopefully, gender equality and equity.

President of SI Melbourne Shirley Reynolds opened proceedings by welcoming distinguished guests including:

• Theresa Lyford, President of SI Australia;

• The Hon. Diana Bryant AO KC, former Chief Justice of the Family Court and President of The Graduate Union Council;

• The Hon. Frances Millane, former Judge of the County Court of Victoria;

• Dr Meryl Davis, Associate Professor from the University of Melbourne School of Biosciences;

• Karen Thornton, Past President of SI Victoria Region;

• Dr. Christine Paton, Past President of SI South East Asia Pacific Region;

• Dr. Nouria Salehi AM, Founder and Executive Director of the Afghan Australian Development Organisation (AADO);

• Dr. Ya Hui Hung, Past recipient of the Dame Margaret Blackwood Scholarship 2004, member of SI Melbourne Club 2018, Niemann-Pick Disease Type C research;

• Mrs. Deanna Carpino, Past President, now Secretary of the Australian NPC Disease Foundation, Inc., which is supported by SI Melbourne Club.

President of SI Australia Theresa Lyford offered the toast to SI Melbourne’s 75 years of service, recalling the rapid growth of Soroptimist groups in Australia in the 1940s and 1950s after the significant visit of Soroptimist Mrs. Florence Rutter, who is remembered as one of the founders of Australasian Soroptimist Clubs for business women. Although widowed when young with four children to support, and no training whatsoever for a career, she quickly made a name in London as an organiser and built up a successful business. Forced to close her business during the war, she turned the force of her energies to welfare work, and to an organisation that would build bonds of friendship and service.

In each decade since the organisation was established, there have been different causes to be taken up. For this celebration, SI Melbourne have decided on dedicating this day to the Association of Women Judges, women in law and justice, safe haven for women judges, women in human rights, women at risk, peacekeepers, and the ongoing education and training of women who advocate for the basic rights for those at risk.

Judge France Millane, as the invited speaker, delivered an outstanding address on the work of The Australian and International Associations of Women Judges in support of the Afghani Women Judges. There are seventeen Afghan judges and families now in Australia. The Australian Associations of Women Judges (AAWJ) have had a number of activities to welcome the judges in both Melbourne and Sydney, with more to come. During Ramadan, the judges were able to participate in a number of community Iftar dinners to increase their connection with relevant community groups and support them during this important spiritual time. All of the Afghani Judges have at least one AAWJ member who has volunteered to be their partner judge and they are most appreciative of this.

The objectives of the Australian Association of Women Judges are:

1. to advance Women’s Rights to equal justice;

2. to increase the participation of women at all levels of the judiciary and the legal system; and

3. to promote education which contributes to the understanding and resolution of legal issues facing women.

It is possible to make a donation to the works of the AAWJ through the website https://www.aawj.org/ Dr Nouria Salehi AM responded to the address by speaking about past and current projects of the AADO to which proceeds from fundraising on 24th June were directed. AADO was established in 2002 by Dr Nouria, following many years of privately assisting Afghans to settle in Australia and raising funds to help families in Afghanistan. AADO is a voluntary, non-profit, non-government member organisation. Its primary purpose is to implement projects that assist in the reconstruction and sustainable development of communities within Afghanistan. Within Australia, AADO seeks to support the Afghan community.

AADO is registered with the ACNC, a member of the Australian Council for International Development and signatory to its Code of Conduct and registered with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for Deductible Gifts Recipient status, meaning donations to AADO are tax deductible. www.aado.org.au

The event culminated with SI Melbourne members Dr Christine Paton and Margaret Mitchell, each with 50 over years of service to Soroptimism, who were presented with bouquets. Christine and Maggie then cut the celebration cake for SI Melbourne’s 75 years.

There was a display of memorabilia offering a glimpse of the lives of the women who were charter members of the Melbourne Soroptimist club. Many of them were early graduates of the University of Melbourne including:

→ Miss Ellison Harvie, first women to be a registered architect in Victoria,

→ Mrs Joan Rosanove nee Lazarus, first women in Victoria to be appointed at Queen Counsel, and

→ Dr Jean Littlejohn Foundation President and clinical Dean of the Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and in 1947, the first woman elected to the Medical Faculty

→ Lucy Russell whose portrait was on display. Lucy Russell was a highly regarded member of the theatrical world: Back in 1930 it was reported that Miss Lucy Ahon, B.A. (Mrs McCowan Russell), was giving a recital of modern verse in the Queen's Hall on Saturday evening. Madame Ena Bennie and Miss Amy Dickenson were to introduce variety to the dramatic side of the entertainment. The box plan was to be on view at Glen's (Based on a Trove entry - The Women's World 28 November 1930 -A POPULAR FIGURE in the Little Theatre Movement).

Please note the dates for the monthly club meetings for the rest of 2023:

• Wednesday, July 26th - Hybrid (zoom/face-to-face).

• Wednesday, 23rd August - Hybrid (zoom/face-to-face).

• Wednesday, 27th September - face-to-face.

• Wednesday, 25th October - face-to-face.

• Wednesday, 22nd November - face-to-face.

• Monday 11th December - face-to-face.