From the Soroptimist Archives – In 1946 Soroptimists held a reception for delegates to UN conferences, which included Eleanor Roosevelt, and in 1948, the Soroptimist International Association was awarded Consultative status with UNESCO. The Association was awarded category C Consultative status with ECOSOC (Economic & Social Council, United Nations) in 1950. In 1952 the governing body of Soroptimist International was founded, as it is today. In 1966, UNICEF granted consultative status to Soroptimist International for service projects for children and in 1975, Soroptimists attended the First UN World Conference on Women which was held in Mexico City.  Soroptimist International was granted Category 1 Consultative status (now General Consultative Status) with ECOSOC, in 1984.

From Material written by Past International President Patsy Daniels and Dawn Marie Lemonds – In 1995, 189 Member States of the United Nations (UN) came to Beijing for the 10-day Fourth World Conference on Women (4WCW) to ratify the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA), which was to become the blueprint for women’s equality around the world. This historic event was the culmination of decades of work by governments and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), working together to ensure women’s inclusion in every aspect of government and society. Members of Soroptimist International stood together as part of the NGO community, participating every step of the way to ensure that issues important to women and girls were included in the Beijing Platform for Action.  Past President Patsy was one of the Soroptimist members to speak.