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Soroptimist International South West Pacific

Leadership for Impact: Turning Learning into Action in Fiji

SISEAP Leadership for Impact Course • Fiji

16 Soroptimist members from SI Suva, SI Lautoka, SI Ba and SI Sigatoka

Building confident leaders across Fiji

Sixteen Soroptimist members from clubs across Fiji have completed the six-week online SISEAP Leadership for Impact Course. The course was designed to strengthen the skills needed to lead change in a volunteer organisation—where influence, communication, collaboration and shared purpose are often more powerful than formal authority.

Participant feedback shows that the course was not simply well received; it prompted members to think differently about leadership and, importantly, to identify practical actions they can take at club level. Their responses point to a strong common theme: effective Soroptimist leadership is about listening, empowering others, communicating clearly and turning the mission into action.

The Fiji cohort demonstrates the value of investing in leadership development across Soroptimist clubs. Participants left with more than new concepts: they identified specific behaviours, relationships and actions they intend to put into practice. Their focus on listening, empathy, communication, advocacy, collaboration and practical action reflects the kind of leadership that can strengthen clubs while keeping the mission of improving the lives of women and girls at the centre.

The next course with participants from New Guinea is due to start on 12th September.

From learning to leadership to impact

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Missed "Tea with SISEAP President Anthea Penny" Webinar?

If you weren't able to join SI SEAP Sisters Online live, you can now watch the recording below.

As part of The Knowledge Exchange webinar series presented by SISEAP Sisters Online, this engaging and informal session featured SISEAP 2026–2028 President Anthea Penny.

Hosted by Yvonne, the conversation explored Anthea's background, what inspired her to become a Soroptimist, and her vision and priorities for the Federation throughout her 2026–2028 presidential biennium. The session also included an interactive question-and-answer segment, giving attendees the opportunity to hear directly from Anthea.

Whether you're a long-time member or new to Soroptimist, this webinar offers a wonderful opportunity to get to know our President and learn more about her aspirations for the future of Soroptimist South East Asia Pacific.

We invite you to watch the recording below and enjoy this insightful conversation.

The Knowledge Exchange.  

SISEAP Sisters Online offers a webinar series exploring diverse topics. In support of SI President Renata's theme of "Her Health Our Future", and SISEAP President Anthea's campaign "Her Health Our Wealth", the following webinars explore health.

The 2026 Knowledge Exchange Health Series

  1. SIANZ National Project: Heal the Teal: Reduce the Impact of Ovarian Cancer.  Presenter Yvonne Simpson QSM will explore the successes and challenges with planning, monitoring and reporting that helped earn this project a Best Practice Award 2026.  Sunday 9 August. 2pm AEST. 
  2. K9 Medical Detection: Pauline Blomfield, CE K9MD, will share the cutting edge and unique research and training they are doing with dogs to detect the early stages of Ovarian Cancer. Sunday 13 September at 2pm AEST
  3. An Introduction to Brain Health supporting Mental Wellbeing with Karyn Chalk, Director of Changing Ways, Brain Health Coach and Trainer, Positive Neuroplasticity Trainer and Havening Techniques Practitioner. Sunday 11 October, 2pm AEST
  4. "Listen to Women's Pain – Endometriosis Matters".  Jacqui McLachlan, President SI NSW will share the SI New South Wales region project which actively campaigns for endometriosis awareness and advocacy. Sunday 8 November 2pm AEST 

Duration is about one hour

Notes: times are for Australia

These are open sessions - please share with your friends, family and colleagues. 

There is no cost.

Register for as many as you wish to attend.

Not all sessions will be recorded.

Register with this link and you will be contacted with the link to join the webinar closer to the date.

Contact Yvonne Simpson at sisistersonline@siseap.org for further information.

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President Anthea Announces New Federation-Wide Health Campaign: Her Health – Our Wealth

Soroptimist International South East Asia Pacific (SISEAP) President Anthea Penny has announced a new Federation-wide health campaign, Her Health – Our Wealth, launching in September 2026.

The campaign brings Soroptimists across South East Asia and the Pacific together around a shared commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of women and girls. Through awareness, prevention, support, advocacy and community-led action, the campaign aims to address some of the significant and uneven health challenges experienced by women and girls throughout the SISEAP region.

With the message “Women’s Health Matters,” Her Health – Our Wealth recognises that better health outcomes for women contribute to stronger families, stronger communities and a stronger future.

The campaign will focus on improving access to timely, affordable and culturally appropriate health services, strengthening prevention and early intervention, supporting women and girls experiencing gender-based violence, building community resilience and increasing women's health literacy, leadership and influence in health policy.

Key Health Issues for Women and Girls

The campaign recognises five key areas of health affecting women and girls across the SISEAP region:

What Are We Trying to Achieve?

Through Her Health – Our Wealth, SISEAP aims to:

  • Increase access to timely, affordable and culturally appropriate health services for women and girls.
  • Prevent disease by increasing coverage of priority preventive services, including sexual and reproductive health services, HPV vaccination and non-communicable disease screening.
  • Reduce the incidence of gender-based violence and harmful practices while improving responses and support.
  • Strengthen community capacity to maintain essential services during emergencies and climate-related shocks.
  • Advocate for increased women's health literacy, leadership and influence in health policy.

Our Shared Commitment

The campaign is built around four key messages:

The Federation-wide approach will allow National Associations and Regions to identify and respond to the health priorities most relevant to their own communities, while contributing to a shared SISEAP vision.

For example, different areas may choose to focus on specific priorities such as endometriosis in NSW, ovarian cancer in New Zealand, oral cancer in Papua New Guinea, or mental health in Malaysia.

This local adaptability is an important part of the campaign, ensuring that Soroptimists can respond to the needs of their communities while sharing knowledge, resources and impact across the Federation.

Working Together for Impact

Her Health – Our Wealth will be supported through a coordinated Federation-wide structure.

The Federation President and President Elect will act as Campaign Sponsors. Campaign coordination and oversight will occur through the Management Committee, Programme Committees and National Presidents, while day-to-day activities will be undertaken by National Associations and Australian Regions.

The Finance Committee will review seed-grant rules and disbursements.

National Associations and Regions participating in the campaign will establish a project group with a Convenor, register planned activities through the campaign database and submit short quarterly reports outlining key numbers and one project story. Projects receiving campaign funding will also be required to meet milestone reporting and basic audit requirements.

Local Action, National Impact

The campaign encourages National Associations and Regions to develop partnerships with ministries, schools, women's groups and local NGOs to strengthen the reach and impact of their work.

A simple data collection process through the SISEAP Programme Database will help capture the collective impact of projects across the Federation.

SISEAP will also work to provide information toolkits, resources and other campaign materials, with sponsorship opportunities being explored to expand the resources available to clubs and members.

By bringing together the knowledge, experience and commitment of Soroptimists across the region, the campaign aims to make women's health a stronger focus within our communities and create opportunities for meaningful, sustainable change.

Launching September 2026

Her Health – Our Wealth will officially launch in September 2026, providing Soroptimists across the SISEAP Federation with an opportunity to take action on women's health in ways that reflect the needs of their local communities.

From raising awareness and supporting prevention to building partnerships, advocating for change and strengthening community resilience, every action can contribute to a healthier future.

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SISEAP Sisters Online Knowledge Exchange

The SI SEAP Sisters Online Knowledge Exchange Series is back with an exciting lineup of free webinars covering important topics that impact women, families and communities.

From innovative approaches to ovarian cancer awareness and groundbreaking K9 medical detection, to brain health, mental wellbeing and endometriosis advocacy, these sessions offer valuable insights from passionate presenters.

Register for one session or join them all and be part of this inspiring learning community

REGISTER HERE

The 2026 Knowledge Exchange Health Series

  1. SIANZ National Project: Heal the Teal: Reduce the Impact of Ovarian Cancer.  Presenter Yvonne Simpson QSM will explore the successes and challenges with planning, monitoring and reporting that helped earn this project a Best Practice Award 2026.  Sunday 9 August. 2pm AEST. 
  2. K9 Medical Detection: Pauline Blomfield, CE K9MD, will share the cutting edge and unique research and training they are doing with dogs to detect the early stages of Ovarian Cancer. Sunday 13 September at 2pm AEST
  3. An Introduction to Brain Health supporting Mental Wellbeing with Karyn Chalk, Director of Changing Ways, Brain Health Coach and Trainer, Positive Neuroplasticity Trainer and Havening Techniques Practitioner. Sunday 11 October, 2pm AEST
  4. "Listen to Women's Pain – Endometriosis Matters".  Jacqui McLachlan, President SI NSW will share the SI New South Wales region project which actively campaigns for endometriosis awareness and advocacy. Sunday 8 November 2pm AEST 

Duration is about one hour

Notes: times are for Australia

These are open sessions - please share with your friends, family and colleagues. 

There is no cost.

Register for as many as you wish to attend.

Not all sessions will be recorded.

Register with this link and you will be contacted with the link to join the webinar closer to the date.

REGISTER HERE

Contact Yvonne Simpson at sisistersonline@siseap.org for further information.

Continue reading

SISEAP Membership

Soroptimist International is a global movement of women, with members belonging to more than 3,000 clubs in 126 countries/territories, spread over 5 Federations