Reporting from Conference of Clubs 2026

While the world debates, women are already building solutions

By Hanaa Wong Abdullah

In a time when global conversations are filled with uncertainty, disruption, and debate, there is another story unfolding — quieter, but no less significant.

Across Asia Pacific, women are not waiting for perfect conditions, policy shifts, or global consensus.

They are building solutions.

At the recent Soroptimist International South East Asia Pacific (SISEAP) Conference of Clubs 2026 in Kota Kinabalu, delegates from 13 countries came together — not simply to meet, but to share what is already being done on the ground.

The gathering was further strengthened by the presence of global leadership, including Renata Trottmann, President of Soroptimist International, and Immediate Past President Siew Yong Gnanalingam, the organisation’s first Asian President. Their presence reflected a quiet but important shift — that Asia Pacific is no longer just participating in global conversations on women’s empowerment, but increasingly shaping them.

What emerged from the conference was clear.

This is not an organisation of ideas alone.

It is an organisation of action.

In Mongolia, members from Soroptimist International Darkhan have been working to restore degraded land — turning dry, barren areas into green, usable spaces again.

In Australia and Papua New Guinea, clubs are collaborating with communities to build flood-resistant organic gardens — practical responses to climate realities that many are still only discussing.

In New Zealand, members are tackling the impact of fast fashion, raising awareness and shifting behaviour in ways that are both local and deeply relevant globally.

At the international level, Soroptimist International continues to engage at platforms such as the Commission on the Status of Women in New York — ensuring that the lived realities of women are not lost in policy conversations.

Closer to home in Sabah, community-led initiatives are also taking shape. On Gaya Island, a project led by Meraki Daat has transformed plastic waste into eco-bricks used to build walking pathways — a simple but powerful example of how local innovation can address global challenges.

During the conference, delegates also took part in a mangrove sapling planting initiative, contributing directly to environmental restoration efforts along the coast — a reminder that meaningful conversations must ultimately translate into tangible action.

In Sabah, the work of Sabah Energy Corporation reflects a similar commitment — advancing cleaner energy solutions while ensuring communities have reliable access to power, recognising that energy is not just infrastructure, but dignity, opportunity, and resilience.

And in Malaysia, young women took the stage to speak about artificial intelligence — not from a place of fear, but from awareness. They spoke about how to use it responsibly, how to protect themselves from scams, and how to make it a tool that supports, rather than replaces, human judgement.

These are not isolated efforts.

They are part of a wider pattern.

Women working within their communities.

Responding to real needs.

Designing practical solutions.

And doing so consistently, often without recognition.

We do not always see this work because it does not shout.

It builds.

It adapts.

It continues.

As Malaysia looks ahead — in policy, in development, and in nation-building — there is value in recognising where real, sustained impact is already taking place.

Not in grand declarations.

But in steady, grounded action.

Perhaps the question is not whether women are ready to lead.

But whether we are paying enough attention to the ways they already are.

This is the work of Soroptimist International — women at their best, helping other women to be their best.

Dr. Saradha Narayanan of Soroptimist International Damansara prepares a mangrove sapling during a coastal restoration initiative held alongside the SISEAP Conference of Clubs 2026 in Kota Kinabalu.

2026 Conference of Clubs

We are delighted to bring you the latest update on the SISEAP Conference of Clubs 2026! The countdown is on, and we are thrilled by the enthusiasm and strong response from across the region.

Workshop Selection Now Open!
Our conference offers four dynamic and highly anticipated workshops—each designed to strengthen capacity, leadership, and community impact.

All participants are requested to log in to the Conference Website and select your preferred workshop and completing the google form below. 

Spaces are limited and will be allocated strictly on a first-come, first-served basis, so please make your selection as soon as possible to secure your spot.

Don’t Miss Our Exciting Raffle!

We’re also thrilled to announce our line-up of fabulous raffle prizes! From stunning earrings worth RM3,000, to Mini iPads, premium perfumes, and many more surprises—there’s something for everyone.

All details, including how to purchase tickets, are available on the Conference Website. Be sure to join in the fun and try your luck.

Important Update: Transition to Hybrid Meetings for the Company AGM, General Meeting and Federation Meeting.

Please be advised of a significant update regarding our upcoming Company AGM, General Meeting and Federation General Meeting scheduled for Friday 1 May 2026. To ensure greater accessibility for all our members, the meeting has been transitioned from an exclusively in-person event to a hybrid format, allowing you the choice to attend either in person at The Pacific Sutera Hotel in Malaysia or virtually from your own location. 

This change means that clubs previously relying on proxies for the in-person session may now choose to have a club representative participate directly online. Detailed information regarding registration links for representatives and silent observers, updated proxy procedures, and critical deadlines—including the registration cutoff of Monday 20 April 2026—can be found in the attached document and also on the SISEAP website. 

https://www.siseap.org/events/company-federation-meetings.html

Attendance at the Company and Federation Meetings

Dear Members,
The Board wishes to update you on the upcoming Company and Federation Meetings. These meetings are an important part of our governance responsibilities and ensure that Soroptimist International South East Asia Pacific continues to operate with transparency, accountability, and alignment with our shared mission.

We are pleased to inform you that all SISEAP members attending the Company and Federation Meetings will not be charged any meeting fees.

Members who have already registered and paid the A$75 fee will receive a full refund. Tea, coffee, and water will be served during the meetings for all attendees, and the meeting room can comfortably accommodate up to 100 members. Lunch will be at your own cost @ Cafe Boleh on the ground floor of the conference hotel, The Pacific Sutera, Sutera Harbour.

Full meeting details, including agendas and key documents, will be circulated shortly. We encourage all members to review the materials and participate actively, as your engagement strengthens our Federation.

Notice of SISEAP 15th Annual General Meeting & General Meeting

The 15th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Soroptimist International South East Asia Pacific will be held on Friday 1 May 2026 at 9:00am (Malaysian time), followed by a General Meeting of the Company.

Date:               Friday 1 May 2026
Time:               9:00am
Place:              Function Rooms 1-3, Level 1, The Pacific Sutera Hotel,
                        Sutera Harbour, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

Quorum
Required quorum for a general meeting to be held, at least thirty [30] members (a quorum) must be present (by representative or by proxy) for the whole meeting. When determining whether a quorum is present, a person may only be counted once (even if that person is a representative or proxy of more than one member). [Company Constitution 24.1]

Club Representatives Registration Form for AGM & General Meeting

An authorised representative must attend from each financial member (clubs) within the Federation. A proxy representative must be an individual Soroptimist from another member club.

Clubs will need to nominate a Club Representative for the AGM and Company General Meeting and you will need to show that the Club has voted on their Representative or Proxy Representative at a club business meeting and this will need to be recorded in your Club Minutes.

Registrations close on 26 April 2026 at 5pm AEST (Sydney time)

This link will take you to the Registration Form for the Club Representative or Proxy Representative and will used for both the AGM and the Company General Meeting.

Please note: Your club president, secretary or treasurer are required to use the link to register your club representative. This link will need to be utilized from your club email account, i.e. you will need to be logged into your club email account from www.google.com If you have your club email account forwarded to a personal email account such as outlook etc, the link will not work. The reason for this is that we need to register that the nomination was made from the club email account and that the president, secretary or treasurer have to acknowledge that they were authorised to complete this form on behalf of their club.

Silent Observers
This link will take you to the Registration Form for Silent Observers and will used for both the AGM and the Company General Meeting

Question to the Auditor and/or Directors
Clubs are invited to submit questions to the Directors and/or the Auditor. Please submit your questions from your club email address by Sunday 26 April 2026 5:00pm AEST to enable a comprehensive answer to be given.

Business Papers
Member (clubs) will be informed via their club official email address when business papers will be available for download from the website.  Notifications will commence to be circulated to club's official email addresses on or before the 10April 2026. You are also able to log in and check for updates for the AGM and Company Meeting via the Members area of our SISEAP Website.

We are looking forward to your attendance at the AGM and General Meeting.

Warm Regards,
Theresa Lyford
Company Secretary

Notice of Federation General Meeting

The Federation General Meeting of Soroptimist International South East Asia Pacific will be held on:

Date:              Friday 1 May 2026
Time:             1.00pm
Place:            Function Rooms 1-3, Level 1, The Pacific Sutera Hotel,
                      Sutera Harbour, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

Quorum
The required quorum for a General Meeting to be held is at least thirty [30] members who must be present (by representative or by proxy) for the whole meeting.

Club Representatives for Federation General Meeting

An authorised representative or a proxy representative from each financial member (club) within the Federation must attend this meeting.  A representative or proxy may only represent one member club. A proxy representative must be an individual Soroptimist from another member club. 

Clubs will need to nominate a Club Representative for the Federation General Meeting. You will need to show that the Club has voted on their Representative or Proxy Representative at a club business meeting and this will need to be recorded in your Club Minutes. 

Please note: Your club president, secretary or treasurer are required to use the link to register your club representative. This link will need to be utilized from your club email account, i.e. you will need to be logged into your club email account from www.google.com If you have your club email account forwarded to a personal email account such as outlook etc, the link will not work.

Registrations close on Monday 20 April 2026 at 12 Midnight AEST (Sydney time)

This link will take you to the Registration Form for the Club Representative or Proxy Representative and will be used for the General Meeting.

Silent Observers Registration Form
This link will take you to the Registration Form for Silent Observers and will be used for the Federation General Meeting. 

Questions to the Federation Team
Clubs are invited to submit questions to the Federation Team. Please submit your questions from your club email address by Wednesday 1 April 2026 5pm AEST to enable a comprehensive answer to be given.

SISEAP Honours & Remembrance
Soroptimists are invited to submit notices for Soroptimists who have received Honours throughout 2025, and to remember Soroptimists now passed.  Submissions close 15 April 2026 midnight AEST.

We are looking forward to your attendance at the Federation General Meeting. 

Nominations for 2026-2028 Position Holders

Our By-laws state the following -
15.16 Positions unfilled by 1 February in each even-numbered year
15.16.1 If there are positions for which no nominations have been received, nominations shall be called for at the beginning of the next Federation meeting. If more than one nomination per position is received, and the nominees meet the eligibility criteria, voting will be required.

As a number of Federation positions were not filled on 1 February, nominations are still being invited for the following Federation positions with the closing date now being 1pm MYT / 3pm AEST on Friday 1 May 2026.

We encourage you to consider standing for these positions for the 2026-2028 Biennium which will take office on 1 June 2026.  It is recommended that nominations be sent prior to the Federation Meeting, as long as the correct form and requirements are all received.
 
Nominations have already been received for the positions highlighted below. Roles and responsibilities are currently being reviewed and will take effect for the next biennium, but the current roles and responsibilities are valid for these nominations.

LIST OF FEDERATION POSITIONS TO BE FILLED AT FEDERATION MEETING

• Programme Convenor
• Zone Programme Coordinator (4 positions)
• Governance Convenor
• Communication Convenor
• Membership Convenor
• Assistant Membership Convenor (Asia)
• Assistant Membership Convenor (NZ & Pacific) – Jane Stent
• Assistant Membership Convenor (Australia)
• Programme Database Support
• Friendship Link Coordinator - Eileen Middleton

The completed nomination form, CV and photo must be received by the Federation Secretary/Returning Officer at federationsecretary@siseap.org with a copy to HQ hq@siseap.org by 1pm MYT / 3pm AEST on Friday 1 May 2026.

Shop Pre Orders for Conference

Planning to attend the Conference? Don’t miss the chance to pick up your favourite items from our Shop!

Place your pre-order by Thursday 9 April for printed Name Badges by Thursday 16 April for other stock orders to have your items ready and waiting for you to collect at the event.

Please note that the Shop won’t be open for on-site purchases during the Conference—so be sure to order in advance to avoid missing out.

Club President Chains of Office

Did you know we have a number of Club President Chains of Office from closed Clubs currently held at SISEAP HQ?

These items are available for reuse, whether for your Club or to support the chartering of a new Club. If your Club could benefit from one, we’d love to hear from you—please contact HQ for more information.

Soroptimist International Victoria (SIV) officially launched the Soroptimist International Victoria Foundation, a $5 million fund dedicated to empowering women and children across the state in November 2025.

When SIV sold its South Yarra headquarters after more than 50 years, members saw an opportunity to turn bricks and mortar into a legacy that would continue advancing women’s and girls’ rights for generations to come.

“Our vision is that women and girls will achieve their individual and collective potential, realise aspirations and have an equal voice in creating strong, peaceful communities worldwide,” says Kerry Beer,  Chair - Management Committee Soroptimist International Victoria Foundation (SIVF).

“We are guided by Soroptimist principles including the advancement of education, human rights, equality, and ethical standards.”

“With gender equality at our heart, we are dedicated to finding solutions that empower women and girls to be their best. We hope that the funds we have available will assist in increasing the rate of change required to achieve this.”

Kerry also hopes younger generations will engage with Soroptimist’s values and work through the Foundation. “Our organisation provides a perfect vehicle to become involved in to bring about change. I hope more young women see the opportunity that becoming a Soroptimist brings.”

Two-stream granting strategy

The SIVF grant rounds have two distinct streams: The major grant stream will provide up to $100,000 per year for five years, focused on supporting older women (55+) facing housing insecurity or homelessness.

The second stream will offer smaller grants of up to $20,000, aimed at projects that support education, mental health, and community building, and focused on women and girls, women at risk of homelessness, victim-survivors of family and domestic violence, newly arrived migrants and refugees, and girls at risk.

Domestic and family violence remains a leading driver of homelessness among women.
Investment in education, community building, and mental health provides long-term pathways to equality.

At an official Launch Ceremony held at Queens Hall on the 26^th of November at the Victoria Parliament buildings the Foundation awarded its Inaugural Grant Round of almost $680,000 through these two funding streams:

One Major Grant of $100,000 per year for five years to support older women (55+) experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness has been awarded to Women’s Property Initiatives to enable establishment of a new Housing Fund (100 Homes for 100 Women).

Older women are the fastest-growing group experiencing housing insecurity in Australia.

The WPI Women’s Housing Fund is a bold, scalable new model designed to deliver 100 homes for 100 women experiencing housing insecurity. This SIVF grant supports the essential operational foundations required to establish and scale the Women’s Housing Fund.

Nine Community Grants totaling $179,075 which support projects that promote education, mental health, family violence recovery, refugee and migrant support, and girls at risk.

The Nine Community Grant recipients were as follows:

Caroline Chisholm Society – Shepparton - $20,000

Keeping the Shepparton Site open to provide critical early intervention and family support services for vulnerable women, children and families.

North Geelong Secondary College - $20,000

BE BOLD, BE HEARD - Empowering Teenage Girls in Secondary Schools across the Greater Geelong Area to raise their voices, lead with confidence, and drive meaningful change in their schools and communities.

McAuley Community Services for Women – Ballarat - $20,000

Building social resilience through community engagement and wellbeing for Women at risk of or experiencing Homelessness.

SisterWorks Inc – Carlton -$20,000

Taste of Opportunity: Innovative Training and Pathways to Hospitality Employment for Refugee & Migrant Women.

River Nile School – Melbourne - $20,000

Literacy development Program for Secondary School Age Refugee Girls where they do not speak English at proficiency levels required to continue/complete their education.

The Les Twentyman Foundation - $20,000

SHE (Supporting Her Education) FUTURES - new program for Wyndham Locality which empowers disadvantaged young women to overcome barriers including school disengagement, family instability, and social isolation.

Southern Peninsula Community Support - $20,000

Family Support Services - Expansion of Services to support Women especially Single Parents on the Southern Mornington Peninsula.

Global Care Community Meals - Cobram & Surrounding Areas - $20,000

Ensuring no vulnerable resident - especially children, women facing illness, grief, or hardship - goes without nourishment, companionship and care.

Wyndham Park Primary School Community Hub - $19,075

Stronger Together: Connecting Women, Building Communities. Services for women from CALD backgrounds designed to build confidence, safety and independence while reducing social isolation.

In setting up the Foundation SIV has partnered with the Australian Communities Foundation to support its investing, compliance and operational requirements. As the Fund awarded its first round of grants, Carly Severino, ACF Director of Community & Philanthropy, says there’s a lot for other donors to learn from Soroptimist Victoria’s approach.

“Converting a one-off asset like the sale of a property into a Named Fund is one of the smartest ways to turn today’s resources into tomorrow’s grantmaking,” says Carly.

“There’s so much value in giving with intention – choose a primary issue so you can make multi-year commitments and be clear about what you’ll back.”

Soroptimist International Victoria believes that a two-stream approach – multi-year major grants alongside smaller, responsive grants – gives us the opportunity to effect long-term change while at the same time being able to respond to current community needs.

To donate to the Soroptimist International Victoria Foundation Fund, click the link below.