Members Latest News

Dear Soroptimists and Friends,

The powerful earthquake which has shaken Myanmar, left families homeless, communities in ruins, and futures uncertain. The devastation is immense — but so is our determination to help.

Soroptimist International South East Asia Pacific has launched the “Myanmar Rising: Earthquake Response Fund” to bring urgent relief and long-term recovery to those most affected — especially women and children.

We are proud to support the Emergency Action Alliance, a trusted collective of leading Australian aid organisations, who are working together to deliver fast, effective, and coordinated help on the ground in Myanmar.

All donations to this fund will go directly to the Emergency Action Alliance.

Your contribution will help provide:

- Emergency food, water, and shelter

- Medical aid and trauma support

- Recovery and rebuilding of communities

- Empowerment and livelihood support for women and families

Let us stand with Myanmar. Let us help them rise again — stronger and safer.

Every donation counts. Every act of kindness matters.

Please give today.

Joanne Yeoh

SISEAP President 2024-2026

president.joanne@siseap.org

Statement of Support for Earthquake Survivors in Myanmar

Soroptimist International South East Asia Pacific stands in solidarity with the people of Myanmar in the wake of the devastating earthquake that has caused immense loss and suffering. Our hearts go out to the survivors, the families who have lost loved ones, and all those affected by this tragic disaster.

In times of crisis, the strength of our communities is more important than ever. We commend the efforts of first responders, humanitarian organizations, and volunteers who are tirelessly working to provide aid and relief.

As an organisation committed to empowering women and communities, we will explore ways to assist those affected, especially women and children who are often the most vulnerable during disasters. We call upon our members and partners to extend their support in any way possible—whether through donations, advocacy, or direct assistance. The SISEAP leadership team is looking into a possible Special Appeal as we are gathering more information.

Together, we can bring hope and relief to those in need. Let us stand united in compassion and action for the people of Myanmar.

The Leadership Team

Soroptimist International South East Asia Pacific

Website Security Upgrade

The SISEAP website will be undergoing major security maintenance commencing on the 1st of April. This work is scheduled to take approximately 2 weeks and then 1-2 weeks of testing.

Members will be informed when this work is completed.

Impact to Members
The website will still function, and members will still be able to access both the public and the members area.   

Payment of new members
HQ will continue to process payment of new members and outstanding capitation fees. However, any new members and exited members WILL NOT be posted to the membership database. New members will not receive their membership number, password, welcome letter and access to the members area of the website until this work is completed.

What you cannot do:
Members will not be able to update position holders, and or make amendments to the membership personal details area. 
 
What you can do:
Events and Club Pages
Members can still publicise events and update club pages, but you will need to replicate this work on the new website when it becomes available (you will be informed). 

Payments
Membership payments can still be paid via the website. 
 
Donations 
Donations can still be made through the website 
 
Directory
Members will still be able to search the directory for member's information.

Downloads
All downloads will still work, and all links will still operate.
 
Please continue to utilize the website and all of its resources. The AGM, General Meeting and Federation meeting information will be constantly updated with information and links to complete registration forms and download documents for these important meetings. 

Federation General Meeting

AGM & Company General Meeting

Together we Thrive: Real Stories of Membership Success Webinar 

DATE: Sunday 13th April 2025
TIME: 3:30 pm AEST (Duration 1.5hr - 2hr)

Welcome to 2025. I hope you all had a relaxing time over the festive season and are now ready and energised to plan for the Soroptimist year ahead.

During April Membership Month, we are excited to invite you to an opportunity to attend a SISEAP webinar. You will hear from members and clubs about their insights on a successful member recruitment strategy. It will be an opportune time to pick up tips and enthuse our clubs into 2025.

Four speakers from across Australia, Asia, and New Zealand/Pacific will share a short presentation on the 'how', the outcomes and their experience of a thriving recruitment action plan.

Introducing the Speakers:

Kristeen Johnston QSM,

Grad.Dip Business Studies

2024-2026 SISEAP Membership Convenor

Kristeen Johnston has built a successful career in sales and training, notably as an award-winning employee of Johnson & Johnson Medical. She earned a Graduate Diploma in Business Studies in 2004 and transitioned to consulting in training and business development after her retirement in 2007.

A dedicated volunteer, Kristeen served as President of Dress for Success from 2012 to 2014 and became a Life Member in 2014. In 2022, she helped establish Dress for Success Aotearoa New Zealand's first permanent opportunity shop, 'Dressed in the Hutt.'

She joined Soroptimist International of Wellington in 2012, holding various leadership positions and serving as National President of SI Aotearoa New Zealand from 2020 to 2022. Kristeen is passionate about the economic empowerment of women and girls, emphasizing education and sustainable employment.

In recognition of her community service, she received a Queen’s Service Medal in 2024 and was named Wellingtonian of the Year. Outside of her professional work, Kristeen enjoys creative activities, cooking, yoga, photography, and staying active in politics.

Anthea H Penny

2024-2026 SISEAP President Elect
RGON, Adv. Dip. Nursing (Distinction); DHM, (Massey); MHealthMgt, (Hons); FCHSE

Currently semi- retired Company Director; member, member of SI North Canterbury, New Zealand and President Elect SISEAP, plus Chair of Governance and Board member Soroptimist International. Managing Director, R H Penny Ltd, Australasia; an experienced Company Director; skilled in the development/facilitation and presentation of strategic thinking, governance, leadership, teamwork and quality improvement programmes, in health and voluntary sectors internationally. An experienced Chief Executive in the New Zealand health industry, Anthea was a ministerial appointment to the New Zealand Health Quality and Safety Commission’s board (2010 to 2013); a Senior Associate, International Foundation for Integrated Care, UK (2011 to 2014) and the inaugural recipient of the 2004 New Zealand Institute of Health Management Silver Fern Award for Excellence in Health Service Management.

Sue Baskett

Immediate Past President SI Penang

Sue Baskett, with a background in Computer Science and as an Image Consultant, has over 30 years of experience in the NGO sector, with involvement in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia while living there. She served as the Honorary British Vice Consul in Medan, Indonesia for eight years and held leadership roles for 10 years, including President and Vice President of several NGOs, as well as Chairman of Medan International School (MIS). Sue was deeply engaged in humanitarian efforts, including facilitating relief after the 2004 Tsunami in Aceh Indonesia and contributing to various earthquake recovery efforts in Medan Indonesia. Her work, alongside her spouse, has been recognised by both the British and Belgian governments.

In 2008, Sue moved to Penang and joined SI Penang in February 2010, where she became an active member. She served as the Constitution Convenor, Membership Extension Convenor and ICT Convenor, playing a pivotal role in establishing SI Penang’s social media presence. Sue served as President of SI Penang from 2023 to 2024 and continues to contribute as the Immediate Past President. She currently serves on several other local NGO boards in Penang Malaysia

Ann Fang

2025-2026 President SI Penang

Soroptimist International Penang (SIP) proudly announces the appointment of Ann Fang as its new President, along with the induction of a dynamic Executive Committee and Convenors for the 2025-2026 term. This new leadership team is set to advance SIP's mission and drive impactful initiatives for the community.  

Ann has been an active member of SIP for 8 years, bringing with her a background in marketing and communications in NGOs and the private sector. She plays a pivotal role in establishing SIP's programs such as 'Girls in STEM', 'Period Poverty & Sustainability', 'School Shoes Project', 'My Vision, My Future' and 'Let's Talk - Glowing Up'. 

She aims to continue the legacy of her predecessors by creating more practical and impactful programs to help underprivileged women and girls in education and empowerment. 

Linna Khorn

2024-2026 Assistant Membership Convenor - Asia

Linna holds a master’s degree in development management from Norton University, Cambodia, a bachelor’s degree of Arts in Design from SETEC University, Cambodia, diploma of Advance Behavior Change Communication for Health Practitioners, Project Management and Digital Media for Health Outcome certificates.

Linna has over twenty-five years of experience with international non-government organizations: managing and leading Marketing and Communication (MarCom), Social Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) for public health, sub-grantee management, offline and online campaigns/events management, social media management, digital media, content development, graphic design, video production, media outlet and private sector engagement.

Linna has joined Soroptimist International Phnom Penh since 2028, involving server positions starting with President Elect position, Club President, Southeast Asia Pacific Federation Representative for SI International President Project in Cambodia and Assistant Membership Convenor for Asia.    

Linna is industrious and energetic. She ensures satisfactory performance and accomplishment by engaging my professional competency and behavior. She acts with integrity, holds accountability, builds good relationships, develops talent, continues improvement, innovate, and develops a strategic mindset. I have strong interpersonal communication, networking, coordinating, and organizing skills and she is co-operative; she listens to the team and prioritizes their needs.

The webinar concludes with a Q & A session and is free to members.

Kristeen Johnston

SISEAP Membership Convenor 2024-2026

membership.kristeen@siseap.org

Call for Nominations - SISEAP Directors

Here’s your chance to make a difference and further your professional experience. Soroptimist International South East Asia Pacific (SISEAP) is seeking applications from interested and qualified Soroptimists for vacancies for Directors. The successful applicants will take office at the end of the AGM on May 10, 2025 and in the first instance, serve for three years, renewable to a maximum of eight years.

SISEAP has seven Directors and one third must retire each year. According to the Corporations Act, at each annual general meeting, any Director appointed by the Directors to fill a casual vacancy or as an additional Director must retire, and at least one-third of the remaining Directors must retire. Under our Constitution, the Immediate Past President automatically retires after one year in that position and is replaced by the new President Elect. At the end of her biennium, the President remains for one year as Immediate Past President and a Director.

It is a legal requirement you have a Director Identification Number before you can be appointed and we will only consider applicants that have already obtained their Director Identification Number. Refer to the Australian Business Registry website for further information. Here is the link to the site: https://www.abrs.gov.au/director-identification-number

Applications close at 5.00 pm on Friday 28 March 2025.

For further information please contact Company Secretary Theresa Lyford companysecretary@siseap.org

SISEAP President-Elect 2026-2028 Biennium

AGM & Company General Meeting

The Company General Meeting will follow the AGM. There is no cost to attend this meeting.

Draft Agenda for Company Annual General Meeting and Company General Meeting to be circulated to Members (Clubs) on 1 April 2025.

Representation
One authorised representative from each financial member (Club) within the Federation or a proxy representative should attend this meeting. A proxy representative must be an individual Soroptimist from another member club ie a club within SISEAP. Other Club members may also attend all meetings but will be Observers and not be able to speak.

Registration Forms
These will be sent on 1 April 2025.  There will be separate registration forms for Club Representatives and Silent Observers for the Annual General Meeting and Company Meeting.

Distribution of Business Papers
Business papers including the Final Agenda, Resolutions, Items for Discussion and Reports will be circulated to Clubs on 30 April 2025.

Federation General Meeting

The Virtual Federation General Meeting will be held on Sunday 18 May 2025.

Reports
Would all Federation Position Holders and National Presidents ensure that their reports are sent to the Federation Secretary and HQ before 22 March so that they can be sent out on 1 April.
 
Representation
One authorised representative from each financial member (Club) within the Federation or a proxy representative should attend this meeting. A proxy representative must be an individual Soroptimist from another member club i.e. a club within SISEAP. Other Club members may also attend all meetings but will be Observers and not be able to speak.
 
Registration Forms
These will be sent on 1 April 2025.  There will be separate registration forms for Club Representatives and Silent Observers for the Federation General Meeting.
 
Distribution of Business Papers
Business papers including the Agenda, Resolutions, Items for Discussion and Reports will be circulated to Clubs on 1 April 2025.
 
Question Form For the Federation General Meetings
Clubs will be invited to submit questions of the Federation Position Holders and National Presidents for the Federation General Meeting. This form will be distributed with the business papers on 1 April 2025.

SISEAP Honours & Remembrance Form
Please return the completed Honours and Remembrance form to the Federation Secretary by 15 April 2025.

Federation Fees 2025

A reminder that Federation Capitation fees were due on 28 February. For Clubs that have not yet made their payment they are now overdue, please submit your Annual Return forms and payment as soon as possible.

All Clubs who have submitted their Annual Return forms and made payment, thank you for your patience in advance, as there is a large volume and we hope to process them over the coming weeks. Once processed you will receive an invoice receipt along with any new membership numbers if applicable.

2025 Club Position Holders Changeovers

Each year after the Club AGM, the newly elected Club Officers & Position Holders need to be added into our database. It is very important that each Club completes this task by 31 March 2025.

Notification:  The 14th Annual SISEAP Company AGM and General Meeting is to be held on 10 May 2025 and the SISEAP Federation Meeting is to be held on 18 May 2025.  

This information page is for members attending the SISEAP AGM, General Meeting of Federation meeting, either as a  Member (club) representative or silent oberver. 

Information on this page will be updated on a regular basis and will include

• General Information to Members
• Actions to be undertaken
• Links to register for the meetings.
• Links to documentation including Agenda's, Reports and supporting documentation.

Information page for members attending the SISEAP AGM, General Meeting or Federation meeting, either as a Representative (club) , or silent observer

14th Annual General Meeting (AGM) 

To be held on Saturday 10th of May 2025, at 3pm AEST this will be a virtual meeting.  SISEAP Member (club) representatives are invited to attend.   Silent Observers will be able to view proceedings via a live stream.  

Company General Meeting

To be held on Saturday 10th of May 2025, will commence at the conclusion of the AGM,  this will be a virtual meeting.  SISEAP Member (club) representatives are invited to attend.   Silent Observers will be able to view proceedings via a live stream.  

Federation Meeting

To be held on Sunday 18th of May at 10 am AEST, this will be a virtual meeting.  Soroptimist members and friends are invited to this meeting. 

14th Annual General Meeting and Company General Meeting

Attendance at the Meetings:

One authorised representative from each financial member (Club) within the Federation or a proxy representative should attend this meeting. A proxy representative must be an individual Soroptimist from another member club ie a club within SISEAP.

Required Quorum: 30 Membes (clubs). For a general meeting to be held, at least thirty [30] members (clubs)
(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]

Silent Observers are welcome to attend both meetings.

Registration to attend meetings

Registration for representatives and silent observers will open on the 1st of April.  

There will be two separate registrations forms.  One for club representatives and proxy representatives.  One for silent observers.

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.

BUSINESS PAPERS

Member (clubs) will be informed via their club official email address when business papers will be available for download from the website.  Noficiations will commence to be circulated to club's official email addresses on or before the 30 April 2025. 

Agenda:    pdf 14th Annual General Meeting of SISEAP AGENDA (307 KB)

Agenda:    pdf 14th Company General Meeting SISEAP Agenda 10 05 25 (383 KB)

INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THE COMPANY MEETINGS WILL BE CONDUCTED

To meet the requirements of allowing club representatives to ask questions either via written word or voice, SISEAP will be using GoToMeeting. This will allow SISEAP to register club representatives as attendees to the Company Meetings, where the representatives will be able to participate in the meeting. Please ensure that you have the latest version of the app downloaded. Get the app now and be ready when the meetings start. 

https://meet.goto.com/install

ACTIONS FOR CLUB SECRETARIES

• Questions to the Directors and/or the Auditor for the AGM and/or Company Meeting

Member (clubs) are invited to submit questions to the Directors and/or the Auditors.

Federation General Meeting

Members and guests are invited to attend the Federation General Meeting.  Highlights of the meeting will be the Programme and Membership Best Practice awards.  The National Presidents annual report presentations. The Federation Project - The Brilliant Futures Fund presentation.  Programme and Membership presentations. 

Attendance at the meeting

One authorised representative from each financial member (Club) within the Federation or a proxy representative should attend this meeting. A proxy representative must be an individual Soroptimist from another member club i.e. a club within SISEAP.

Members and guests are welcome to attend both meetings as silent observers.

Registration to attend the meeting

Registration for representatives, proxy representatives and silent observers will open on the 1st of April

There will be two separate registration forms.  One for the member (club) representative and proxy representative.  One for members and guests who will be silent observers.

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.

INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THE FEDERATION MEETING WILL BE CONDUCTED

To meet the requirements of allowing club representatives to ask questions either via written word or voice, SISEAP will be using GoToMeeting. This will allow SISEAP to register club representatives as attendees to the Federation Meeting, where the representatives will be able to participate in the meeting. Please ensure that you have the latest version of the app downloaded. Get the app now and be ready when the meetings start. 

https://meet.goto.com/install

BUSINESS PAPERS

Agenda:      pdf Federation Virtual General Meeting Agenda 18 May 2025 (350 KB)

Actions items for Club Secretaries

• Questions to the Federation General Meeting

Member (clubs) are invited to submit questions to the Federation Position Holders and National Presidents.  Questions are to be submitted via the official form.

• SISEAP Honours & Remembrance Notification

Member (clubs) are invited to inform the Federation of any honours bestowed on individual members and remembrances of deceased members , which will be acknowledged at the meeting.  Notification is via the official form (link below).  Closing date for notification will be the 15th of April 2025.  

  document Honours and Rememberance Notification Form  (151 KB)

Information regarding the 2025 SISEAP Company AGM and General Meeting being held on 10 May 2025 and the Federation Meeting being held on 18 May 2025.  

Call to clubs to submit any resolutions to the company constitution to Company Secretary Theresa Lyford companysecretary@siseap.org and resolutions for the Federation meeting sent to Federation Secretary Berice federationsecretary@siseap.org

Deadline for submission 15 February 2025.

The Company By-Laws state that Resolutions for the Company AGM and General Meeting require the following:
14.2.1 For general meetings of the company – by the directors or by members (clubs) with at least 5% of the votes

14.4 Any motion which requires a special resolution (e.g. to amend the company constitution, wind up the company and change classes of membership) must be voted on at a hybrid, virtual or physical (face to face) general meeting and shall require the agreement of at least seventy five percent (75%) of all members entitled to vote.

The Federation meeting will consist of general Federation business, Best Practice Awards for Programme and  Membership, and the National President reports.  

The Company By-Laws state that Resolutions for Federation Meetings require the following:
14.2.3 For Federation meetings – moved by one member (club) and seconded by another

All resolutions will need to be written on the  Resolutions form prior to 4pm Sydney time (AEDT) on 15 February 2025 to allow for internal processing and distribution to members (clubs).

SISEAP PRESIDENT-ELECT 2026-2028 BIENNIUM
Nomination & Election Process

Tjandra Kerton                                                Dorjsuiyaa Yondonperenlei

Tasneem Ali from SI Nadi has advised she is willing to be nominated for this position.

All those eligible to stand for election for the position of Federation President-Elect for the 2026-2028 Biennium have been emailed by the Federation Secretary on 25 January.

Eligibility Criteria for President-Elect Position

• Have served as a President of her club or region
• Have served as a member on the Federation Board, Federation Officer, Committee Convenor, Assistant Convenor, National Representative/ President for two years within the past eight years
• Be an active member

Election Process Timeline

1 June 2025                            Result of election emailed to members

Federation Fees 2025

A reminder for Clubs who have not taken advantage of the Early Payment Discount that the final due date to pay full fees to HQ is 28 February 2025.

2025 Club Position Holders Changeovers

Each year after the Club AGM, the newly elected Club Officers & Position Holders need to be added into our database. It is very important that each Club completes this task by 31 March 2025.  See ICT Latest News for information on how to. 

Welcome Programme Zone Coordinator 4

Welcome to Elizabeth Harrison who has recently joined the Federation Programme Team as Programme Zone Coordinator 4. See link below for the full Federation Leadership team along with their email addresses

New Name Badge Design

We are thrilled to announce a fresh update to our SISEAP name badges.  The new design incorporates the new SI emblem, includes our Federation name and is consistent with our SISEAP branding colours. The new design is available now.

New Member Badges

We're also excited to announce that we have received our newly designed member badges, featuring the new SI emblem and our Federation name. These are now available for purchase. Our previous badges with the old SI emblem will continue to be sold until stocks run out at a discounted price.

Updated Membership Post Cards

We have just received updated stock of membership postcards featuring the new SI emblem. These postcards are a fantastic tool for promoting SISEAP and engaging prospective members.

Get yours today and help spread the word about SISEAP.

Updated Membership Post Card

We are excited to announce that we have just received updated stock of membership postcards featuring the SI emblem! These postcards are a fantastic tool for promoting SISEAP and engaging prospective members.

Simply fill out the Shop Order Form and send it back to HQ at hq@siseap.org to process!

Get yours today and help spread the word about SISEAP.

Federation Fees 2025

All Clubs have been emailed notification of the Federation Fees and the Annual Return Packs for 2025.

All Soroptimists:
A reminder that the due date for Soroptimists to pay their membership fee to their Club is 31 December 2024.

All Clubs:
To be eligible for the Early Payment Discount. Federation Fees must be received at HQ by no later than 31 January 2025.  Otherwise, the final due date for Clubs to pay fees is 28 February 2025.

HQ Office Holiday Closure

The SISEAP HQ Office will be closed for the holiday period from Monday 23 December 2024 through to Monday 6 January 2025. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2025

SISEAP Shop - End of Year Orders

Orders with Name Badges – Order and payment must be received by 12pm Wed 4 December
Orders without Name Badges – Order and payment must be received by 5pm  Tues 10 December

16 Days of Activism Ribbon
We want to remind you that our 16 Days of Activism Ribbons are available for purchase! By wearing one of these ribbons, you can show your support for this crucial cause and help raise awareness about the need to end gender-based violence. Don’t miss your chance to make a difference—get yours today and join us in taking a stand during this important campaign!

New Name Badge Design

We are thrilled to announce a fresh update to our SISEAP name badges.  The new design incorporates the new SI emblem, includes our Federation name and is consistent with our SISEAP branding colours.
The new design is available now.

New Member Badges - Coming Soon
We’re excited to announce that a new design for our member badges is currently in progress, featuring the new SI emblem. In the meantime, we are offering our existing badges with the old emblem at discounted prices. This is a great opportunity to grab your badge at a fantastic price while we transition to the new design. Stay tuned for updates on the launch of our fresh look!