The Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley, in partnership with the Domestic Violence Center of Santa Clarita, the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station and the City of Santa Clarita, participated in the 2016 Zonta Says NO to Violence campaign.

The Red Dress campaign is a visually impactful and moving campaign aimed toward bringing awareness to the violent acts and the victims who have lost their lives in our community because of them.

The Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign displayed seven red dresses around Santa Clarita, California, USA, to symbolize seven women who have lost their lives to domestic violence in our community.

All the dresses were displayed outside, vulnerable to wind and weather. Those elements animate the dresses, representing the life that is missing. The color of the dresses is meant to symbolize love and spilled blood, an inescapable reminder of the intimacy of domestic abuse. The dresses were on display throughout the city from Saturday, November 26, to Sunday, December 11.

Residents could see these dresses at several locations throughout the city, including City Hall, Santa Clarita Valley Court House, Santa Clarita Valley Station, Valencia Library, Old Town Newhall Farmers Market at the Old Town Newhall Library parking lot, Veterans Historical Plaza, College of the Canyons, along Main Street and at selected local schools and churches.

These bright red symbols are reminders of the reality of domestic violence. During the first half of 2015, an unprecedented 11 homicides were committed in Santa Clarita, six in relation to domestic violence. Educational information was distributed at every location where the dresses were displayed.

In 2016 there were no deaths related to domestic violence, but one dress was added for a 19-year old who was in the Santa Clarita Domestic Violence Shelter. When she left the shelter, she returned to her danger zone and her abuser tracked her down and killed her.

This was the second year the Zonta Club of Santa Clarita has presented the Red Dress Campaign at many locations around the city. The club received coverage at a City Council meeting, local television coverage, local press coverage in addition to the radio station.