An estimated 35 percent of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or sexual violence by a non-partner at some point in their lives. However, some national studies show that up to 70 percent of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner.

The Zonta Club of Arlington, MA, USA advocated for the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign by handing out safety whistles and information about gender-based violence.

The Zonta Club of Mornington Peninsula Inc, Australia, hosted a breakfast on White Ribbon Day, which is also the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

The event, which included guest speakers Ingrid Ebert and Paul Zappa, hosted 112 guests.

Ebert, leading senior constable, and Zappa spoke about domestic violence’s impact on youth and detailed how they are working with young people in the community.

The event cost 40 AUD per person, and all proceeds went to the White Ribbon Foundation.

The Zonta Club of Bad Soden-Kronberg, Germany, organized a walk against violence as part of its Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign. The club met at the tree it planted three years ago, where it placed wishes for the future written on Zonta Says NO tags.

The Zonta Club of Whitsundays Inc, Australia, used “orange ladies” to provoke comment and incite conversation about domestic violence.

These plywood cutout orange figures traveled widely throughout the year, bearing Zonta’s message as they appeared at many functions and fundraisers.

Initially they made their debut on the hill at the entry to Airlie Beach sited alongside Zonta members and beneath a Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women banner .

They also appeared in Townsville at a high-profile football match and at a district conference. More locally, they were at the  Fun Run, the  Reef  Festival,  and  standing outside various businesses in town.

The club booked sites to raise awareness of domestic violence and also raise funds at the local markets. The orange ladies stood  at the stalls alongside 23 pair of orange women’s shoes. These shoes represent the 23 women who lost their lives to domestic violence in Queensland in just one year.

The stalls were used to sell 2017 calendars with domestic violence messages, beautifully designed with  gorgeous photographs and catchy slogans of supportive local businesses.

The club’s colorful display created many opportunities for people, both tourists and locals to stop and talk and contribute to Zonta.

The Zonta Club of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy, is spreading awareness with a large luminous Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women banner projected on the largest bank in South Tirol, which stands on the main crosswalk in the city center.

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The Zonta Club of Bendigo, Australia, joined with local government, police and community agencies to organize a well-attended community event and march on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which is also White Ribbon Day.

Author J.M. Yates shared a powerful message regarding the impact of family violence on children and told her own story of abuse as a child.

Psychotherapist Hugh Martin called upon all those in attendance, especially the men and boys, to eliminate gender-biased language and behaviors, which underpin family violence.

Club members, dressed in orange t-shirts, sold white ribbons and promoted Zonta’s role in eliminating violence against women.

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From Nov. 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to Dec. 10, Human Rights Day, the Zonta Cub of Gaylord Area, USA, is highlighting the goals and programs of the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan as well as the goals of Zonta International.

This year, the Zonta Club of Gaylord Area will support “Men Say No” by featuring 16 men, one on each day of the campaign. They will appear on the Zonta Club of Gaylord Facebook page. They are community leaders, businessmen, husbands, fathers, brothers and sons who are taking a public stand to help raise awareness and prevent dating violence, sexual assault and all domestic violence.

The Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan (WRCNM) makes it a priority to engage men. The WRCNM’s 100 Men Campaign addresses the belief that all men play an important role in raising funds for awareness. They also take a public stand to eliminating domestic violence.

The Zonta Club of Gaylord Area also supports “Coaching Boys into Men,” which recognizes the important role of coaches as they inspire young athletes to become men of empathy, respect and dignity. The program offers workshops and an online course for coaches. The Zonta club has sponsored one presentation for a local athletic team and seeks to contact other schools to sponsor more.

The club has also set up collection boxes, which are decorated with Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women signs and statistics, for the WRCNM’s Safe Home.

The most pervasive and least recognized human rights violation worldwide, gender-based violence affects women and girls of every race, class, culture, ethnicity, age and country. Zonta International strives to promote and protect the human rights of all women and girls and reduce the incidences of violence against them. Through funding from the Zonta International Foundation, the Zonta International Strategies to End Violence Against Women (ZISVAW) Program has provided more than US$5.5 million to support projects to prevent and end violence against women and girls in 42 countries.

During the 2016-2018 Biennium, two projects are being supported by the ZISVAW Fund:

• Respecting the Rights and Responding to the Needs of Adolescent Girls in Niger
• The Future We Want: Creating Sustainable Foundations for Addressing Human Trafficking and Unsafe Migration of Women and Girls in Nepal

Learn how Zonta International and UNFPA are working to delay early marriage in Niger by watching the above video. And, learn more about how we are teaming up with UN Women in Nepal by visiting our Foundation page: http://foundation.zonta.org/Nepal.

The Zonta Club of Basel, Switzerland, started their Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women display 25 November together with two other NGOs in the city of Basel. They focused on the theme of stereotypes and how they can contribute to violence. The club asked people about their roles and what happens when expectations are not met.

The club also distributed coasters to passersby and restaurants with cartoons showing stereotypes with reversed genders. People appreciated the engagement and the importance of raising the awareness of violence against women.

More information can be found on the Zonta Club of Basel’s website.