The 16 Days of Activism is essential for raising awareness for the Zonta Says NO campaign. The Zonta Club of Kowloon, Hong Kong, took this year’s opportunity to orange the world for the Golden Z and Z Club members. Many of their student club alumnae and colleagues work in like-minded organizations after graduation. 

The club planned diverse activities to advocate ending violence against women: 

• The club organized a special Zonta Says NO photo session during their business meeting. They were joined by leaders from their advocacy partners, student club representatives and alumnae. The club created special Zonta Says NO props to make their message loud and clear.
• During the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the club chartered a new Golden Z Club at the Hong Kong Nang Yan College of Higher Education and a new Z Club at the Immaculate Heart of Mary College. The club briefed the students on Zonta International, including the club’s major activities and the Zonta Says NO campaign. The headmistress recommended more than 40 students become chartered members of the new Z club, and they elected a male colleague as charter president.
• Although the club sponsors 3 Golden Z and 7 Z clubs, they all remained active throughout the pandemic. The club lights up its installation ceremonies in orange in November and December every year. Due to some schools not resuming in-person lessons, the installation was held online. The students used orange background templates to indicate their support for Zonta Says NO.

The club hopes to continue grooming its student members to become civically conscious and recruiting them to become full-fledged members when they grow up.

Statistics from the Hong Kong Federation of Women’s Centers, which operate many women’s helplines in Hong Kong, indicated that they received double the number of calls related to domestic violence between April 2018- March 2020. The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is necessary to raise awareness and call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.