MARQUETTE, MI (WJMN) – Downtown Marquette will be aglow with orange lanterns for the next couple of weeks in an effort to bring awareness to domestic violence.

The Marquette chapter of Zonta International has embarked on a campaign to shed some light on the problem of domestic violence against women. With the help of over 25 Marquette businesses, The Zonta Club has placed orange lanterns in the front windows of participating shops throughout Marquette. These lanterns symbolize the light Zonta hopes to bring to the issue of gender-based violence. This campaign runs from November 25th, which is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, until December 10th, International Human Rights Day. This time period is in conjunction with the United Nations 16 days of activism. Zonta member Lucy Contois says this anti-domestic violence effort is represented in two ways.

“Zonta has taken on two symbols, the lantern and the umbrella. The lantern is an orange-lit lantern that symbolizes shedding light on the issue, spreading the word, and educating the umbrella as a symbol of protection and shelter. I think it also tells the community when you have to participate in businesses in a close area, and this displays I think it helps the community to understand it’s a caring community. It’s hard to convince somebody who’s been through abuse for a long time. It’s hard to break that because there’s a lot of fear. They’re isolated economically, and physically. And so, it’s hard to know that they can count on somebody outside of that place. So, it’s very difficult and the only thing we can do as a community, one of the things we can do as a community is all of us understand that.” Said Contois.

Contois urges everyone to take a selfie with one of the lanterns or umbrellas and post it online. You can do so at either The Masonic Mall or at the display inside Diggs in downtown Marquette.

Source: https://www.upmatters.com/news/lanterns-shed-light-on-domestic-violence/