The Zonta Club of Ilocos Norte, Philippines, spearheaded a city-wide walk to end violence against women and children with the local government. Ten non-government women’s organizations and the women employees of the local government, with the city vice mayor, joined the club on 25 November to kick off the 16 Days of Activism.  

The walk started at the Centennial Arena and ended at Aurora Park with a morning Zumba. Then, the club passed out awards for “Best Slogans/Poster” on violence against women and girls. Everyone wore orange shirts for unity, walking to spread awareness of the campaign to stop gender-based violence.

Day 1: ENVISIONING

The club spent three days distributing Zonta Says NO tarpaulins to all the Local Government Units (LGUs) to prepare the whole province of Ilocos Norte in a united campaign for the 16 days of Activism.

The club also distributed the tarpaulins to 21 towns and two cities, the Ilocos Norte Provincial Capitol and the Zonta Building in Laoag City, including hotline numbers of local police and social welfare offices.  

Zontian Mary Ang sponsored the printing of the tarps while the members were grouped into three teams that were deployed to the southern, northern, and eastern towns of Ilocos Norte for distribution.

Mayors, their staff and Police Personnel gladly accepted these tarpaulins.

DAY 2 – KNOWLEDGE

On Day 2, the club spread knowledge and data on gender-based violence in their community. Data gathered from the Philippine National Police Provincial Office of Ilocos Norte shows that the crime statistics for Violence Against Women (VAW) in Ilocos Norte for 2024 dwindled to less than half as compared to the numbers in 2023.

As a staunch advocate of anti-violence against women and girls, the club has continuously visited all 21 municipalities and two cities of Ilocos Norte, promoting gender equality and challenging attitudes that normalize violence and abuse. They do this by raising public and political awareness of the causes of VAWC and encouraging action on prevention.

The club’s advocacy and campaign work focuses on mainstreaming gender equality, specifically with pupils and students and in the media. They also work directly with key sectors, other women’s organizations and local government units to develop women’s skills, capacity and understanding regarding the prevention of VAWC.

The club firmly believes that they have played a significant role in reducing the incidence of VAWC through its information dissemination campaigns and support for women in conflict situations. However, the club recognizes that its work is not finished. They will continue striving for a better world for women and girls, focusing on advocacy and taking concrete actions.