In the U.S., less than 5 percent of college students who are victims of sexual assault report the crime. Violence on campus is a global issue that needs to be addressed.
Speak up for women who are too afraid to speak.
Author: Zonta International
Zonta Club of Rockhampton Inc. raises awareness at local airport, library, tourist attractions
The Zonta Club of Rockhampton Inc. mounted displays at the busy Rockhampton Airport and the local Yeppoon library in Queensland during the 16 Days of Activism and as part of the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign.
To promote awareness of the campaign and provide a range of information about local services and Zonta membership, club members mounted the displays as well as lit local monuments orange.
Two tourist locations, the Wreck Point lookout and the Singing Ship on the Capricorn Coast, as well as Riverbank lights in Rockhampton, were lit orange to symbolize the 16 Days of Activism campaign.
The Wreck Point Lookout overlooks the Pacific Ocean and the Singing Ship monument, which honors Captain James Cook, the man who discovered and named Keppel Bay in 1770, overlooks Keppel Bay in Queensland.
Zonta Club of Veszprem Area displays local art as part of 16 Days of Activism campaign
The Zonta Club of Veszprem Area held a benefit concert and art installation to promote the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign.
To kick off the 16 Days of Activism campaign, the Hungary club welcomed local artist Kitti Tarcsa to share her work that focuses on examining violence against women.
Tarcsa was inspired by the Zonta Club of Veszprem Area to choose violence against women as the theme for her university thesis. Her work strives to describe violence against women by using three different faces that symbolize emotional abuse, sexual violence, and domestic violence.
Her work describes the violence against women symbolically by using a stencil technical on Plexiglas, lighting her work from behind. She also placed a reflective surface behind each piece so people viewing the art could see themselves in her work.
Tarcsa is a 24-year-old ceramic artist and interior designer and studied interior design at the University of Nyíregyháza in Hungary from 2013 to 2016.
In 2016 she won a school competition for her work in graphic design to raise awareness for violence against women and in 2017 she took part in the Hungarian national competition to symbolize violence against women.
Zonta Club of Redcliffe Area Inc advocates for domestic violence survivors with signs in public restrooms
Luke Howarth, Federal Member for Petrie, holds one of the Zonta Club of Redcliffe Area Inc’s signs with Gail Symons, the club’s vice president.
The Zonta Club of Redcliffe Area Inc, Australia, in District 22, is involving its community in the 16 Days of Activism.
The club had Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women signs installed on the doors of each cubicle in female public toilets in the Redcliffe Region.
The signs are a prominent orange color and list the toll-free phone number for DVConnect Womensline, the only statewide telephone service in Queensland that offers women who are experiencing domestic or family violence 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
The Moreton Bay Regional Council installed 100 signs for free during the 16 Days of Activism last year. The Zonta club is extending the initiative this year and has begun installing the signs in sporting clubs and a hotel.
“I am proud to support the Zonta Club of Redcliffe,” says Luke Howarth, Federal Member for Petrie. “They are a great support network for our community.”
He continued: “Real men don’t hit women. Real men don’t abuse women. I am calling for men in our community to be real men and take responsibly for their thoughts, their words and their actions.”
Zonta club members also marched in a local White Ribbon Day march on Friday, 24 November, and held a free breakfast on Saturday, 25 November.
Zonta Club of Porterville advocates to end violence against women in local parade
Members of the Zonta Club of Porterville, USA, in District 9, along with members of one of the three Z clubs, participated in the town’s annual Christmas parade.
The Zonta Says NO-themed float was decorated by two of the members of the club’s Advocacy Committee, Adonas Nuckols and Mickie Manning.
Club members Sharon Scarbrough and Valerie Simonich led the team with a bright yellow banner that displayed the name of the club in big bold letters. The Z club members sat on the flatbed, holding messages against violence and for gender equality.
The back of the truck displayed a “Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women” banner. The parade draws more than 10,000 people from the city and Zonta members took the opportunity to address the captive audience with its message.
Female mayor joins Zonta Club of Gawler Inc for 16 Days of Activism
The Zonta Club of Gawler Inc, Australia, in District 23, is supporting the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign in multiple ways.
Club members are distributing white ribbons to local businesses for them to hang in their windows to support ending gender-based violence and continuing its project with local schools where students create art about expecting respect.
Wearing orange Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women t-shirts, the club recently met at a local cafe, joined by Mayor Karen Redman.
“It is such an important message to get out, and we need to change our culture as Australians, because the statistics are terrible surrounding domestic and family violence,” Redman told The Buniyip.
“One of the biggest groups of rising homelessness is women and children, who are fleeing violence, and that it is not okay.
“A really important role of the connected local council is to advocate for issues that are important, and need advocating for, and this is one.
“I (also), certainly, feel as a female mayor that it resonates in a very powerful way for me.”
Gawler Mayor Karen Redman (back row, left) joined the Zonta Club of Gawler Inc during its Zonta Says NO activities.
Zonta Club of Tacloban educates high school students on how to prevent early marriage and teen pregnancy
The Zonta Club of Tacloban, Philippines, in District 17, spread awareness of gender equality and violence against women during the 16 Days of Activism.
Members of the club gathered and lectured 100 11th graders from Leyte National High School in Tacloban City to educate them on preventing early marriage and teen pregnancy.
“Together as Zontians, we will continue to raise our voice and be active,” says Club Treasurer Aegina Ruiz. “We solidly support saying NO to violence against women and girls.”
Day 10: Female Trafficking Victims
Trafficking for sexual exploitation or for forced labor are reported nearly everywhere, but trafficking victims are trafficked for many exploitative reasons.
Click here to read more from the UNODC report on Trafficking in Persons.
Day 9: Female Genital Mutilation
UNICEF reports that current progress to end female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is not sufficient to keep up with the growing population. Unless these trends change, the number of girls who will undergo FGM/C will continue to rise. Say no to FGM/C.
Zonta Club of Fort Collins launches Zonta Says NO speaker series
In an effort to increase awareness and education about violence against women, the Zonta Club of Fort Collins has introduced a Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women speaker series.
The first event for the program, called the Zonta Says NO Speaker Series, was in October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The speaker for the first event was the Executive Director of Crossroads Safehouse, Pat Parker. Parker spoke to several women about the intricacies of partner violence, victims, and efforts to end violence in Fort Collins.
Following Parker’s speech, Fort Collins Mayor Wade Troxell made a proclamation for the 16 Days of Activism campaign.
Attendees of the event were asked to bring shampoo or conditioner to donate to Safehouse residents.
The second speaker was Diana Laws, a leader in NECCAT, the Northeastern Colorado Coalition Against Trafficking. Laws spoke about human trafficking, the work of the coalition, as well as relayed stark facts about perpetrators and victims.
Attendees were asked to bring an item to add to bags that will be given to the police department to hand out to victims.
During the 16 Days of Activism campaign, the Zonta Club of Fort Collins is continuing to publish facts about human trafficking and violence against women in their area, as well as promoting future series events.
On 8 December, the speaker series will host AJ Ortiz who will give a presentation titled “Human Trafficking 101 in Our Community.”
The January speaker event will host Lisa Poppaw, the executive director of ChildSafe, a nonprofit that provides therapy for victims of sexual abuse.
Join us in saying NO 