The Zonta Club of Porterville has been a constant and strong supporter of their local crisis center as most of the clients are female victims of domestic violence. The shelter is very well run and helps, on an average 400 women and children. The victims are often asked to draw and write messages on the T-shirts, as a tool of emotional release.

Porterville High School Z Club members borrowed the T-shirts from the crisis shelter and hung them on the quad during the lunch hour. The Z club advisors at the campus were present to help set up and answer questions from the students and other teachers who visited the display.

Members of the Zonta Club of Porterville, believe the message that, “domestic violence is not OK,” needs to be given at a young age so people know the difference even before they enter into a relationship.

The responses from the school students were very positive. The Z club and Zonta club also provided brochures with relevant organizations and phone numbers so that students know there is help for them or if they already know of friends and family members who are suffering domestic violence.

Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi (right) joins members from the Zonta Club of Jamestown to kick off the 16 Days of Activism.

The Zonta Club of Jamestown, NY, USA, in District 4, is involving its community in the 16 Days of Activism.

The club has decorated the town with yellow ribbons and Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women banners. They are encouraging people to stop and take a selfie with the banners and post their photos on social media using “#ZontaSaysNO.”

The trafficking of girls from Nepal into India for forced prostitution is perhaps one of the busiest slave trafficking routes anywhere in the world. Zonta is working to reduce human trafficking in Nepal. Join with Zonta and say no to human trafficking during the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign.

Click here to learn more about Zonta’s project in Nepal.

The Zonta Club of Bunbury Inc, Australia, in District 23, advocated for the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign, spreading awareness and handing out white ribbons, at the Bunbury Forum Shopping Centre on 25 November.

The Zonta Club of Bielefeld in Germany, District 29, coordinated the Ostmann Tower lighting up in orange at the start of the 16 Days of Activism.

Zontians arranged the lighting as part of the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign. Additionally, on Saturday, about 100 people marched from the city hall once around the Christmas market to the women’s culture center with balloons, banners and music.

Click here to read more.

The Zonta e-Club of Finland 1, District 20, donated orange knitted socks to Finland President Sauli Niinistö as a thank-you for his support of the HeForShe campaign and his work for gender equality and elimination of all forms of violence.

Below, watch a video of President Niinistö speaking at a HeForShe event.

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Approximately 300 people joined the Zonta clubs and Z club in Luxembourg and Young Zonta Luxembourg Z Club, District 27, in a march to end violence against women on Saturday, 25 November.

The clubs who participated include the Zonta Clubs of Luxembourg, Luxembourg-Multiculterel, Eisleck and Esch-Sur-Alzette and the Young Zonta Luxembourg Z Club.

The march went from Glacis to the Chamber of Deputies, the unicameral national legislature of Luxembourg.

Click here to read more and see additional photos.

Watch a video.

The Zonta Club of Accra, Ghana, District 18 organized a health walk and fundraising event to begin the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

The event was supported by the three other clubs in the country–the Zonta Clubs of Accra II, Accra Metropolitan and Tema.

The 16-Days Activism is an International Calendar Campaign Against Gender-Based Violence, which is held every year on November 25 to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and ends on December 10, which marks the International Human Rights Day.

Janet Aba Tamaklo, president of the Zonta Club of Accra, told Ghana News Agency that since the 1970s the club has been working with Zonta to advance the status of women worldwide through service and advocacy.

“We in Zonta International cannot accept this; we need to use all our energy to eradicate violence against women and girls locally and internationally through service and advocacy.”

Click here to read the rest of this story.

The Zonta Club of Gladstone, Australia, District 22, is advocating to end violence against women with a powerful display.

The club attached 44 orange wooden cutouts, which represent the 44 women who have been murdered by intimate partners in Australia this year, to a fence in their community.

Robyn Liddell, the club’s advocacy chair, told the Gladstone Observer that the number of women who had died was startling but was slowly improving.

“This time last year the tally was 68 so we are making progress in Australia,” she said. “But one death is still one too many.”

Liddell said the Gladstone club invited people to join members to standtogether to say no to violence against women and bring about change.

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The Zonta Clubs of St. Catharines, Fort Erie Area and Niagara Falls, Canada in District 4 launched their Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign on the evening of 24 November.

To mark the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism, the clubs held a candlelight walk at the Niagara Falls. After the walk, the American and Horseshoe Falls were bathed in orange.

There were several speakers at the event, including District 4 Governor Lori Robinson, the president of the Zonta Club of Niagara Falls, the representative from the parks commission and the head of the Women’s Centre. In addition, a local drumming and singing group performed.

“The Zonta Clubs of the Niagara peninsula are proud to be involved,” said Nicki Inch, advocacy chairwoman with the Zonta Club of Niagara Falls, told Niagara Falls Review.