advocacy

Zonta Club of Pori I says NO with a short film

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The Zonta Club of Pori I, Finland, organized a movie premiere for the film The Last Kick on the International Day of the Girl Child, 14 October, at the local racecourse auditorium. The club managed to book the venue free of charge with the help of their network. The event was specially organized for the young stars, the children and teenagers who acted in the movie, and their proud parents. Special guests included Theatre Ulpu’s chairperson, Maiju Junko, who co-wrote the screenplay, young screenplay writer Oskari Huhtanen and Glad Media representatives Anu and Tomi Glad. Zontians and Soroptimist clubs in Pori were also invited to the event.

The club received great support from several local sports clubs and teams, some participating in national-level competitions. The club requested their logos to be used in the final texts of the movie as a show of support for their cause. The logos would manifest their stance against physical and mental violence and their support for equal rights and compassion. To their surprise, all the teams and clubs contacted provided 100% support. Many were already running similar “anti-bullying” campaigns and revising their internal codes of conduct. Additionally, the project patrons, Mari Kaunistola and Petri Huru, who are members of the Finnish parliament, were invited to the event. The heads of the educational and cultural services of Pori and Ulvila and local media representatives were also in attendance.

The film, which you can watch here, sheds light on the importance of ending bullying, its lasting effects on victims and hope still exists in the world. The movie premiere also aimed to teach the importance of valuing others, showing compassion, and appreciating different personalities from diverse backgrounds. Such values can help increase equality in society, both on a micro and macro scale, and build a better world for women and girls.

The club’s initiative went beyond their expected goals. This project is a true testament to the fact that where there’s a will, there’s a way. It also shows that when you have like-minded and kind-hearted people in your network, anything is possible. Of course, commitment and persistence are key to creating and achieving something new and unique. The club challenges everyone to think outside the box and step beyond.

After the premiere, the club received numerous thank-you notes and messages of congratulations from those who attended. They also received several requests to distribute the material to schools outside the original distribution area of Pori and Ulvila.

The club plans to interview students and teachers from various schools to get their thoughts and opinions on the movie and its possible impacts while providing question card materials. It’s important to understand that the problem of bullying is not just local but global. The club hopes that the movie will serve as a tool to decrease bullying and teach compassion, thereby changing many people’s lives, especially those who have been bullied or involved in bullying. The club hopes the movie will start a positive chain reaction and spread as far as possible. As the movie is available in Swedish and English, the club hopes it will reach the countries of fellow Zontians worldwide through this award application.

Zonta Club of Brisbane River blows the whistle for domestic violence

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For the 2023 Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women and 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaigns, the Zonta Club of Brisbane River Inc, Australia, shook things up by involving directly with the public, communicating with their community stakeholders, setting up a colorful presentation with a highly visible presence and maintaining a static display at the local Princess Alexandra Hospital to raise awareness of domestic violence. They also consistently posted domestic violence awareness posts on their Facebook every day. The campaign included key elements such as:

  • Setting up a mass display of 18 Orange Ladies in a public park on a busy street frontage for three weekends.
  • Handing out free orange whistles, which is a play on the campaign theme, Blow the Whistle on Domestic Violence.
  • Distributing domestic violence materials sourced from local domestic violence services and women’s shelters.
  • Having direct conversations with passersby seeking information about the issue.

The club accomplished its goal of advocating against violence against women by being willing to engage with the public on the streets of their local community and having conversations about the uncomfortable subject. This campaign helped them strengthen their pre-existing connections with local domestic violence services, their local councilor, and parliament member by involving them in the process through consultation and seeking their cooperation for permission to use their information resources and staging a presence in Bunyapa Park West End.

While it is difficult to gauge the club’s impact, club members reported many meaningful conversations and gratitude for the helpful domestic violence assistance resources and the showpiece for the practical use of bright orange whistles they handed out. 

Zonta Club of Caloundra City Inc RISEs to increase collaboration and address domestic violence

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In 2010, the Zonta Club of Caloundra City Inc, Australia, introduced its Restart in a Safe Environment (RISE) concept to increase community collaboration and education and address domestic violence issues. Since then, the club has enjoyed 13 successful years of persistence and building partnerships.

The club initiated a project in 2013 to build a duplex on donated land to address the lack of transitional housing options for women and children leaving situations of domestic abuse in the southern end of the Sunshine Coast. The club raised US$90,000 in 90 days in 2016. A successful and continuing partnership with the Coast to Bay and the Salvation Army achieved the opening of the first duplex in 2017. The ongoing success of this model has been demonstrated by the state government’s direct funding in 2021 under the Safe Places capital grants to establish eight additional units in the Sunshine Coast region. The club has been repeatedly recognized for taking the initiative to address this need. It is a testament to the resilience and persistence of members who continue to work tirelessly to advocate for women and children affected by domestic abuse.

District 20 says NO to digital harassment

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Realizing that digital harassment is a growing problem, especially for youths, District 20 partnered with Loisto setlementti, a youth organization, to organize events and fundraise for the cause.

Digital harassment is a significant form of violence to which girls and women are highly vulnerable. Therefore, the clubs find it very important to inform and give advice to families and others. Loisto setlementti has a 24/7 Service for discussion and support with children aged 8 to 18 on digital platforms.

Within six months, the clubs have had many events and webinars, where Zontians and the audience have gained awareness and information about digital harassment and have improved the effectiveness of their operations by strengthening cooperation networks. The clubs’ fundraising has successfully hired new resources for Loisto setlementti to be experts for clubs in combatting digital harassment. They also plan to arrange events in schools for parents to give information and discuss digital harassment, as well as service for girls, where they may discuss and ask for help.

The patron of the whole project is a parliament member and doctor of military services. He gave a speech about citizens’ information security skills, for example.

The project will end in March 2025. The clubs have at least 20-30 planned future events, half as virtual sessions with a large audience.

To learn more about the project, visit www.zonta.fi.

Zonta Clubs of Maryborough Inc says NO at the Trent Walters Memorial Burnouts

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Last year, the Trent Walters Memorial Burnouts occurred on 25 November, which also marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the first day of the 16 Days of Activism.

Zontian Nshara Kingston from the Zonta Club of Maryborough Inc, Australia, is friends with Joe, a Pro Burnout driver of a car called “Ferret,” which, as it turns out, is an orange ute, matching the color of the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign. She organized a ride in the car with a Zonta Says NO banner on the front of the burnout pad, an orange Zolly displayed at the bar with information on the cause and an interview with the event emcee over the loudspeakers.

The club also had a display at the car show alongside Ferret before the burnout competition. During the car show, Nshara volunteered on the Speedway Sausage Sizzle wearing her Zonta Says NO shirt. Several people asked what is Zonta? So, Nshara got to practice her elevator speech many times. Joe also felt very privileged to receive his own Zonta Says NO shirt to wear for the day. The real bonus of the day was that Joe and Ferret received second place in the Pro-Class.

The club always talks about Zonta becoming visible in their community, thinking outside the box and being diverse with new ideas. The exposure to a new crowd was the main goal of the day. They tend to focus on events primarily for women, so this was an opportunity to be at an event that is typically seen as an event for men, even though there is a female burnout class. The success of this goal was shown through getting new followers on Facebook, including men who race Speedway.

Nshara overheard people discussing what was displayed on the Zolly, including men and young girls, primarily about the statistics and how high they were. The Maryborough Speedway was very supportive of the cause, and they appreciated Nshara’s volunteer efforts. It has been mentioned that the club may be the charity of the Trent Walters Memorial if it occurs again in 2024. This means that all the funds raised during the event will be donated to the club, which is an excellent community connection.

Zonta Club of Warwick Inc Says NO during the 16 Days of Activism

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During the 16 Days of Activism, the Zonta Club of Warwick Inc, Australia, promoted gender-based violence awareness by placing large orange ladies in 15 businesses in Warwick and one in Killarney. The businesses included banks, the council library, recreation centers, churches and retail facilities. These orange ladies were stocked with brochures that provided information on domestic violence support, Safe Haven Domestic Violence (DV) cards and flyers for Protea Place, a women’s support center. In addition, small orange ladies were distributed to cafes, hairdressers, chemists and retail facilities, which primarily served as business card holders containing Safe Haven DV cards.

The local community responded positively to the ladies, with many customers showing interest in them. This initiative allowed the club to raise awareness of gender violence and promote Zonta’s actions. Their Facebook page featured two daily posts for the 16 Days: one contained information directed by District 22, and the other included photos of club members linked to various businesses’ Facebook pages. The club received a lot of feedback from these posts, highlighting the usefulness of social media as a tool for advocacy.

The Southern Downs Regional Council supported the club by illuminating the clock on Warwick Town Hall in orange and sharing its information on their website and the two Facebook posts about the event.

The club attended events in Toowoomba, such as the stand-up roadside vigil and the flag ceremony. They received a warm welcome from club members from both Zonta clubs in Toowoomba, which helped spread the word that their club is active in our campaign against gender-based violence.

Zonta Club of Tuguegarao cares about violence against women and girls

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As part of its 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, the Zonta Club of Tuguegarao, Philippines, partnered with the Philippine National Police Lal-lo Station and the Z-clubs of Lal-lo National High School and LGU Lal-lo to conduct a Violence Against Women and Girls symposium at four high schools: LNHS Cabayabasan Annex, Logac National High School, Magapit National High School and Lal-lo National High School.

The club wishes to thank these schools for their cooperation and warm welcome to the group. The club will continue to conduct symposiums after the campaign because they want to reach more students, including non-government organizations (NGOs) and women’s groups like the Lal-lo Rural Improvements Clubs Federation Inc.

“It is indeed a happy heart for the club to witness the community’s participation in helping mitigate violence against women and girls,” said Club President Olive Pascual.

“The Municipality of Lal-lo will always be here supporting the beautiful endeavors of the Zonta Club of Tuguegarao as we help to do advocacy actions to combat violence in any form continuously,” added Mayor Florante “Anteng” Pascual.

Alhyra Joy Fortozo, president of the Z Club of LNHS, also said, “This is a great platform to empower women and girls as we aim to move towards a world free of violence and fear.”

Zonta Club of Albury-Wodonga Inc unites to end violence against women

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The Zonta Club of Albury-Wodonga Inc, Australia, partnered with local police family violence units to bring awareness, assistance and advocacy to their communities.

The club placed 16 1-meter-tall wooden orange ladies, who made their presence felt by making a colorful contribution and a QR code connection to helpful emergency numbers. They launched the 16 Days of Activism by holding a movie night to assist in funds for their gender-based violence project, and on 26 November, they supplied sausages and onions to the police, who were the cooks for a crowd of around 150 people over the allotted time.

The club’s goals were to:

  • Stage an impactful 16 Days of Activism against family violence across Albury Wodonga.
  • Attract participation by more than just service providers. 
  • Increase media coverage.
  • Build awareness of the seriousness and prevalence of violence in our community and what we can do about it.
  • Provide men and women with an opportunity to take away new knowledge that will benefit their personal lives, their communities and organizations.
  • Enable women to access information on existing services, resources and assistance.

The club attracted good media coverage through radio, newspaper and television, and other services joined them to complete the activity with a Walk Against Violence. They repeated this in a rural town and learned that the useful little survival packs they supplied to the police for distribution to women on that first escape night should also include men.

In rural areas, the local police find it safer and better to remove the perpetrator from the family home because resources for one are more attainable than perhaps a mother and her children. So, the club promptly supplied packs that included a small towel, a shaver and aftershave lotion.

Not only did the club’s activities build a better world for women and girls, but they also attracted a new member.

Zonta Club of Sydney Wests summarizes 2023 16 Days of Activism activities

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The Zonta Club of Sydney West Inc, Australia, addressed each of the 16 Days of Activism during the 2023 Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign on Facebook. Each social media post was a statement relevant to the campaigns. 

Read further ahead for some of the club’s statement posts.

Day Three:

“LORNA and the Zonta Club of Sydney West Inc. embrace day three of the 16 Days of Activism.

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is a global campaign which runs every year from 25 November to 10 December. Communities around the world join the call to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls.

You can TAKE ACTION TODAY! TALK to People!

  • Many of our friends and colleagues are NOT AWARE of the frightening statistics of Violence against Women in Australia;
  • 1 in 7 women and 1 in 25 men have been injured by an intimate partner;
  • On average, one woman a week is killed by an intimate partner;
  • Unfortunately, we can find many more statistics to discuss from reliable sources. 

Look them up! Tell the stories! Follow us for the 16 days – we can make a difference!

Send us your ideas!”

Day 14:

“KIMBERLY and the Zonta Club of Sydney West embrace day 14 of 16 Days of Activism.

Are we sure that we have eliminated these violent acts across Australia, or do they linger here, too?

‘Women cannot deny their male partner sex.’

In intimate relationships, women’s choices over their bodies are dominated and controlled by their male partners and the belief that women’s bodies should always be available to men. These norms contribute to intimate partner rape and other forms of abuse, the most common form of violence against women and girls. Tunisia.

‘Sexual harassment is normal’.

Dominant patterns around male sexual entitlement over women’s bodies contribute to sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence. In Colombia, a young woman stated,” I believe that everything arises from the fact that men see us as sexual objects and as the persons they need to fulfill their sexual needs.

In Latin America, research revealed that 75% of young people state their male friends believe harassment is normal.

‘Each year on this planet, 15 million girls are married before the age of 18.’ Most of these girls are deprived of their fundamental human rights to health, education, safety, and bodily integrity. (Acknowledgement to Oxfam.)”

Day 16:

“RUBY and the Zonta Club of Sydney West embrace day 16 of 16 Days of Activism.

                                            ‘A CONVERSATION’

Zonta International is a leading global organization of individuals working together to build a better world for women and girls.

                             That sounds fantastic! What a MISSION!

Zonta International envisions a world in which women’s rights are recognized as human rights and every woman is able to achieve her full potential.

                               ‘Such an exciting vision for the future!’

In such a world, women have access to all resources and are represented in decision-making positions on an equal basis with men. In such a world, no woman lives in fear of violence.

                            ‘I would love to take some action, but how do I help?’

Stand with women and girls worldwide! Join us at the Zonta Club of Sydney West or your nearest club. It’s easy – and friendly!”

Zonta Club of Pocatello revamps the 16 Days in 16 ways

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Over the last five years, the Zonta Club of Pocatello, USA, has been on a dedicated mission, reaching 16 locations to provide essential period and personal hygiene items for needy women. This year, their focus shifted to broader outreach and raising awareness about the challenges faced by women in their community and beyond. They aimed to address each of the 16 ways suggested by Zonta International, delivering to nine locations and introducing innovative initiatives for the remaining seven days.

The club’s initiatives extended beyond deliveries, incorporating strategies to illuminate various issues. Collaborating with a local organization, they shared messages of hope and presented local and statewide domestic violence statistics to provoke reflection and inspire collective action. Their landscapes became canvases adorned with Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women signs, symbolizing their commitment to standing against gender-based violence.

The club disseminated information about Zonta’s international service projects and Fast Action Friday opportunities to enhance public awareness. A highlight was their unique reverse book club, where participants sought inspiration from literature focused on Zonta’s missions – combating domestic violence, addressing gender-based violence, eradicating child marriage and championing climate justice.

A significant milestone was the proclamation signing ceremony with the mayor, designating 7 December as “Zonta Says NO To Violence Against Women Day.” This official recognition underscores the club’s commitment to effecting change at higher levels of governance.

Overall, the club’s projects engaged more than 30 participants. This result demonstrates the tangible impact of their efforts and highlights the power of collective action in fostering positive change.