The Zonta Club of Guelph, Canada, in partnership with the Guelph Wellington Women in Crisis and the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Support and Education Centre at the University of Guelph, conducted many advocacy and service events over the 16 Activism. Their actions included:
Lighting city hall in purple.
Conducting two Signal for Help workshops.
Holding a vigil on Dec 6, the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
Dropping off more than US$2000 worth of new women’s garments to support the Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Program at the Guelph General Hospital.
The International Christmas Charity Bazaar (ICCB) is a much sought-after annual Christmas Market that is patronized by many foreign diplomatic missions in Sri Lanka and selected charities. It is a much-awaited happening in Colombo to kick start the festive season.
This year, the Zonta Club Colombo III is privileged to be amongst the few charities associated with the ICCB and has been a keen participant due to the opportunity of visibility to Zonta.
This year, the club used this opportunity to showcase and raise awareness about Zonta’s drive to Say No to Violence Against Women. All club members participated in the bazaar, wearing orange clothing and orange ribbons, representing their pledge to eliminate violence against women. They also distributed orange ribbons amongst many participants at the bazaar as a gesture of support to stand against gender-based violence.
The message was spread across thousands of visitors to the bazaar, including visitors from many diplomatic missions in Sri Lanka, giving widespread visibility to the cause of standing against violence against women during the 16-day activism period.
ICCB is an event that the club looks forward to every year to raise awareness of its work by using the greater visibility provided through the network of diplomatic missions and social media/ television platforms and also for the opportunity provided to raise funds for the club projects.
On 27 November, as part of their 16 Days of Activism campaign, the Zonta Club of Tuguegarao, Philippines, shared teddy bears for HugZ of Hope, offering solace to survivors of Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) and kids admitted at the Cagayan Valley Medical Center and those under the care of Dr. Annie Bautista in St. Paul Hospital, Tuguegarao City.
Each HugZ of Hope Bear is a symbol of support, holding the warmth of a thousand embraces, a gesture of love to those on their journey of healing. As we placed these cuddly companions in gentle arms, we whispered messages of courage, resilience, and the promise of brighter days ahead.
The HugZ of Hope, spearheaded by Club President Olive Pascual, is an initiative that embodies the club’s commitment to standing with survivors, offering comfort amidst adversity and reminding them they are never alone.
Through soft embraces, the club aims to restore hope, inspire strength and ignite a spark of joy in the hearts of those affected by VAWC and suffering from illnesses.
The club is making each bear a tangible reminder that love and support encircle the receivers, a beacon guiding their path toward healing and empowerment.
For the past four years, the Zonta Club of Geelong Inc, Australia, has taken the lead in encouraging the city authority and other organizations to use the 16 Days as an opportunity to highlight the need to eliminate violence against women.
This year, the club kicked off the 16 Days with a gathering in a city park on 25 November with local rotary clubs, city councilors, a politician, members of local domestic violence service providers and the public. A sea of orange t-shirts arrived at the park to the sound of women’s anthems playing. A city councilor spoke about the increased awareness of the local government authority on the need to recognize this event as a major opportunity to promote the city’s work in this field. They also heard from a local domestic violence staff member about an art exhibition of work by victim-survivors.
Over the 16 days, there was a great deal of orange from yarn-bombing trees in the central business district, orange lighting on buildings at night, and many, many “orange ladies” at local libraries, hospitals and community centers.
This year, the campaign’s exposure, the club’s increased visibility and the involvement of many other organizations have risen significantly compared to previous years. Everywhere the club was present, they had a Zonta Says No to Violence Against Women logo displayed and promoted the goals and ideals of Zonta.
The Zonta Club of Brewerton, Friends for Equality, USA, is one of the now-forming clubs, and they were visible in their community in several ways during the 16 Days of Activism:
The club called on members and allies to wear orange during the 16 Days.
They encouraged self-education on these topics: Healthy relationships, signs of abuse and the services available to victims in the area. To help, the club created a display at a suburban library with information about Zonta, books recommended for reading and local community resources.
The club invited guests to their November meeting at the same library with the club’s Zonta Says NO display. A woman from a local women’s shelter gave an interactive talk on domestic violence and the formation of gender roles and answered the groups’ many questions. All 20 attendees learned something new. During the evening, guests pledged to say NO to violence against women by writing their names on handprints, which were then adhered to a poster.
The club mounted a social media campaign inviting members and allies to be digital activists.
Throughout all activities, people were encouraged to add their single voice to Zonta – a group united to eliminate gender violence. The local newspaper published a story on the club’s actions.
The Zonta Club of Cincinnati, USA, and the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) hosted a collaborative community exhibition, Wounded Healers: Transforming Pain to Wholeness and Health. This unprecedented exhibition featured drawings, prints, photographs and paintings that depict the personal and painful journey of physical, emotional and spiritual abuse leading to healing, hope and wholeness.
The month-long exhibition at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, opened with a reception for the artists, their families, and guests on Thursday, 9 November. This inaugural exhibition included 21 art pieces from 15 diverse artists who responded to an open call hosted by the club and the Contemporary Arts Center.
“At the Contemporary Arts Center, we strive to engage with issues of our time,” says Shawnee Turner, Director of Interpretation. “Supporting the Zonta Club of Cincinnati on such a relevant matter that impacts so many lives in our community while seeking to make the world better through art—this is why we’re here.”
The dates of the exhibition were selected to coincide with the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women and 16 Days of Activism campaigns. To further promote the campaign, the club hosted a kickoff for the 16 Days of Activism and a panel discussion titled “The Journey Of Healing,” featuring a club member, an artist and a psychologist, who shared their experiences of abuse and their journey to find wholeness and health – all held in the exhibit space.
The artists were honored and appreciative of the opportunity to share their work. “I am blessed. I would have never believed I would be showing art at such a prestigious gallery,” artist Laurie Ann Altman shared.
Through this exhibit, the club hopes to empower artists from the Greater Cincinnati region to bring awareness to the lived experiences of those seeking a world where no one lives in fear of violence.
The Zonta Club of Brooklyn, USA, submitted statistics for each day of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, beginning 25 November. The club shared these stats via email with all members and asked them to repost them on their social media. Additionally, they posted these submissions to their Facebook page. This action supports Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women Action.
The club ended the 16 Days of Activism with a post about women in Bangladesh by one of their members. These posts can be found on their Facebook page.
The Zonta Club of Cleveland, USA, was once again proud to participate actively in the 2023 Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women and 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaigns. The club kicked off the 16 Days with an educational program presented by the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking, an organization serving Northeast Ohio whose vision is to create “a world without human trafficking, one community at a time.”
Following the program, members participated in a service project, assembling holiday gift bags to be given to survivors of human trafficking by the Collaborative. The bags included a warm blanket, fuzzy socks, journals, affirmation cards, snacks, hot cocoa and chocolates, among other personal items.
Finally, in cooperation with Tower City Center, the club lit the iconic Terminal Tower building in downtown Cleveland orange to bring awareness to the Zonta Says NO campaign. In conjunction with the lighting, signage provided by Tower City Center in the building lobby brought awareness of Zonta’s cause to passersby.
These events were shared through the club’s social media outlets to showcase its members taking a stand and saying NO to violence against women.
Zonta Club of New Rochelle supported Zonta International’s Zonta Says No to Violence Against Women with 16 Days of Activism.
The club used its social media account to post local, national, and international statistics on the ways in which climate change, conflict, human trafficking, child marriage, laws against women’s rights, and intimate partner abuse contribute to violence against women worldwide.
Dressed in orange, club members concluded the final weekend with an awareness walk from City Hall to the high school.
Eighty five people attended the event hosted by Zonta Club of Laguna, Philippines via zoom.
The speaker from the National Bureau of Investigation gave a very powerful and highly informative presentation regarding cybercrime awareness – to make people be more vigilant so they dont become a victim.
The action is important because by understanding the evolving threats in our interconnected world, we can take proactive measures to protect ourselves and preserve our digital identities. Learning how to avoid and prevent cybercrime empowers us to take action and contribute to creating a safer online environment for all.
The goals were achieved through careful planning and execution. The impact of raising awareness on cyber crime is significant for the mission of Zonta. By educating individuals about the threats and providing knowledge on prevention and action, Zonta helps protect people and their digital identities in our interconnected world.
This event is important to the local community because it empowers community members to safeguard themselves against evolving cyber threats. By learning how to avoid and prevent cyber crime, individuals become more resilient and better equipped to navigate the digital landscape, ensuring the safety of their personal and financial information. Additionally, it fosters a sense of collective responsibility in the community to work together in the fight against cyber crime.
Join us in saying NO 