advocacy

In the news: Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley Joins 16 Days of Activism

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Photo Source: SCV News

“Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women” is championed by Zonta Clubs worldwide. The Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley joins the annual awareness and educational campaign which takes place during the United Nations 16 days of Activism from Nov. 25 through Dec. 10.

In 2016, the Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley, in collaboration with the Domestic Violence Center, City of Santa Clarita and the local Sheriff’s Department, formed Zonta’s “SCV Red Dress Project” to raise awareness of domestic violence within the community by displaying red dresses and a red vest that represent individuals who have lost their lives through domestic violence. The display symbolizes the reality of domestic violence and the impact it has in our community. Standing together with Zonta and highlighting the SCV Red Dress Project campaign is the Assistance League Resale store located at 26045 Bouquet Canyon Road, Santa Clarita. From Nov. 25 – Dec. 10, customers will see red dresses hanging throughout the store and informational brochures will be available at the registers.

“Having meaningful conversations with community members, and forging partnerships with other local organizations raises awareness about the impact of domestic violence in our community,” said Nicole Miller, Zonta Club of SCV president. “With the club’s focus on ending gender-based violence, these connections send a strong message to the community that we stand together in saying no to violence against women!”

Globally, Zonta International’s ongoing efforts to end violence against women and girls are carried out through the Zonta’s International Service Program and Zonta’s partnerships with the United Nations. Zonta International established the “Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women” campaign in Nov. 2012.

Currently, thirty-five percent of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence. “Zonta envisions a world where no woman lives in fear of violence. Through the ‘Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women’ campaign, our members and allies stand together, uniting our voices to advocate for all those who have suffered gender-based violence,” said Ute Scholz, Zonta International president. “Zonta is needed now, more than ever, to continue its work to end violence and build a better world for women and girls.” To learn more about the worldwide campaign, please visit www.zontasaysno.com.

Zonta International (www.zonta.org) is a leading global organization of individuals working together to build a better world for women and girls. More than 27,000 members in 62 countries work together to make gender equality a worldwide reality for women and girls.

To learn more about Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley, go to www.scvzonta.org.

Source: https://scvnews.com/zonta-scv-joins-u-n-s-16-days-of-activism/

In the news: Zonta Club of Chatham-Kent is saying NO to violence against women

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Dozens of people took part in a demonstration at the Parry Street Bridge in Chatham to show support for women who have been the victims of violence, Nov 25, 2021. (Photo by Kirk Dickinson/99.1 News)
Source: CKXS

A pair of local groups have partnered to stand in solidarity and raise awareness about the violence and abuse women face around the world.

The Chatham-Kent Coordinating Committee to End Violence Against Women will be holding a flag-raising ceremony at the Civic Centre in Chatham on Wednesday at 11:45 a.m. to recognize November as Woman Abuse Prevention Month.

“We’re hoping that people understand that [violence against women] is not some sort of new or recent phenomenon,” said Karen Hunter, executive director of the Chatham-Kent Women’s Center and co-chair of the committee. “It’s time to start talking about it. It’s time to start recognizing that this is a really serious issue in our community as well.”

Following the flag raising at 12:15 p.m., committee members will join the Zonta Club of Chatham-Kent for the “Say No on the Bridge” rally on the Third Street Bridge. The aim of the demonstration is to inspire action against violence against women.

“Many times women are being attacked, sexually assaulted or brutalized in their own homes. We want people to recognize that this type of violence against women, against girls, against children, should not be tolerated anywhere, it has no place in our society,” said Hunter. “All of us have that responsibility to do something about it and we all need to take a stand and say that this needs to end.”

The rally is open to the public and those who attend are encouraged to bring signs with the slogan “Zonta Says No to Violence against Women” or any slogan that encompasses the idea.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to engage in open discussions, learn about support resources, and actively participate in the movement to end violence against women.

In the news: Zonta Club of Port Lincoln recognizes an important time to raise awareness

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Gabbi Winters at Port Lincoln Gourmet Box Co with one of the visiting orange ladies, which are raising awareness for the elimination of violence against women and girls. PHOTO: CHARLOTTE MARTIN 376400_01
Source: Port Lincoln Times

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women was marked on Saturday, November 25.

Orange is the United Nations’ chosen colour to raise awareness and take action to end violence against women and girls.

The Zonta Club of Port Lincoln has scattered orange timber cut outs dubbed the “orange ladies” around the city to help raise awareness over the 16 days of activism, to help eliminate domestic violence.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics Personal Safety Survey for 2021-22 found one in four women and one in 14 men had experienced violence from an intimate partner since the age of 15.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare said there was a wide range of definitions currently used for concepts relating to family, domestic and sexual violence, with no single definition in Australia.

The term encompasses a wide range of behaviours and harms that can occur in both family and non-family settings.

For people that may be at risk, South Australian Police has the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, which provides an avenue to get information about a partner or former partner, to help make decisions about safety and the future of a relationship.

A request for information can be made by either the person who is feeling unsafe in their relationship or a person concerned about the welfare of someone they know.

The scheme is an early intervention and prevention initiative, not an emergency response service – Phone Triple Zero (000) in an emergency or 131 444 for non-urgent police assistance.

Women or children experiencing domestic violence in Port Lincoln and surrounds can access Yarredi Services, an organisation that aims to support and empower clients in these positions. Chief executive officer Mishelle Di Pinto said Yarredi Services provided a 24-hour crisis response for women and children experiencing domestic and or family violence that require emergency assistance.

“Early intervention and prevention strategies can include applying to the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme or reaching out to a service for specialist support to prepare to safely leave a DV situation,” she said.

“In the last week four women have allegedly lost their lives to domestic violence, if you require support or assistance please reach out to your local service.”

Visit yarredi.org.au or phone 8683 0311.

Family Violence Legal Service Aboriginal Corporation has an office in Port Lincoln and principal legal officer Julie Detchon said the organisation provided legal and non-legal services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are victim/survivors of family violence and/or sexual assault in South Australia.

“We also assist non-indigenous people who have Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in their care,” she said.

“Our service is free and confidential, and is delivered in a culturally safe and trauma informed way.

“We run early intervention and community legal education programs across the region to help people understand more about issues relating to family violence and their options to get help.

She said the next event – and the last one for the year – is a Sista2Sista day on Wednesday, November 29 in Whyalla for First Nations’ women on Eyre Peninsula.

“People can get in contact with us by using the form on our website – fvlsac.org.au – by phone or coming to our office at 89 Liverpool Street, Port Lincoln.”

1800RESPECT is a service that supports everyone impacted by domestic, family and sexual violence, including men. They can provide options to access specialist trauma counselling or other support services for men and boys dealing with violence. To access that service phone 1800 737 732.

In the news: Zonta Club of Fredericksburg marks global campaign with local activities

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Main Street banner, reception to focus on domestic violence prevention efforts

The Zonta Club of Fredericksburg (ZCF) is taking part in 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence — an international campaign that aims to inspire action and end violence against women and girls around the world.

Local activities include a banner over Main Street, a display at the Girl Scout Cabin on the corner of Crockett and Austin streets, a service project to benefit domestic violence victims, and a celebration at The Schatze Haus Resale Boutique — which benefits The Grace Center — on Wednesday, Nov. 29 from 3-6 p.m.

The Grace Center of Fredericksburg provides shelter, offers guidance, and schedules free and confidential services to empower those who have been impacted by domestic violence and seek to escape their abuser.

“Zonta envisions a world where no woman lives in fear of violence. Through the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign, our members and allies stand together, uniting our voices to advocate for all those who have suffered gender-based violence,” said Zonta International President Ute Scholz. “Zonta is needed now, more than ever, to continue its work to end violence and build a better world for women and girls.”

The 16 Days of Activism campaign began Nov. 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and ends Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day.

Zonta International encourages its clubs to participate in advocacy efforts that focus on prevention, protection and prosecution.
ZCF activities include:

• A “ZONTA SAYS NO” banner over Main Street at Crockett Street and the Girl Scout Cabin display on the corner of Crockett and Austin streets show off orange (the color for domestic violence awareness) and #16DaysofActivism information.
The corner display also provides QR Codes for more information about the campaign and Zonta efforts.
• A service project to make 50 hygiene bags for The Grace Center. These bags are filled with a variety of basic toiletries to be offered to women entering The Grace Center after fleeing a violent domestic event.
• The Nov. 29 reception at The Schatze Haus Resale Boutique brings attention to its work to support The Grace Center.
“Join us to learn more about domestic violence in our community and how these organizations work together to fight it,” said ZFC president Elizabeth Wunderlich.

“The Grace Center gives hope by offering local domestic violence victims a place to seek shelter from their abuser,” Wunderlich said. “Supporting The Schatze Haus and The Grace Center is in perfect alignment with our Zonta mission and 16 Days of Activism. We encourage the community to join us on Wednesday to learn more about what this amazing organization is doing for our residents affected by violent trauma at the hands of a domestic partner.”

Source: https://www.fredericksburgstandard.com/2023/11/29/zonta-club-marks-global-campaign-local-activities/

In the news: Zonta Club of Noosa says NO to violence

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Noosa says no to domestic and family violence was a message sent by the Zonta Club of Noosa.

“Violence against women is not inevitable, it is preventable,“ Zonta Club of Noosa president Robyn O’Neill told a group of supporters who marched along Gympie Terrace last Sunday to say no to violence against women and girls.

“To end violence against women we need to challenge attitudes that perpetuate, rationalise and normalise that violence and deny women’s rights to safety,“ Robyn said.

“Violence is the language of the inarticulate. It’s so true. We’ve seen it in our own lives when people get so angry they can’t speak – that’s when they resort to physical violence. Too many people don’t understand how to express themselves without dominance, power and control.

“Respect starts with a conversation, so let’s start talking. We need to start real conversations about why ordinary people commit horrific acts of violence against the people closest to them.“

The club’s annual walk is part of Zonta International’s 16 Days of Activism campaign (from 25 November to World Human Rights Day on 10 December) against gender-based violence, aimed at raising awareness of the risks, impact and dangers of gender-based violence.

So far this year, 58 women in Australia have been killed in domestic and family violence situations.

Robyn described the campaign as a call for action, a critical part in a global movement “against one of world’s most persistent violations against human rights and that is violence against women“.

“Calls for action are crucial. They shine a spotlight on the issue of violence against women,“ she said.

“They are a moment to create public awareness of what needs to change to prevent it from happening in the first place at all at local, national and international level. Because as we know violence against women and girls is something that effects every country in world.

“To end violence against women we need to challenge attitudes that perpetuate, rationalise and normalise that violence and deny women’s rights to safety.

“Shifting behaviours is hard and slow but gender equality means all of us and working with all genders is the only way to see true change. We need the men to stand beside the women all the way.

“While men can be victims as well, they are overwhelmingly the perpetrators of gender based violence.“

After a week chairing public hearings held by the Youth Justice Reform Select Committee, Noosa MP Sandy Bolton told the group what she had heard taught her much more than a discussion was needed.

“What we’ve seen in households across Queensland – it starts right there,“ Sandy said.

“It’s all interconnected. The children who are coming out of those households – it is deeply disturbing that we haven’t broken the cycle and we have so much more to do.

“What we have found is there’s a lack of communication to the assistance available and also the early interventions that happen right in our schools.

“Just about every witness I’ve heard this week has said it takes a community, it takes a society. It’s not just up to government or one person, it takes all of us.

“I ask you to spread the word that there is help and within the homes to reach out. If you don’t know who to reach out to call council, call myself, call somebody and we will connect you and follow Zonta on Facebook.“

Source: https://noosatoday.com.au/news/29-11-2023/noosa-says-no-to-violence-2/

In the news: Zonta Club Metro Iloilo joins End-VAWC campaignIn the news:

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The members of Zonta Club Metro Iloilo headed by its president, Mrs. Grace Blair.
The members of Zonta Club Metro Iloilo headed by its president, Mrs. Grace Blair.

TO kick off the “16 Days of Activism” campaign against violence against women and children (VAWC), the Zonta Club Metro Iloilo held a motorcade around Iloilo City on Nov. 25, in sync with the observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, until Dec. 10, which is Human Rights Day.
Zonta Club Metro Iloilo kicks off the “16 Days of Activism” campaign with a motorcade on the main thoroughfares of Iloilo City on Nov. 25.

Being a group of empowered women in Iloilo empowering fellow women, Zonta Club Metro Iloilo, a member of Zonta International, has carried out programs and projects to help the sector.

The group holds symposiums on teenage pregnancy and online sexual violence in various schools in the city and province of Iloilo, as well as self-defense crash courses at selected high schools.


“One of Zonta’s advocacies, as well as that of pediatricians in Western Visayas, is to stop child abuse. And one form of child abuse we are currently focusing on, which is rampant, is the online sexual exploitation of children,” said Dr. Ma. Theresa M. Hallegado, Pediatrician and Committee Head on Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children.

Hallegado recognized the importance of the internet in education and keeping connections, but she emphasized that it is also a venue for people with ill intentions.

“The primary reminder we give children is to be SMART: Stay safe while browsing the internet; do not meet up with people you do not know; avoid accepting suspicious files you receive; is your source reliable?; and tell somebody if someone on the internet is acting suspicious,” she added.

Source: https://www.panaynews.net/zonta-club-metro-iloilo-joins-end-vawc-campaign/

Zonta Clubs of Ibadan collaborate in 16 days of activism for the elimination of violence against women 2023

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Members of the clubs in Ibadan invited the press to cover the unveiling of billboards and the beginning of the Zonta Says NO activities in Ibadan city.

The clubs also carried hand held placards while parading in different locations. Members encouraged the reporting of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases which our members in the legal profession will handle pro bono.

Members were delighted that market men and women remembered Zonta campaigns of previous years. We are getting more visible! The message is gaining traction!

Zonta Club of Sofia begins the 16 Days of Activism Campaign with a procession

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Each year Zonta & UN mark the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign on 25 November. All Zonta Clubs within Area 05, District 30 also begin the campaign by organizing different campaigns in their cities.

On 24 November, 2023 Zonta Club of Sofia organized a procession in the center of Sofia – Bulgaria’s capital under the motto “NO to violence”.

Instead of illuminating buildings in orange, the club opened a Zonta Says NO alley with trees wrapped in orange. The trees also have plates containing a QR code leading to a webpage with more information about the campaign and useful contacts.

Zonta Says NO Information flyers and orange flags were also distributed during the procession. Talented cheerleaders from Sofia’s First English Language School took part in the march with a performance. The procession was also part of Area 05, District 30’s Campaign “I want to meet the sun, too!”, launched back in 2020.

The campaign’s goal is to work with crisis centers accommodating women and children victims of domestic violence as well as to support the opening of new ones that are highly needed in Bulgaria. The event was attended by citizens, Zonta members and friends and received coverage in the national television.

In the news: Zonta Club of Lockport Says NO to violence against women

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Zonta Club of Lockport directors Carol Spedding, Brenda Ulrich, Mary Ann Bucolo, Teresa Sipowicz and Tracy Farrell, and club project chair Adrian Rogers.
Source: Union-Sun & Journal

The Zonta Club of Lockport has posted signs that say “Zonta says NO to Violence Against Women” throughout the city of Lockport. This campaign, running through December 10th, tries to bring awareness to the prevalence of violence against women.

Current statistics show one in three women will experience physical/sexual violence in their lifetime, often perpetrated by intimate partners. Some 30% of intimate partner victims report that pornography was involved in some manner. New York state has the fourth highest number of cases (more than 400) reported for human trafficking in the country, following California, Texas and Florida.

Anyone interested in assisting victims of sexual assault who are brought to Lockport Memorial Hospital can donate a sweat suit to the Zonta Club by dropping it off at one of these collection sites: Lockport Family YMCA, 5833 Snyder Drive; or Immaculata Home, 31 Lewis St., any time between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sweat suits are given to victims of sexual assault whose clothing is collected at the hospital for forensic purposes. All sizes are accepted.

Take note of this local resource: The YWCA of the Niagara Frontier’s 24/7 Domestic Violence Hotline provides phone counseling, support and referrals for emergency shelter or housing. The domestic violence and sexual assault hotline number is 716-433-6716.

Zonta International is a service organization of more than 28,000 executive women committed to empowering women through service and advocacy. The Lockport chapter provides scholarship funds for women and girls and often donates to Lockport-based women’s shelters such as the YWCA shelter, Madonna House and Immaculata Home.

Women interested in joining the Zonta Club of Lockport can reach out to membership chairwoman Brenda Ulrich at 716-628-0629 or visit www.zontacluboflockport.com.

Source: https://www.lockportjournal.com/community/zonta-club-says-no-to-violence-against-women/article_c35237b8-8d4a-11ee-99f5-abeac59de8ba.html

Zonta Club of Torino hosts flash mob in orange

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During the 16 Days of Activism and the Orange the World campaign, the Zonta Club of Torino, Italy, partnered with the city and the City Public Company of Water to illuminate fountains in the city center of Piazza CLN in orange.

On 27 November, they organized a flash mob in front of the fountains to say NO to violence against women with the presence of journalists and public figures.