MARQUETTE, MI (WJMN) – Downtown Marquette will be aglow with orange lanterns for the next couple of weeks in an effort to bring awareness to domestic violence.

The Marquette chapter of Zonta International has embarked on a campaign to shed some light on the problem of domestic violence against women. With the help of over 25 Marquette businesses, The Zonta Club has placed orange lanterns in the front windows of participating shops throughout Marquette. These lanterns symbolize the light Zonta hopes to bring to the issue of gender-based violence. This campaign runs from November 25th, which is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, until December 10th, International Human Rights Day. This time period is in conjunction with the United Nations 16 days of activism. Zonta member Lucy Contois says this anti-domestic violence effort is represented in two ways.

“Zonta has taken on two symbols, the lantern and the umbrella. The lantern is an orange-lit lantern that symbolizes shedding light on the issue, spreading the word, and educating the umbrella as a symbol of protection and shelter. I think it also tells the community when you have to participate in businesses in a close area, and this displays I think it helps the community to understand it’s a caring community. It’s hard to convince somebody who’s been through abuse for a long time. It’s hard to break that because there’s a lot of fear. They’re isolated economically, and physically. And so, it’s hard to know that they can count on somebody outside of that place. So, it’s very difficult and the only thing we can do as a community, one of the things we can do as a community is all of us understand that.” Said Contois.

Contois urges everyone to take a selfie with one of the lanterns or umbrellas and post it online. You can do so at either The Masonic Mall or at the display inside Diggs in downtown Marquette.

Source: https://www.upmatters.com/news/lanterns-shed-light-on-domestic-violence/

The Zonta Club of Mitchell is gearing up to ‘yarn bomb’ the region as part of its activism efforts against family violence.
Trees in Wallan, Broadford, Kilmore and Seymour will be wrapped in orange woollen blankets as a symbol of Zonta’s support for victims of gender-based and family violence.

Zonta members, their friends and community members have been knitting up an orange storm in preparation for the yarn bomb, each making woollen squares in their own time before stitching them together at meetings.

The yarn bomb is one of the many activities taking place throughout the region as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, which calls to eliminate violence against women and girls.

The campaign commences on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and concludes on December 10, Human Rights Day.

Zonta Club of Mitchell president Robin Audehm said the Zonta network would wrap trees in each town on November 24 and 25, in line with the commencement of the campaign.

“The wool will represent a warm and supportive environment for people who have been victims of family violence,” she said.
“It raises awareness that family violence is all around us and people who are facing family violence [can access] support within the community in a number of different places.”

Zonta supports victims of family violence throughout the year with small service projects, including the distribution of ‘dignity bags’, which are filled with toiletries to give to those who left their residence quickly in search of refuge from violence.

The club will also host its Art Show and Craft Market at Broadford Gavan Hall on December 2 and 3 to fundraise for future projects.
The exhibit ‘Walk in My Shoes’ will feature once again at this year’s show and in libraries, sharing stories of women who have survived family violence.

Ms Audehm assured that Zonta had received permits for the Yarn Bomb activity and the material would not harm the trees.
The woollen blankets will be taken down at the end of the 16 Days campaign to be recycled on either December 11 or 12.

The trees set to be blanketed in orange include one at the median strip near Wilson Partners in Wallan; outside Kilmore library; at Goulburn Park in Seymour; at the pedestrian crossing on High Street in Broadford; and potentially near the historical society in Broadford. The Seymour yarn bomb will form part of Mitchell Shire Council’s annual Step Towards Change Walk on November 29.

Source: https://ncreview.com.au/2023/11/21/mitchells-trees-to-be-yarn-bombed/