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.

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 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 Kankakee, USA, and family members walked in the Kankakee lighted parade, where hundreds of people lined the streets.

The club had a banner supporting the 16 Days of Activism, signs on their car with orange lights and everyone wearing orange scarves. They also handed candy out to the kids lining the streets and buttons.

The club was announced over the loudspeaker, talking about their mission locally and internationally and how these 16 days were important to end violence against women worldwide.

The club also collected gift cards this year at their Christmas gathering for a local domestic violence shelter and sexual assault center. These gift cards were for gas, groceries, clothes and any other needs the shelter and center needed. They collected hundreds of dollars in gift cards and cash to help them.

On Girls’ Day, the Zonta Club of Pori, Finland, premiered its short film Viimeinen potku, which means Last Kick in English. The script was written by Teatteri (Theater) Ulpu’s Maiju Junko and Oskari Huhtanen.

Oskari Huhtanen said, “They didn’t want to belittle, but they didn’t want to gloat over the topic either. They wanted to make a serious and real-life short film.”

The film was produced by Glad Media/Anu Glad, who also directed it. Oskari Huhtanen was responsible for directing the actors. Ronja Virtanen plays the main role, and there are also about 20 children and young people from Ulpu’s hobbyist groups. The film is shown in schools in the neighboring towns of Pori and Ulvila.

The name of the film has multiple meanings. It can mean the end of life or the end of bullying. The situation of violence among children and young people has worsened. The club thought about what could be done for the cause and how to spread the word as efficiently as possible. This is how the idea of an anti-violence film was born, aimed at young people and their parents, and the core idea is that it would act as a conversation starter in schools and at home.

This year, the Zonta Club of Denver, USA, and The Blue Bench (TBB) organization met at the TownHall Collaborative Brewing Company to promote the Zonta Says NO campaign. The Collaborative is one of many breweries in the Denver area that has received SafeBars training through TBB.

TBB works to end sexual assault through prevention and cure, and their SafeBars Project provides training to staff in establishments that serve liquor so that they can recognize and respond to sexual harassment and potential assault incidents. The club has provided funding for several years to continue this important training effort.

The club also had a proclamation entitled, “Zonta Says No to Violence Against Women and Girls,” read and adopted at the Denver City Council meeting to support the Zonta Says NO campaign. District 4’s City Councilwoman read the proclamation, and several club members attended to receive it after the meeting.