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Zonta Club of Mitchell yarn bombs their community to say NO to violence against women

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Zonta Club of Mitchell, a small club of 9 women, combined with the local shire council, police, health services etc.

We are a Shire with a very high rate of family violence. As a club, we thought that family is supposed to be a safe and comforting environment, like a blanket, so we proposed to use yarn bombing with orange blankets to bring to the attention of the local community, the scourge that is family violence and the voice that is Zonta.

We spent several months, crocheting and knitting orange squares, rectangles etc and used our gathering times to put these together into large blankets to fit various trees in our shire. We selected prominent trees in each of the four major towns, sought permits and approval and yarn bombed at the start of the 16 days or activism.

Signs were attached that explained the role of Zonta, and that Zonta says no to violence. Zontians took part in the walk against family violence and at the conclusion of the walk, there was public address from a victim survivor of abuse and the final tree in Seymour was bombed.

Many people asked to be photographed in front of our tree. There were articles in the local newspaper, reports on local radio and social media. The yarn bombing was removed at the end of the 16 days.

Even as we were sewing the blankets around trees we had people stop and ask what was happening, asking about the role of Zonta and the 16 days of activism. There were many comments about the orange trees.

After we had removed the blankets, the shire council contacted us to ask if we would be prepared to wrap a couple of trees in the pop up family park that the shire had constructed for the Christmas and New Year period, so the message of Zonta and No to violence is still out there.

As stated, we are a very small club in a small rural community, and this event has brought the work of Zonta into the public view. We have had some welcome enquiries from women thinking of joining, and offers from others prepared to assist with our work.

Zonta Club of Sydney Breakfast puts Advocacy in Action on the Sydney Harbour Bridge

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Members of 8 Zonta Clubs in Area 1, District 24 joined members of the Zonta Club of Sydney Breakfast in our annual ZONTA SAYS NO TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN walk across the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Wearing bright orange and carrying posters that explained who we are and what we are advocating for, drew shouts of praise and applause from members of the public walking across the bridge or enjoying time at Milsons Point and The Rocks.

Zonta Club of Tortola ‘oranges’ the British Virgin Islands

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Zonta Club of Tortola once again ‘oranged’ the British Virgin Islands (BVI) as part of the global campaign: 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

Zonta Club of Tortola joined forces with local groups Unite BVI Foundation, Girl Up, F.E.M.A.L.E., WIN British Virgin Islands, the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force and others to participate in various activities on Tortola and Virgin Gorda.

This included interviews with community leaders and a keynote address by special guest, Ms. Ronelle King, a Multi-Award-Winning Gender Rights Activist. Ms. King, who visited the BVI from Barbados, founded Life In Leggings: Caribbean Alliance Against gender-based Violence to eradicate regional occurrences of gender-based violence.

The activities culminated in a march throughout the capital, Road Town on Saturday December 9th, 2023. While the Enis Adams Primary School Drum Corps led the way, various groups carried placards and banners and chanted, “Say No to Violence against Women and Girls!” The public was encouraged to take a stand against gender-based Violence.

Throughout the 16 Days of Activism, Zontians could be seen hanging banners and decorating trees with orange bows and signs throughout Road Town. Zontians also shared Facebook posts with tips on how the public could support women and girls who suffer from gender-based violence.

Radio ads illustrated the real-life conversations which take place regarding domestic and gender-based violence and let the community know where to seek help.

Zonta Club of Bangkok VII Says NO

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ZONTA SAY NO to Violence Against Women & Girls by Zonta Club of Bangkok 7 at Rajaprachanukrou58 Nonthaburi Province School on the 8th December 2023.

The campaign included arranging the public relations board to stop violence against women and girls for the 16 Days of Activism at Rajaprachanukrou58 Nonthaburi Province School.

The club stretched an orange strip of fabric around the school for teachers and students and all came together and themself wrote a campaign to “STOP”

The club held the orange flags parade of letters for STOP Sign campaigning. All participants from the Area Director team the Zonta Club of Bangkok 7 and the School.

They also invited Z Club #LPP1008 supported by ZCBKK7 participate the event.

The club held a Special Seminar: Who can reduce violent acts? Violence Content Story, love yourself Inspiration and Self Defense technic Demo.

The club also joined forces to show stop signs. Zonta Says No to violence against women and girls.

Zonta Club of Guelph says NO with multiple actions

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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.

Zonta Club of Colombo III highlights Zonta Says NO at Christmas bazaar

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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.

Zonta Club of Geelong Inc leads city for the 16 Days of Activism

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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.

Zonta Club of Brewerton, Friends for Equality says NO to violence against women

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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.

Zonta Club of Cincinnati and Contemporary Arts Center present community exhibition about “Wounded Healers”

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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.

Zonta Club of Cleveland Observes 16 Days of Activism

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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.