The Zonta Club of Tokyo II, Japan, held its monthly meeting in December as Zonta Says NO Day. The club held a study session to give the members a better understanding of its activities. They also went through the information from the November newsletter and had a report from a member who participated in Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women virtual summit.

Although the club is still having online meetings due to COVID-19, they are making an effort to continue their activities for women and girls around the world.

In a concerted effort, the Zonta Club of Frankfurt am Main and the Zonta Club of Frankfurt II Rhein-Main, Germany, managed to “orange” over 30 buildings in Frankfurt am Main on 25 November. These included landmark buildings such as Paulskirche, Alte Oper and many business skyscrapers.

The clubs cooperated with the city’s Frauenreferat (Department of Women’s Affairs of Frankfurt am Main) to raise awareness about the violence that affects women and girls. Zonta’s voice was also heard during a demonstration throughout the city center. Renate Mack, vice president of the Zonta Club of Frankfurt am Main, highlighted the 2020 violence crime figures and advocated for the implementation of the Istanbul convention by creating a central coordinating infrastructure for all efforts in combatting violence against women.

Additionally, banners on four bridges over central streets in Frankfurt drew attention to the Zonta says NO Campaign and advertised the general emergency phone number for women seeking support. The clubs also used social media in their Zonta Says NO campaign. On Instagram, all joining buildings were welcomed, and further information was published. Thus, sharing with friends and associations awareness was furthered about the violence that affects women and girls.

The clubs thank all their partners and look forward to the next Zonta says NO campaign in 2022.

The Zonta Club of Myrtle Beach, USA, asked the owner of the Myrtle Beach SkyWheel and the ferris wheel to light up both wheels in orange on 10 December in honor of Human Rights Day.

The day is also the last day of the UN’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence, observed by Zonta International. By lighting up the shoreline orange, the people of the Myrtle Beach area, including those on ships and boats sailing the Atlantic, will become energetic and filled with happiness rather than despair.

The UN chose the color orange as it symbolizes peace. It brings out the best in people, and humanity, as it shines its light on human rights enjoyed by all, as we are all one family.

The owner agreed to the club’s request and supports the Zonta Says NO message.

The Zonta Club of Findlay, USA, was thrilled to successfully organize two major events for this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence from 25 November – 10 December. 

Of course, there were other more minor daily activities for club members to support. Here are the highlights from those 16 Days. 

Event 1 

On 29 November, the club held a public event to release orange balloons in front of the main courthouse in downtown Findlay. Findlay’s Mayor and a City Commissioner, friends and family attended the event.

Following a brief introduction by the Advocacy Chair, who cited domestic violence statistics on local and national levels, there was a moment of silence to honor all victims of gender-based violence. Against the bright blue sky, the attendees solemnly released the balloons to soar up and away. The local newspaper reported the event on the front page news. 

Event 2

On 1 December, the club partnered with the Hancock County Chapter of the Northwest Ohio Rescue and Restore Coalition to host a free community event on human trafficking. The two-hour event took place at Ritz Auditorium on the University of Findlay campus. 

The club blanketed Findlay with flyers and invitations by email, mailings and handouts. The invitees ranged from school counselors, community leaders and businesses to other District 5 Clubs and local service organizations. 

Noted speakers included Ohio’s State Senator Theresa Fedor, who has been working for 16 years to address the rescued and recovered victims of human trafficking and their traffickers. In addition, leaders from Findlay’s Center for Safe and Healthy Children, Truckers Against Trafficking, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, a forensic anthropology professor and seminary students presented staggering information during this impactful evening of education. 

The biggest challenge in trafficking is the lack of facilities for victims to reside while undergoing reeducation and support to pursue a different life. Many of them learned life skills such as creating a resume and dressing for an interview – skills that traffickers denied them. 

The club also hosted several smaller Zonta Says NO activities:

• They set up a Zonta Says NO to Domestic Violence display at the local library. 
• Members used an orange lightbulb inside or outside the house every night. 
• They distributed domestic violence, child marriage and other informational packets to passersby on the city’s main street. 
• Mailings sent to local restaurants and bars included information on implementing the Angel Shot program to support female patrons who felt unsafe and needed help. The program consists of a poster placed inside women’s restroom stalls with domestic violence hotline contacts and three code words to use with waitstaff to signal what type of help was needed, i.e., escort out, call for an Uber, or call the police. 
• They requested that local places of worship include a moment of silence on 28 November to remember domestic abuse victims.

The Zonta Club of Ashtabula Area, USA, kicked off the 16 Days of Activism on Monday, 22 November 2021, at the Ashtabula Bridge Street Lift Bridge. The Lift Bridge Association supported the event and the club by lighting the Lift Bridge with orange lights. Orange symbolizes Zonta International’s Zonta Says NO to Violence against Women campaign.

This year, the club also purchased two billboards in Ashtabula to bring even more awareness to finding ways to end gender-based violence.

The Zonta Says No campaign, which began ten years ago, unites Zonta clubs and members worldwide as they raise their voices to bring awareness to this issue and advocate on behalf of violence survivors and victims. Since the onset of COVID-19, violence against women and girls has been rising, especially as people prepare for the holidays.

Now, more than ever, everyone must work together to end violence with their communities, partners and future generations.

The Zonta Club of Ilocos Norte, Philippines, partnered with the Mariano Marcos CTE Golden Z Club and the Ilocos Norte National High School Z Club to host a Webinar titled Know Your Rights.

The webinar aims to amplify the voices silenced by physical, emotional, verbal and mental abuse. Topics discussed were:

• Zontian Nataliza Llapitan talked about anti-sexual harassment.
• Zontian Judge Nida Alejandro taught the attendants about the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children law.

The club wants to gather together virtually and learn how to stop, avoid and end violence against women and children. They invite everyone to value our human rights and strive for equality.

The 16 Days of Activism is essential for raising awareness for the Zonta Says NO campaign. The Zonta Club of Kowloon, Hong Kong, took this year’s opportunity to orange the world for the Golden Z and Z Club members. Many of their student club alumnae and colleagues work in like-minded organizations after graduation. 

The club planned diverse activities to advocate ending violence against women: 

• The club organized a special Zonta Says NO photo session during their business meeting. They were joined by leaders from their advocacy partners, student club representatives and alumnae. The club created special Zonta Says NO props to make their message loud and clear.
• During the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the club chartered a new Golden Z Club at the Hong Kong Nang Yan College of Higher Education and a new Z Club at the Immaculate Heart of Mary College. The club briefed the students on Zonta International, including the club’s major activities and the Zonta Says NO campaign. The headmistress recommended more than 40 students become chartered members of the new Z club, and they elected a male colleague as charter president.
• Although the club sponsors 3 Golden Z and 7 Z clubs, they all remained active throughout the pandemic. The club lights up its installation ceremonies in orange in November and December every year. Due to some schools not resuming in-person lessons, the installation was held online. The students used orange background templates to indicate their support for Zonta Says NO.

The club hopes to continue grooming its student members to become civically conscious and recruiting them to become full-fledged members when they grow up.

Statistics from the Hong Kong Federation of Women’s Centers, which operate many women’s helplines in Hong Kong, indicated that they received double the number of calls related to domestic violence between April 2018- March 2020. The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is necessary to raise awareness and call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.

The Zonta Club of Central Oklahoma, USA, and community members turned the Skydance Bridge orange as part of the 16 Days of Activism. In addition, the Mayor of the City of Oklahoma City, David Holt, signed a proclamation naming 5 December 2021 as Zonta Says No to Violence Against Women Day.

The club also conducted a robust social media campaign and posted daily messages on Facebook covering topics such as domestic violence, human trafficking, and eliminating child marriage.

The He for She Male Advocates Forum is a program of the Zonta Club of Ilocos Norte, the Philippines, where Barangay chairpersons and their tan olds from all over the 80 barangays of Laoag City are invited to participate. 

The club provided attendants with orange shirts with Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women written on them. They also distributed the Barangay VAWC Desk booklets. 

The chairpersons are now regarded as the club’s male advocates or partners to Zonta’s mission: to eliminate violence against women. Through this, the participants will be more vigilant in safeguarding women’s rights and doing their best to end Violence Against Women and their Children (VAWC.) There was also a barangay resolution to implement the “Anti Bastos Law” or the “Safe Space Act “for their constituents to be more aware and be more attentive to enforce both laws to uphold the dignity and rights of women and girls in their barangays,