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,
Today, 10 December, marks the last day of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence and the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign. As it closes, Zontians of the Zonta Club of Central Tuguegarao, Philippines, look back on the following activities that gave meaning to each day.
As of today, the club’s Facebook page has 4,708 likes and 5,348 follows. Hence, all of the activities were posted or held via social media. The club prides itself on having completed 16 days of fruitful activities this year. This is the second time it has done so during this biennium, with last year’s activities focused on the relief operations in the wake of the massive flooding in the fourth quarter of 2020.
This year, the club had more time to plan, prepare and execute dedicated day-to-day activities and finished it with the awarding for the 2021 MOST VAW RESPONSIVE BARANGAY IN TUGUEGARAO CITY. Below is a rundown of the Zonta Club’s 16 Days.
To mark the observance of the 16-day global campaign to end violence against women, the Zonta Club of Cebu II, the Philippines, released an advocacy anthem called Women Unite: The Time is Ours on Spotify and YouTube.
The club commissioned and owned the anthem. It aims to bring women together and declare that the time is up for the system of violence, for the stigma and silence, for the cycle of apathy and abuse.
The song is composed by multi-awarded, Cebu-based songwriter, Jude Gitamondoc, musically arranged by Cebuano Tony Alfonso with vocals by stage actress Ivy Gallur.
Public display on the Town Green hung by the Zonta Club of Port Macquarie Inc, Australia, at Port Macquarie helped raise awareness and funds for the local women’s refuge for Christmas.
For this year’s 16 Days of Activism, the Ilocos Norte National High School Z Club, the Philippines, encouraged their classmates to imagine a world where women’s rights are recognized as human rights and that women’s capabilities are acknowledged in various fields by writing an open letter. In the open letters, the students shared their experiences to empower their peers and others worldwide to reach that goal.
With the theme of Transitions, Changes and New Opportunities, the club calls for people to unite and stand as leaders of change towards their goal of achieving world peace and progress.
The Zonta Club of Montevideo, Uruguay, says NO in the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign on social media. The club publishes a poster each day on Facebook and shares on WhatsApp and Instagram with friends and associates to raise awareness about the violence that affects women and girls.
As a part of its Zonta Says NO campaign, the Zonta Club of Portland, USA, turned Portland, Oregon, orange to spread awareness on gender-based violence during the 16 Days of Activism.
On 20 November, the Zonta Club of Cheyenne, USA, and members of the community marched from the capitol to the Laramie County Library, where it set up a display of the Silent Witness silhouettes of local women killed by domestic violence.
The display will be available for viewing for about two weeks during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence. Members of the community are encouraged to visit the representations of victims of domestic violence and also review information about missing and/or murdered indigenous women.
2021 marks the 30th year of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign to raise awareness about violence against women. Following the Silent Witness March, the participants heard the personal story of Mary Billiter, a survivor of domestic violence – a story full of gut-wrenching violence and awe-inspiring strength to bring her to a better place.
Worried by the numbers of acts of violence against women, members of the Zonta Club of Brussel Zavel, Belgium, extended their actions in the framework of the club’s Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign. The club initiated a poster campaign, intensified lobbying for Orange your City and connected with key players, such as UN Women and the Brussels City Council.
Régine Claeys, club president, spread the message fervently, stating, “The time is now, break the silence! Remaining silent merely encourages violence. We must inform victims and guarantee that help and support is available.”
Zonta Says NO posters were distributed among all members and offered to many local businesses in and around Brussels.
Members’ lobbying efforts also paid off. The Belgian Institute for Equal Opportunities and UN Women contributed data and information for their press release.
“Violence against women has reached troubling heights against which we need to mobilize in a joint effort,” Brussels Mayor Philippe said in a statement. “It has been a bitter pill to swallow, hearing so many testimonies from women who have been confronted with violence. However, as these horrific acts of violence are ever more openly discussed, we are moving in the right direction, even though there is still a long way to go.”
To launch the campaign on 25 November, International Day of Eliminating Violence Against Women, Lydia Mutyebele Ngoi, Alderwoman of Housing, Public Patrimony and Equal Opportunities, invited the club’s members to the City Hall in Brussels. She praised their efforts in drawing attention to the issue of violence against women and encouraged them to continue their work.
Her warm welcome and genuine interest helped them realize that it is essential to get out of our comfort zones, to meet with others who inspire us, and to take concrete action. This is how we can create added value to our society.
After the launch, members embarked on a tour around the city, admiring the many buildings that joined their efforts to orange the city: City Hall, Grand Place, Opera De Munt, P&V tower, ING headquarters, Belfius tower, Koninginnengalerij, Berlaymont, House of Europe, Central Station, and the walking bridge across Rue Belliard.
The Zonta Club of Concord, USA, painted the town orange as part of its Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign.
All the stores and businesses on Main Street were approached and asked to display Zonta Says NO decals on their doors on front windows. Most said Yes about No. The Hotel Concord’s “eyebrow” became orange.
The club also donated US$500 to New Hampshire’s primary advocacy against domestic violence organization—NH Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence—and US$2,000 to a local counseling center—Womankind—to be used to treat women who have experienced trauma.
