As part of its Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign, the Zonta Club of Montevideo, Uruguay, organized a talk on human trafficking and migration.
The event was conducted by Tanja Pacifico, the representative for Uruguay of the International Organization for Migration. Zontians and guests from Zonta clubs in South America and other Spanish-speaking clubs attended.
Having heard of the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign, Bernd Caspar Dietrich, a renowned German artist, spontaneously decided to make a generous gift to an Offenburg Zontian.
“Metamorphose Orange25” is the title of the impressive painting that illustrates violence against women both as a threat hovering over the entire globe and the power of all the efforts to jointly combat it. The Zontian who received the painting is selling it through an art gallery in Düsseldorf. T
he artist is delighted and, collaborating with another Düsseldorf gallery, produced 99 fine hand-colored prints of the painting.
On 25 November, Offenburg and Düsseldorf Zontians met to kick off the sale. Every euro made through the sale will go to three women’s shelters.
In the far north of Germany, Ostfriesland and East Friesland lit up in orange on 25 November, thanks to the efforts of the Zonta Club of Leer-Ostfriesland.
On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, or Orange Day, buildings were lit orange to send out visible signals against sexual violence. More than 30 women in the club are in managerial or independent positions in Emden, Aurich and Leer and helped with the efforts to orange the cities.
The club also made parking discs with information about Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women to be given away for free at local pharmacies, banks and shops in order to draw attention to the issue and promote awareness and education.
As part of the 16 Day of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, Zonta Club of Naples members created a visual message to share its message, “Zonta Club of Naples Says NO to Violence Against Women and Girls. Orange the World.”
Click here to view the video.
Club members also participated in the Zonta Club of Myrtle Beach’s Poetry Slam Contest to raise awareness and advocate against gender-based violence.
The Zonta Club of Kauai, USA, collected items for the YWCA Women’s Shelter on 28 November as part of their Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign.
The club was looking for bath towels, hand towels and face towels for women and TV trays and large school supply boxes for children.
Women need bath towels, hand towels and face towels. Children are needing TV trays and large school supply plastic boxes larger than a shoe box.
“The Zonta Club of Kauai wants to make a difference in the community by giving back and supporting survivors,” said Edie Ignacio Neumiller Area 1 Director in District 9.
Click here to read more from The Garden Island.
The Zonta Club of Bangkok I, Thailand, is adjusting its Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign activities due to the challenge of gathering in groups presented by COVID-19.
Members and honorary members of the club wore orange shirts during their monthly meeting, and the club is posting photos and graphics on their Facebook page to spread awareness and encourage advocacy.
The Zonta Club of Santa Clarita is set to host their annual “16 days of Activism” in efforts to prevent domestic violence and human trafficking, officials said Friday.
This year the annual “16 days of Activism” is set to take place from Nov. 25 through Dec. 10, according to Zonta officials.
Since 2016, Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley has participated in the annual “Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women” campaign in collaboration with the Child and Family Center to bring awareness to the issue of domestic violence in our community, according to officials.
This year the Zonta Club is set to display seven red dresses displayed outdoors in the public that symbolize seven women who lost their lives to domestic violence in Santa Clarita, according to officials.
“They are a haunting and inescapable symbol of bloodshed in our community,” Zonta officials said. “Domestic violence is happening in our neighborhoods and it cannot be ignored.”
The Zonta club is encouraging Santa Clarita residents to speak up if anyone ever sees or hears of domestic and family violence.
In addition to domestic violence, human trafficking is another issue affecting women in the Santa Clarita Valley.
The 5 Freeway corridor is an area of concern since it has been identified as a major artery for human trafficking.
Vulnerable girls, such as formerly incarcerated youth and emancipated foster youth, are often targeted as victims, according to officials.
Zonta has worked with the girls at Camp Scott and emancipated foster youth at Fostering Youth Independence (FYI) in the fight against human trafficking, according to officials.
In addition, Zonta Club of SCV’s advocacy committee is working in conjunction with law enforcement on providing emergency personal comfort supplies in a backpack for survivors of human trafficking.
The committee is also working on a separate program that is expected to encourage women to contact hotel or bar staff members if they are uncomfortable with their date or companion, according to officials.
From: KHTS (https://www.hometownstation.com/santa-clarita-news/community-news/zonta-club-of-santa-clarita-valley-to-host-annual-16-days-of-activism-355724)
Join us on Twitter for a #ZontaDayofDiscussion from 7 AM – 4 PM CST. We will be asking a question at the top of each hour. Topics we will discuss include: COVID and Gender-based violence; Engaging men in the conversation and solution; Involving the next generation for a better future; Sharing best practices and resources; and Why you say NO.
As a part of 16 days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence, on Saturday, Dec. 5, the Zonta Club of Cape Girardeau will participate in two events to bring awareness to domestic violence. First, we encourage everyone to wear or display orange to draw attention to our campaign. Secondly, we invite the community to stand with us in solidarity at 1 p.m. at Liberty Corner of Capaha Park to be a part of Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women.
Violence against women and girls is one of the most pervasive human rights violations in our world; since the outbreak of COVID-19, evidence has shown that all types of gender-based violence have escalated. Globally, one in three women experience physical or sexual violence inflicted mostly from an intimate partner.
Today, in an analysis of homicide data, our state ranks No. 2 in rates of murder of women by their intimate partners. Enough is enough. Women cannot, and should not have to, fight for their physical and emotional safety. We must unite communities in the global appeal to all governments to end violence against women once and for all.
The Zonta Club of Cape Girardeau urges you help us make positive changes in our communities to stop cyberviolence against women and girls, to put an end to sexual harassment in the workplace, and to speak out when there is no one to speak for a victim. We cannot solve this issue alone; please join us in saying no.
A letter to the editor of the Southeast Missourian from Cheryl Mothes, advocacy chair, Zonta Club of Cape Girardeau (https://www.semissourian.com/story/2849298.html)
SINCE 1991, advocates for women’s rights all over the world have been observing the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence from Nov. 25 (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to Dec. 10 (the Human Rights Day).
The 16 Days of Activism is an organizing strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.
In the Philippines for this year, the national campaign has been extended until Dec. 12, which is observed as the International Day Against Trafficking by virtue of Proclamation 1172 signed in 2006 by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The campaign is now known in the country as “the 18-Day campaign to End Violence Against Women.”
The Philippine campaign aims to raise awareness about gender-based violence against women as a human rights issue at the local, national, regional and international levels and to strengthen local work around gender-based violence against women (GBV-VAW).
Ending violence
This year’s campaign highlights the role and essence of the barangay, as part of a VAW-free community, in consonance with the recurring theme “VAW-free community starts with Me.” Aside from capacitating VAW desk officers and other barangay officials on how to handle VAW/GBV cases, the campaign reiterates everyone’s commitment and contributions to ending VAW and it calls on the general public to make a personal commitment to end violence against women and children.
In keeping with this vital landmark and worldwide campaign, Zonta Club of Cebu II, through the Abay sa Kahayag Committee, has organized a series of activities and advocacy initiatives to highlight the perils and serious consequences of GBV. Most of the endeavors focused on strengthening local mechanisms and building on the required competencies of barangay officials to fully and effectively mandate and implement the directives obligated by Republic Act (RA) 11313, or the Safe Spaces Act, more popularly known as the Bawal Bastos Law — a legal game — changer with Sen. Rissa Hontiveros as principal sponsor and author of the law that aims at bolstering the country’s legal framework in the area of sexual and gender-based harassment.
Safe spaces
The Safe Spaces Act addresses existing gaps and issues on equality, security and safety of both women and men in private and public spaces. It is also intended to expand the scope of RA 7877, or the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995. RA 11313 seeks to prevent gender-based sexual harassment from occurring in streets, public places, online workplaces and educational and training institutions regardless of the motive for committing such action or remarks. It penalizes acts such as cursing, wolf-whistling, catcalling, leering and intrusive gazing, taunting, unwanted invitations, misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic, sexist slurs and persistent unwanted comments on one’s appearance and other such acts. The salient points of the Safe Spaces Act will be discussed at a webinar with a presentation by lawyer Miles Esquivel and the activity will conclude with a motivating and impactful message from Hontiveros.
Other webinars
The 18-day campaign organized by Zonta Club of Cebu II will also feature a webinar on “The Intersecting Influences of Technology on Human Trafficking” with special attention on the methods that cyber technology increases the ease with which traffickers can locate, recruit, coerce and control their victims. Lawyer Katrina Legarda will also present strategies how these same technologies that are shaping and facilitating trafficking and smuggling crimes and creating additional barriers to their detection and investigation can be harnessed to prevent, detect, intervene and ultimately thwart these crimes.
Another webinar will feature personalities who will share their stories and experiences of harassment either as victims or witnesses and how they dealt with the aftermath of the encounters. This will be followed by a very informational presentation by Dr. Rhodora Masilang Bucoy, former associate professor of University of the Philippines Cebu and past chairperson of the Philippine Commission on Women (2016-2020). Bucoy is also a recognized gender and development consultant on techniques and strategies for creating safe and secure physical, virtual or emotional spaces for all.
Enlisting support
With these series of activities, Zonta Club of Cebu II hopes to enlist the support of active participants in the fight to eradicate violence against women and children; to expand accountability and collective responsibility; to include all government units, women’s groups, legal entities and nongovernment institutions; to harness technology, social media, journalism, business and activism; to draw attention to the many ways violence against women and children affects the lives of all people in all communities in the Philippines and around the world.
From SunStar (https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1877684/Cebu/Local-News/Cebu-Zonta-2-End-VAW)
Join us in saying NO 