The Zonta Clubs of Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Fort Erie, Canada, joined at Table Rock Welcome Centre in Niagara Falls to celebrate the beginning of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
The event featured speakers and demonstrations, followed by a walk to the Falls—which turned orange to mark the event—and a candlelight vigil.
Zonta International members pose for a photograph with the teachers and students of Dhaka Gaoyair High School in Dhakkhinkhan at a programme titled ‘End violence against women and girls now’ on Tuesday.
The Zonta Club of Greater Dhaka, Bangladesh, kicked off its Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign on Sunday with a rally titled “Orange the World” at Baridhara Park in Dhaka.
Zonta Club of Greater Dhaka President Tootli Rahman and club members gathered at the park in orange dresses. They lit lamps for enlightenment and held pens as a symbol of education in their hands. They later paraded through the park in a procession.
Rahman said the club is working to end child marriage.
“We’ve already saved over 1,000 girls from falling victims to child marriage in Kurigram,” she told the newspaper New Age.
Rahman also said the club will be holding events throughout the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence to create awareness of the negative impacts of child marriage.
From October through December, the Zonta Club of Luebeck, Germany, is advertising Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women on a city bus.
With the eye-catching bus, the club is showing that they say no to violence in Lübeck. The bus is financed by sponsors and Lübeck Zontians.
In addition, the club is advertising on several large billboards and banner throughout Lübeck, a historic city in the north of Germany with about 220,000 inhabitants and many tourists.
On 24 November, the Auckland Harbor Bridge was lit up orange to recognize the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the Zonta Club of Auckland Inc’s Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign.
To mark the occasion, the club held a “Light the Bridge Orange” dinner at the New Zealand Yacht Squadron. Special attendees included Zonta International Honorary Members Dame Silvia Cartwright and Dr. Marilyn Waring.
Past District 16 Governor Maureen Heine presented, linking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, ending child marriage and Zonta International’s service project to end child marriage.
She concluded her presentation by discussing New Zealand legislation enacted this year to prevent forced marriages of mostly girls, aged 16 and 17, who are considered minors by the state. The law now requires 16- and 17-year-olds who want to marry or enter into a civil union or de facto relationship to obtain the consent of a family court judge.
Other speakers included Dr. Pani Farvid, a senior lecturer at Auckland University of Technology, and Jan Logie, a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives.
The evening enabled the Zonta Club of Auckland Inc to draw attention to the issue of child marriage and look at ways to address violence against women in New Zealand.
The city of Meaux, France supported the Zonta Club of Meaux et Region with their campaign to say “No” to violence against women.
Within the city, all the big monuments were in orange. A photo exhibition in the streets showed why passersby need to say ‘NO’ to violence against women and many shops put up posters in their windows.
A conference was held where a speaker from the club spoke on the subject of ending child marriage.
The Zonta Club of Kitakyushu invited the members of Seinan Jo Gakuin University Golden Z Club to their monthly meeting last week and learned about the facts on violence against women and child marriage.
The Golden Z club members made a presentation on violence against women and child marriage and Kitakyushu Zonta Club members gave the students comments and advice on their presentation and activities.
The Zonta club will post the information on violence against women and child marriage on Twitter and Facebook, and send messages to their friends so more people can understand the facts on violence and child marriage.
The Zonta Club of East Auckland Area, New Zealand, has a Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women display at their local library. The display, which includes relevant books from the library, generates discussion and allows the club to contact interested individuals.
Ahead of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the Zonta Club of Brussel Zavel, Belgium, kicked off their Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign. In the heart of Brussels, club members spread awareness in the historic Saint-Hubert Royal Galleries with orange umbrellas.
The Zonta Club of Cheyenne and students from Triumph High School Z Club, USA, participated in a Silent Witness March, carrying orange silhouettes from the Wyoming State Supreme Court Building to the Laramie County Public Library.
During the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the Zonta Club of Kungsbacka, Sweden, will display an assortment of shoes painted orange to create awareness and advocate for the end of violence against women.
In partnership with Kungsbacka Women’s Tourism and Culture and Leisure, the club’s display will be viewable at the Lighthouse from 25 November – 10 December.
Join us in saying NO 