The Zonta Club 1 celebrates its 50th year by intensifying its program against violence against women and teenage pregnancy, a concern which the Zonta International is tackling. Community and school researches reveal cases of a growing number of girls, in some cases even as young as nine years old, who have been victims of early sex and pregnancy resulting from broken homes, drugs, free sex, easy access to entertainment hubs, insufficient sex education and lack of values formation, among others.

The Zontians are working with the schools, families, barangays and the multisectoral groups to expand awareness of the problem and adopt proactive activities.

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During the 2017 Zonta Says NO to Violence against Women and 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaigns, the Z and Golden Z clubs of Saint Michael’s College of Laguna, Philippines, spearheaded the relaunch of iFight, a youth movement to end human trafficking and modern slavery in this generation.

The clubs hosted a forum in which Cecille Oebanda, founding president of Visayan Forum Foundation, spoke. The nonprofit organization, founded in 1991, has rescued and helped thousands of victims and potential victims of trafficking. At the event, Oebanda discussed the facts of human trafficking, basic prevention practices and government intervention measures.

The students also led everyone in a chant, where they shouted, “We fight against human trafficking,” and they made a human formation of “iFIGHT.”

Attendees volunteered to be iFight ambassadors who will provide more information to students so they can protect themselves, their families and their peers.

Students set up an “iFight Freedom Wall,” where attendees wrote their support and thoughts about issues that continue to endanger women and girls. They also created a closed social media group to provide an online safe space for women and girls to express themselves freely.

Zonta Club of Suedschwarzwald Area, District 30, joined with a local church in Bad Säckingen to raise awareness for the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign.

Once a month, cantor Markus Machowiak of Saint Fridolinsmünster in Bad Säckingen hosts a local musician for a series called “a concert during market-time”. The concert takes place around noon and always attracts many visitors from the farmers market held in front of the church.

The concert on 18 November was dedicated to the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign. All donations offered during the event were collected to be given to a women’s refuge in Waldshut, a nearby town.

The Zonta club advertised the event and the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign in local newspapers and handed out information to the audience. Club President Nicole Aelling-Kurz gave a speech about the concert.

Over 100 community members enjoyed the organ performance by local musician Karin Karle and over 600 Euro was donated.

Eva-Maria Zuber, Regina Keite and Angelika Metzger from the women’s refuge in Waldshut were very happy to accept the donation. The refuge is a shelter for ill-treated women and their children and offers a hotline and counseling for women who have experienced any kind of violence.

Photo from The Courier

Two dozen people—including a couple of men—turned out for the Community Glow Walk to End the Silence, hosted by the Zonta Club of Findlay, USA, District 5.

The club has participated in the downtown walk every year since 2012. Club Advocacy chairwoman Karen Flanagan said in years past, the event has been a “silent walk,” with participants symbolically placing orange tape across their mouths to indicate domestic violence and human trafficking victims’ lack of a voice.

This year, though, in light of women across the country speaking out against sexual harassment, the club opted to “be the voice, as opposed to being silent,” Flanagan said.

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Each year, the Zonta Club of Billings, USA, in District 12, plans and sponsors a series of art classes taught by a local artist.

This year, the club created a display in a local hospital of the art created by Zontians and domestic violence survivors from Angela’s Piazza: Women’s Drop-In Center.

Onlookers perused the art and wooden witness profiles portraying stories of women and children. The table also included materials on the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign and information about the Zonta Club of Billings.

Zontians and Angela’s Piazza continue to support this program and believe art to be an important tool in the process of stress relief and healing for victims and survivors of domestic violence.

“I’m always amazed at the results of our art project,” a Zontian says. “There is so much thought and emotion that goes into each drawing. You can tell these drawings are looking into the heart and soul of the women. Each one [is] so beautiful, touching and unique.”

Additionally, the Zonta Club of Billings marched in the 2017 Billings Annual Holiday Parade. The parade took place on 24 November, the day before the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Zontians carried a 16-foot “Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women “banner and handed out 1,000 Zonta Says NO-branded hand warmers to the crowd. Joining club members were other women from the state and survivors of trafficking and domestic violence.

The Zonta clubs in Luxembourg, District 27, joined together and partnered with the Ministry of Equal Opportunities for Orange Week during the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign.

The groups lit up buildings, monuments and public places in orange as a sign of solidarity, held a march attended by Minister of Equal Opportunities Lydia Mutsch, Minister of Justice Félix Braz and Councilor Simone Beissel and organized seminars.

Luxembourg has an efficient legislative and social system, close in partnership with nongovernmental organizations. The Council of Europe Istanbul Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence is in the process of being ratified.

Luxembourgish Zontians took an active part in all presentations, discussions and conferences.  The union of Zonta clubs in Luxemburg was under the lead of their president Danielle Becker-Bauer.

Orange Week was widely covered in the media, and the clubs created a Facebook page.

The two Zonta clubs in the Bahamas are uniting to promote the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign during the 16 Days of Activism.

The Zonta Clubs of New Providence and Nassau, District 11, “painted their town orange” by tying orange ribbons and bows around trees in the week leading up to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women to speak out against acts of violence.

The clubs also hosted a town hall meeting, held a “Walk In My Shoes” event and commissioned an artist to depict violence.

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The Zonta Club of Montevideo, Uruguay, in Region South America, released orange balloons to bring awareness to gender-based violence on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Wearing all black, the club members gathered outside the famous “Montevideo” sign on La Rambla, an avenue that goes along the city’s coastline.

The demonstration caught the attention of passersby, bringing awareness to the issue.

The Zonta Club of Pforzheim, Germany, in District 30, worked with a local theater to spread awareness of gender-based violence on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

The theater’s entrance was lit in orange, and Zontians gathered with handouts, flyers and posters addressing violence against women and domestic violence.

The play that night was The Trojan Woman, a tragedy by the Greek playwright Euripides about the fates of the women of Troy after their city was ransacked and they were about to be taken away as slaves. Many of the 400 theatergoers engaged in conversations with Zontians on the topic of gender-based violence.

After the performance, there was a panel discussion with the producer, several actresses and Zontians. The press coverage was successful and an additional way to spread the campaign.

To support the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign, the Zonta Club of Toul, France, in District 27, sold soups made by local chefs.

The soups are packaged and sold at a local market. The club puts funds raised toward combating violence against women.

The soups are donated by several local restaurants and chefs, and the club also makes and sells shortbreads, jams and hot wine.