The Zonta Club of Gawler Inc, Australia, in District 23, is supporting the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign in multiple ways.

Club members are distributing white ribbons to local businesses for them to hang in their windows to support ending gender-based violence and continuing its project with local schools where students create art about expecting respect.

Wearing orange Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women t-shirts, the club recently met at a local cafe, joined by Mayor Karen Redman.

“It is such an important message to get out, and we need to change our culture as Australians, because the statistics are terrible surrounding domestic and family violence,” Redman told The Buniyip.

“One of the biggest groups of rising homelessness is women and children, who are fleeing violence, and that it is not okay.

“A really important role of the connected local council is to advocate for issues that are important, and need advocating for, and this is one.

“I (also), certainly, feel as a female mayor that it resonates in a very powerful way for me.”

Gawler Mayor Karen Redman (back row, left) joined the Zonta Club of Gawler Inc during its Zonta Says NO activities.

The Zonta Club of Tacloban, Philippines, in District 17, spread awareness of gender equality and violence against women during the 16 Days of Activism.

Members of the club gathered and lectured 100 11th graders from Leyte National High School in Tacloban City to educate them on preventing early marriage and teen pregnancy.

“Together as Zontians, we will continue to raise our voice and be active,” says Club Treasurer Aegina Ruiz. “We solidly support saying NO to violence against women and girls.”

Trafficking for sexual exploitation or for forced labor are reported nearly everywhere, but trafficking victims are trafficked for many exploitative reasons.

Click here to read more from the UNODC report on Trafficking in Persons.

UNICEF reports that current progress to end female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is not sufficient to keep up with the growing population. Unless these trends change, the number of girls who will undergo FGM/C will continue to rise. Say no to FGM/C.

Half of today’s migrants are women. Zonta is partnering with UN Women to address human trafficking and foreign labor migration of women and girls in Nepal. Join us in saying no to violence against women during the 16 Days of Activism.

Click here for more information on our project in Nepal.

Intimate partner violence is one of the most common forms of violence against women. More than one-third of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence.

On Saturday, 25 November, the Zonta Club of Portland, USA, in District 8, turned the Morrison Bridge orange to raise awareness of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the start of the 16 Days of Activism.

On Saturday, 25 November, the city of Rotterdam in The Netherlands colored the Erasmus bridge orange.

In the presence of Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb and Minister Sigrid Kaag, the Zonta Club of Rotterdam in District 29—together with UN Women NL—asked for awareness to stop violence against women in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and internationally.

Earlier in the afternoon, club members colored the city with yellow roses, as they handed out 500 roses in the main shopping area. They talked to many women, girls and men, and got great support for their action to spread the message to stop violence.

During the 16 Days of Activism Campaign, the Golden Z Club of UAFS (University of Arkansas Fort Smith) joined to place a display prominently on the campus to raise awareness of the campaign and to Say NO to Violence Against Women.

The Golden Z Club of UAFS is sponsored by the Zonta Club of Fort Smith, USA, in District 10.

The Zonta Club of Bendigo Inc., Australia, in District 23, worked with the City Council, Victoria police and other organizations to organize a community response to White Ribbon Day to commence the 16 Days of Activism.

On Friday, 24 November and Saturday, 25 November, club members attended local matches where the Associations had agreed to get players to recited the oath, “I will stand up, speak out and act to prevent men’s violence against women,” prior to the game.

According to Bendigo Advertiser, “Two of the games will also feature a presentation from Bendigo Police’s family violence advisor Sergeant Margaret Singe – Kangaroo Flat v Eaglehawk at the QEO and United v Sedgwick at Ewing Park.”

Club members attended the “Bendigo Walks Against Violence” event on Monday, 27 November, and sold white ribbons beforehand.

Before the walk, a crowd of about 500 people listened to Taran Chawla’s account of his sister Nikita’s murder by her husband and the impact of domestic violence on their family. Click here to read Chawla’s editorial in the Bendigo Advertiser.

Following the speaker, the crowd assembled behind their banners for a group photo, then walked through town to the civic gardens for a lunchtime BBQ.  A notable feature in the Bendigo gardens was a bed featuring white petunias planted in the classic “white ribbon” pattern.