Trafficking in persons is a form of violence that affects mostly women and is in nearly every region of the globe. Many victims are exploited as they look to start a better life. Zonta International says NO to violence against women and stands to empower women by giving them opportunities, a chance, a voice.
Trafficking in persons is not a foreign issue. Trafficking for sexual exploitation and for forced labor is reported nearly everywhere. Trafficking for various types of marriage has been sporadically reported in the past, but is now emerging as a more prevalent form. And, trafficking for forced labor in the fishing industry is commonplace in several parts of the world, carried out in large companies or in on-land processing facilities.
Find more information on why humans are trafficked in the UNODC report on Trafficking in Persons.
Violence against women is not just a women’s issue. It is a worldwide pandemic that crosses every social and economic class, every religion, race and ethnicity.
Zonta International has contributed to help achieve a world free of violence against women and girls for nearly 100 years. Fittingly, we begin our sixth Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign today, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
Click here to read more in President Sonja Hönig Schoug’s blog post.
Tomorrow begins the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which runs through 10 December.
In a new blog post, President Sonja Hönig Schough kicks off this year’s Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign and explains its focus on human trafficking.
Photo: Mariah Ellis/KGWN
Mayor Marian Orr, mayor of Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA, was among members in the community who are taking a stance against gender violence. Orr signed a proclamation at the Wyoming Supreme Court Building, helping kick off the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign.
Shortly after, Orr joined members of the public as well as the Zonta Club of Cheyenne and Cheyenne Triumph High School’s Z Club in a silent march to the Laramie County Library.
Triumph High School Z Club president Hannah Lipps said it was a great experience being joined by others in the community taking a stance. She said, “It felt really good because, you know, you’re not alone.” She added, “I think it’s a good thing to do, it’s a good thing to stand up for other people who can’t do it themselves or they feel too scared to do it themselves.”
Members of the Zonta Club of Ogdensburg, USA, District 2, asked their local city council to join them Monday in helping to raise awareness of the ongoing violence against women and children across the region and around the world.
Ogdensburg Mayor Wayne Ashley, along with City Council, issued a proclamation in support of the Zonta-led cause.
Click here to read more.
As community members started their walk against domestic violence, an area woman approached them to find out who to contact to help someone in her family who she indicated was a victim.
Jennifer Nagle, president of Zonta Club of La Salle-Peru Area, USA, told the woman about A Domestic Violence And Sexual Assault Service in Streator — a service that provides a safe atmosphere for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. The woman searched for the service on her phone and found the contact information.
The club held the Luminary Walk Against Domestic Violence in October with about a dozen people joining the effort and attending the program afterward.
Click here to read the full article.
In June, the Zonta Club of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, and the Harley Davidson Owners Group joined to protest violence against women.
The event spanned over the weekend and 200 km (about 125 miles) and participants dressed in safety jackets with the message, “Stop Violence, Zonta Says NO.”
The activity made front-page news, a first for any service club of Neuchâtel, and was picked up by the local TV station.
The Zonta Club of Nurmes, Finland, organized a seminar on safety in everyday life as part of the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign in early June. The guest speaker of the seminar was the highest ranking police officer in Finland, National Police Commissioner Seppo Kolehmainen.
Kolehmainen reminded attendees that nobody need or should tolerate violence in any form and that nothing justifies violent behavior toward other people.
According to Kolehmainen, the biggest threat to everyday safety in Finland is social exclusion. Preventing that is up to everyone, not just the police, he points out.
Kolehmainen says that the key issue is how young people are treated.
“Responsible parenthood, home-school collaboration, supporting freetime activities, creating common ground rules, supervision and intervention in delinquency,” he lists examples of measures how to tackle the issue.
Seventeen women died as a result of domestic violence in Finland last year. To symbolize these victims, 17 dresses were hung on a line on stage in Hannikaisen Sali in Nurmes-Talo. An installation similar to this one was on display at the district meeting in Oulu in April.
“Domestic violence is against the law, and the authorities are duty bound to intervene,” says the leading social worker, Maarit Haatanen. She and the chairperson of the multi-professional risk assessment group, Mika Kivelä spoke about the concrete help available for domestic abuse victims in the Nurmes area.
They assured that these resources were readily available all the time and at short notice. However, the victim must want to be helped, they pointed out. No adult can be helped against their will. To break the cycle of violence, there is help for the abuser, too, Haatanen and Kivelä reminded.
The audience asked questions about bullying in schools, which has been a hot topic in Finnish media in recent years. Kolehmainen says that the ground rules have to be clear: bullying is not allowed and the incidents have to be intervened. Haatanen mentioned that bullying is often cited in child protection cases.
The Everyday Safety seminar was created by the club’s Advocacy Committee.
The Zonta Club of Bombay III, jointly with Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action (SNEHA) hosted their activism 2016 project of ‘Say No to Violence with Power of Education – Our Daughter, Our Strength.’ Two movies conveying girl/women’s achievements with education and videos on domestic violence & sexual harassments were shown to eight communities of four slums of Mumbai.
The final program, attended by 160+ Sanginies (women volunteers of SNEHA) and Zontians, was held on 7 November 2016 at the Hall of SNEHA at Chhota Sion Hospital next to Dharavi Slums. Seven groups of Sanginies with songs, enactments, statements and a fashion show with placards conveyed the messages learned by them through watching movies and videos:
The purpose of the project was to convey to men, as well as women, the importance of education and social and legal awareness for girls and women. Zonta Club of Bombay III President Roshni Meherhomji and Mahazaver Dalal appreciated endeavors of Sanginies.
Call of the club banner was: Say No to violence with Power of Education – Our Daughter’s Education, Our progress – Our Daughter, Our Strength’. To symbolize the message orange pens with Hindi message ‘Hamari Beti, Hamari Shakti’ were given to all Sanginies. They will be the catalysts to spread the awareness with Zonta’s message in the communities of slums and to be there in need to help and guide.
Join us in saying NO 