Speaking bottom right is Eucal Bonabay, Attorney General’s Office. (Photos: Felicity Ingraham)

To celebrate the International Day to End Violence Against Women and kick off the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign, the Zonta Clubs of Nassau and New Providence, Bahamas, teamed up to host a “Paint the Town Orange” campaign and held a special forum at the School of Nursing, Grosvenor Close.

Zontians and students took to the streets Thursday tying bright orange ribbons all over Bay Street and Collins Avenue. They also engaged with passers-by, motorists, shop owners and patrons along the way as they tied the ribbons. They also held a fun mannequin challenge in Rawson Square to bring awareness to the cause.

Read more at thebahamasweekly.com.

According to UNICEF, at least 200 million girls and women have experienced female genital mutilation/cutting in 30 countries across three continents. If rates of decline seen in the past three decades are sustained, the impact of population growth means that up to 63 million more girls could be cut by 2050.

The Zonta Club of Eindhoven, Netherlands, advocated for a world without violence against women at the central railway station. Club members passed along the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women message while handing out yellow roses.

The Zonta Club of Rotterdam, Netherlands, is spreading the message of Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women with a video that features prominent men from their community saying nee (“no”) to gender-based violence.

In the video below, author Ernest van der Kwast, actor Quintis Ristie, professional soccer player Leeroy Owusu, artist and actor John Buijsman, athletic trainer Ton Dunk, actor Jack Wouterse, and the men of Monteiro Gym Rotterdam and Hans Oriental Grocery Store take a stand against violence against women.

In the United States, approximately 20 percent of female college students are victims of attempted or completed sexual assault, compared to 6 percent of men. Although these statistics only offer a glimpse into U.S. campuses, female students are at risk of violence on university campuses around the world.

Early marriage is a form of sexual and gender-based violence with detrimental physical, social and economic effects. Despite laws against it, the practice remains widespread, in part because of persistent poverty and gender inequality. In developing countries, one in every three girls is married before reaching age 18. One in nine is married under age 15.

Zonta International is proud to partner with UNFPA to support efforts to delay early marriage and early pregnancy in Niger. Learn more about our Delaying Early Marriage In Niger here: www.foundation.zonta.org/Child-Marriage 

Today is the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery.

Nepal has long been a country of origin for labor migration and trafficking in persons, particularly women and children, for the purposes of sexual, labor and other forms of exploitation. Learn how Zonta International and UN Women are working together in Addressing Human Trafficking and Unsafe Migration in Nepal here: http://foundation.zonta.org/Nepal.

Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and kicks off the #16DayofActivism. In her blog post, President Sonja Hönig Schough explains how Zonta fights to end violence against women: http://bit.ly/2fCjTtF

Read a blog post from President Sonja Hönig Schough at http://bit.ly/2geikFC and learn how you can take action to fight violence against women by accessing our Advocacy Tools and Public Relations Tools.

Don’t forget to share with us how you’re participating in the campaign by sharing your story.

The Zonta Club of Cebu 2 in Cebu, Philippines, has already begun promoting the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign.

The club recently hosted its first event, “Cancer Screening for Breast, Cervix and Thyroid” in Mandaue, in partnership with the Philippine Medical Women’s Assocation (PMWA).

They also met for a one-day “Strategic Planning Workshop,” conducted with Dr. Juanito Zuazula Jr.

Read more at sunstar.com.ph.