The Zonta Club of Santa Clarita is displaying six red dresses throughout their community, each dress representing a local woman who lost their life to domestic violence. The dresses will be displayed outside in the wind and the weather. “Those elements will animate the dresses, revitalizing the life that is missing,” says the Zonta club’s press release.

The Zonta Club of Santa Clarita committed to participate in the 2015 Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign and the United Nations 16 days of Activism.

The purpose of the campaign was to bring awareness to the presence of domestic violence in their community, focusing on those who have lost their lives in 2015 because of domestic violence. The club also provided education on the concept of being an “Upstander and not a Bystander” meaning, by making that one change, you could potentially save a life.

Six red dresses were displayed around the club’s city, depicting six women who lost their lives in 2015. The beautiful red gowns were taken to 16 well-traveled locations and hung in the trees. Having the dresses outside meant that they interacted with the elements, and the dresses came to life in the wind.

The color red is many things, life blood, love, and spilled blood. It was an extremely powerful visual that not many people could walk past without stopping. Every person was shocked to hear who the dresses represented. Comments included, “That is amazing!” “Haunting.” “Wow! I had no idea.” “Thank you, please keep doing this.” “Thank you for what you are doing.”

The club handed out cards that told the story of the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign and the project on one side, and how to become an “upstander and not a bystander,” along with local resources that they could use anonymously on the other side. The project was in cooperation with the Domestic Violence Center of Santa Clarita, and in collaboration with the City of Santa Clarita, the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Department and Domestic Intervention Violence Education Resource Team (DIVERT) Task Force, that has nine agencies represented.

There was coverage on the local radio station, local TV station and on social media. Read more from the Santa Clarita Valley Signal below.

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On 26 November, the Zonta Club of Hamilton II joined with the McMaster Golden Z Club to run an advocacy event on the McMaster campus. From 12:00 noon until 3:00 p.m., the clubs had the Zonta Says NO to Violence against Women banner and the Golden Z banner on display along with a paper banner that the Mac Golden Z members created to have people sign in support of the elimination of violence against women.

The clubs handed out 300 Zonta Says NO to Violence against Women Ribbons and about 100 Zonta Says NO to Violence against Women bookmarks, announcing: 1. That it was the UN Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 2. Gender based violence is not a woman’s issue; it is everyone’s issue 3. During their lifetime, 1 in 3 women in the world will experience some form of violence. This includes women in our community. 4. The clubs asked people to take just a few seconds, show their support, and sign the banner.

The clubs gathered approximately 150 signatures on the banner, which the Golden Z Club is going to hang in the Student Centre to continue to raise awareness.

The Zonta Club of Kankakee is spreading the Zonta Says No to Violence against Women message through a Facebook campaign. This campaign will include men, youhg men, and boys, from all walks of life, who willingly stand with members of our organization in supporting this most worthwhile cause.

From daily-journal.com:

The statistics on violence against women are stark: chances are one of three has been a victim of physical or sexual violence.

This overwhelming worldwide stat is the inspiration behind Zonta Club of Kankakee’s upcoming Facebook campaign, which coincides with an international charge to tackle violence against women.

From Nov. 25 through Dec. 10, the women’s advocacy club will post photos of men carrying “Zonta says no to violence against women” signs.

Those two dates are significant. Nov. 25 is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and Dec. 10 is International Human Rights Day. This annual 16-day campaign is a bridge, reinforcing that violence against women is both a human rights issue and human rights violation.

The men in the soon-to-be posted photos come from different walks of life. They’re doctors, farmers, firefights, high school and college students. They’re men who want to end a human rights issue that’s boiled for too long. They want the women in their life to be safe.

“We want to end violence against women,” said Jackie Fink, chairwoman of the local Zonta Club’s advocacy committee. “The only way that this is going to happen is to get men on board. We need them to support our cause.”

Among these men is Matt McAllister, a grant administrator for Riverside Health Care, who doubles as the board president of Harbor House, a local intervention program for domestic violence.

The 38-year-old has seen and heard his share of violence against women. He also understands how it can affect a family.

“You see kids who witness abuse and how their parents treat each other. They’re silent victims,” McAllister said. “You want it to stop. You don’t want it to continue on to the next generation.”

As a high school teacher at Clifton Central, Fink also hopes young men rise to the challenge of ridding the world of violence against women.

“If we have any hope for our future, it has to start with the young,” Fink said. “I’m a teacher and a mom. That’s what I want to pass on to kids — to respect each other.”

Follow the Zonta Club of Kankakee on Facebook to support the anti-violence against women campaign.

For the 16 Days of Activism, the Zonta Club of Oswego, New York, USA, is collecting donations to the Oswego County Opportunities’ Services to Aid Families program that operates the local domestic violence shelter and provides services to survivors of gender-based violence.

From oswegocountytoday.com:

As part of Zonta International’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, a campaign that aims to inspire action and end violence against women and girls around the world, the Zonta Club of Oswego will be collecting donations for Oswego County Opportunities’ Services to Aid Families program that operates the local domestic violence shelter and provides services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and other types of  abuse.

“Violence against women is not a new phenomenon, neither are its consequences to women’s physical, mental and reproductive health,” says Zonta International President Maria Jose Landeira Oestergaard. “What is new is the growing recognition that acts of violence against women are not isolated events, but rather form a pattern of behavior that violates the rights of women and girls, limits their participate on in society and damages their health and well-being.”

At the local level, Zonta clubs across the world are organizing activities and events as part of the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign, which focuses on the service and advocacy actions of Zonta clubs to prevent and end violence against women and girls in their local communities.

For the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, which runs from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10, the Zonta Club of Oswego will be collecting items for SAF.

Tammy Thompson, president of the Zonta Club of Oswego said, “Our local club has had a long relationship with the SAF Program and the domestic violence shelter, supporting them throughout the years with whatever they may need. Last year the shelter needed to replace all of their cribs and Zonta members donated funds to purchase four new cribs for the house. Several years ago we purchased a swing set.  This year we are focusing on collecting personal care items such as toiletries, household items, games and DVDs and winter clothes for women and children.“

Items can be dropped off at OCO’s Oswego office in Midtown Plaza. Pick-up is also available by contacting Zonta member Inga Back at ingaback@yahoo.com.

Zonta is also encouraging local business and groups to take a photo of themselves wearing orange, the official color of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, and post it to the Zonta Club of Oswego’s Facebook page.

“Solidarity in the face of this epidemic will help us raise awareness and lend support to those who have experienced intimate partner violence,” Thompson said.

People can also check out Zonta’s facebook page during the 16 days for daily posts related to their campaign or visit Zonta International’s website at http://www.zontasaysno.com.

The Zonta Club of Oswego is part of Zonta International, a global organization working to empower women worldwide through service and advocacy.

With more than 30,000 members belonging to nearly 1,200 clubs in 67 countries, Zontians all over the world volunteer their time, talent and support to local and international service projects and educational programs.

Sentinel-Review

The Zonta Club of Woodstock, Ontario, Canada, kicked off the 16 Days of Activism by lighting up trees orange and purple in front of the Police Service headquarters on Wednesday, 25 November.

From woodstocksentinelreview.com:

Purple and orange lights will light up trees in front of the Woodstock Police Service headquarters on Dundas Street this Wednesday, November 25.

The Zonta Says No launch, held at the police station between 5:30 and 6 p.m., is designed to be “subtle but effective” way of making the community aware of violence against women.

The United Nations Secretary-General’s Campaign UNITE to End Violence against women has proclaimed the 25th of each month as Orange Day, a day to raise awareness and take action against violence against women and girls.

“I would say this is a significant way to raise awareness about violence against women and women’s issues in our community,” said Sheena Poole, president of the Zonta Club of Woodstock.

The Zonta Says No campaign, in partnership with the Domestic Assault Review Team, is designed to highlight a number of national and internationally recognized days of remembrance during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence.

The orange lights are representative of the United Nations UNITE Orange Day Campaign and the purple lights are part of the Shine the Light on Woman Abuse, a public awareness campaign on the London Women’s Centre.

Over the next 16 days Zonta will be partnering with the many agencies within DART and community organizations in Oxford County to bring attention to the different way that gender violence impacts lives.

“We are extremely proud to be in partnership with leading experts and responders to acts of violence in our community for the third Zonta Says No campaign,” Poole said. “Zonta is about empowering women both globally and locally and we want to campaign to send the message of ‘No to Violence’ to all women and girls within Oxford County.”

The Zonta Clubs of Dunedin-Otago and Metropolitan Dunedin , New Zealand, joined together to support the Zonta Says NO to Violence against Women campaign on Saturday, 28 November. Zontians spread the Zonta Says NO to Violence against Women message at Anzac Square in Dunedin while distributing white ribbons and orange balloons and collecting donations for the Sophie Elliott Foundation, an organization that “aims to cause a profound shift in New Zealand’s attitude towards relationship violence.”

http://www.targatocn.it

As part of the program organized by the city of Saluzzo and the Council for Equal Opportunities “Fight or build hope,” the Zonta Club of Saluzzo, Italy, is spreading the Zonta Says NO to Violence against Women message with loaves of bread. The message, “La violenza non è pane quotidiano” (Violence is not daily bread), appeared on 1,500 bags of bread sold throughout the city on Saturday, 28 November. The initiative, which supports the organization Mai + Sole, is made possible with the contribution of two bread shops.

For an article by TargatoCN, click here.

The Zonta Clubs of Townsville Inc and Townsville Metro Inc., Australia, joined with the North Queensland Women’s Legal Service to tackle domestic violence at a Townsville Fire game. Wear Zonta Says NO to Violence against Women shirts, the activists passed out free domestic violence hotline information to the crowd at the Women’s National Basketball League game.

The four Zonta clubs in Christchurch, New Zealand, collaborated together and combined their members to hold a large march around their city. Participants carried orange silhouettes and a Zonta Says NO banner to raise awareness of the campaign.