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.

The Zonta Club of Alessandria, Italy, and Golden Z Club Alessandria Cittadella worked together to have a walk and a concert to spread the word of Zonta Says NO. The walk, called “he on the heels,” is an initiative to have participants march in heels; including men. To advocate that violence against women is not a matter of gender, students, caterers, community members, and even mayors put on high heels to walk alongside Zontians and Golden Z Club Members.

Following the walk was a gospel concert from a group from Nigeria called Dynamite. The group is made of young people who have left violent pasts and today sing of the joys and wonders of the world.

The Zonta Club of Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, joined the Napier Santa Parade to spread the message of the Zonta Says NO to Violence against Women campaign. The Club stood out in orange as they interacted with the crowd on the parade route. Their mayor also showed his support and posed with the Club for a photo.

The Zonta Clubs of District 16 organized turning the Christchurch Airport terminal and tower in New Zealand orange for the Zonta Says NO to Violence against Women campaign. The terminal and tower will remain orange throughout the weekend for the “Orange March” event.

The Zonta Club of Verden, Germany, gathered in an open, pedestrian area to engage passersby in the Zonta Says NO to Violence against Women campaign before heading to the cinema for their charity event featuring the film “Das Mädchen Hirut”. The proceeds of their event will go to their local women’s shelter as well as to their women’s counseling office. Next week, the club will appear at their Christmas market with their traditional cookie sale.

The Z and Golden Z Clubs of Saint Michael’s College of Laguna, Philippines, conducted an on-the-spot painting contest dubbed as “Orange your ArtZ” to express their own messages about violence against women. They also made and sold orange bracelets for the 16 Days of Activism.

Updated: 1 Dec 2015

The Zonta Clubs of the Bahamas, District 11, “painted the town” orange by putting up orange ribbons to engage their communities in the Zonta Says NO to Violence against Women campaign.Zontians tied ribbons along the street next to the local college. The Hon. Melanie Griffin, Minister of Social Services and Community Development was on hand to assist the Zontians. The local television station covered the ribbon tying event for the evening news broadcast.

The clubs also hosted Antonia Roberts from the Crisis Centre at the Gender Based Violence and Trafficking in Persons Forum  in conjunction with the Ministries of National Securities and Foreign Affairs and the United States Embassy.

At the Town Center Mall, the Clubs also raised awareness against violence by distributing brochures and pamphlets. They requested each person to write on the Clubs’ Violence board stating their stance against violence.

From “Scoop Independent News“:

The Zonta Club of Rotorua [New Zealans] is asking the local community to “Imagine a World Free From Violence”, as part of its annual ‘Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women’ campaign. Clubs members are riding 16 k’s for 16 days to highlight the 16 days of activism against gender violence (White Ribbon Day November 25th to December 10th).

Organiser Robyn Cowley said, “We are riding to highlight the need for the whole community to take ownership of this New Zealand problem. We have received tremendous support as we’ve ridden the cycleways of Rotorua with lots of smiles, high fives, waves and encouraging words.”

Club members will also join other community groups this Saturday 28th at the White Ribbon Whanau Day, organised by Rotorua Safer Families. Zonta members will walk from the IMAGINE sign in Kuirau Park, starting at 11.45 am, along the Green Corridor to Hinemaru Street, where they will meet up with other community groups to be welcomed onto the Lakefront Village Green. “We will be carrying our distinctive orange ‘Zonta Say NO’ timber dolls and would be thrilled if members of the community joined us”, said Mrs Cowley.

Launched in 2012, the ‘Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women’ campaign is a call to action to end violence against women and girls in communities around the world. Each year, nearly 1,200 Zonta clubs in 67 countries unite at this time for this very important cause. 

The Zonta Club of Ibadan II began the 16 Days of Activism with public engagement on three radio shows:

1. Call-in radio program in the indigenous Yoruba language to discuss violence against women
2. Discussion on radio program in English language
3. Special radio discussion feature during the program with the presenter of  a ‘Mother and Child’ program

Their efforts resulted in four phone-in callers on the air, women who have experienced various forms of violence and 15 calls (and counting) after the show from women seeking advice on how to tackle violence against women in personal experiences.