From the Rotorua Weekender:

Zonta Club of Bombay III has been closely working with SNEHA (Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action), an NGO which works in slums of Mumbai to rehabilitate women who were victims of violence, ensures safe births, reduced malnutrition of young children, and empowers adolescent girls with sexual & reproductive health education.  The club has been supporting prevention of violence against women and children, maternal & new-born health, and gender and sex education of school girls. The club has also sponsored workshop and had interactive sessions with young girls of Seva Sadan Society, an NGO working for the young orphan girls and women. 

During the 16 days activism period to end violence against women, Zonta Club of Bombay I & III, jointly with SNEHA, held a program on 9 December at the Community Hall of the Dharavi slums of Mumbai. The activism messages were conveyed to about 300 men & women, young & old, through skits, dance and songs.  Sanginis (women volunteers of SNEHA) depicted how domestic violence was checked through counseling by SNEHA.  Young boys and girls mimed sexual violence on a young girl and how the rapist was punished.  In a reality show, two victims shared their stories on how SNEHA helped them with their problems and rehabilitated them and in turn they were now working as Sangini volunteers. Men from the slums also showed the role of a man in a happy family.  Zontians participated in the program and explained the focus area of Zonta International, appreciated their effort.

The President of Lions Club of Cuffe Parade, Mumbai with his members attended the program and assured of his support through the media.

On 25 November, a minute of silence has been observed in all Italian jails to commemorate the women victims of violence. The Ministry of Justice’s Department of Penitentiary Administration initiative follows the understanding that the Department of Penitentiary Administration of Piedmont and the Aosta Valley has come to with Zonta Club Torino.
On 17 November, “La Drola”, a team made up of inmates, played a rugby match against the Ivrea team in the “Lorusso e Cutugno” jail in Torino, with the players wearing bibs bearing the campaign slogan ZONTA SAYS NO – GIU’ LE MANI DALLE DONNE (hands off of women) as well as observing a minute of silence. A series of other actions for awareness regarding violence towards women followed this initiative, as but not only, the minute of silence in all Italian jails on 25 November.

The Piedmont and Aosta Valley Department continues to involve the convicts in actions regarding this topic. From 25 November to 25 December, all inmates are asked to write down their thoughts and considerations about femicide and every other form of violence against women. In 2014, the most interesting ones – one for each woman fallen victim to feminicide between 25 November 2012 and 25 November 2013 – will be published in a book. 

Governor of Zonta International District 30, Nadia Biancato, has visited 3 Piedmontese jails together with Oria Trifoglio, President of ZC Alessandria. They met with the inmates of the two jails in their city Alessandria and discussed the subject, agreeing on the fact that violence against women has to be opposed by men and women together, by changing the mentality, because violence is a cultural problem: violence occurs when a woman is conceived as a property, a commodity, when the freewill of the other is not respected. Some of the inmates handed over their writings on this occasion. One of them comes to the conclusion: “We are all children of women”.

On Monday, 25 November, none of the passers-by in the main road of Graz could miss the joint action of Zonta against VAW: Two actresses presented authentic stories of women who had experienced violence and found shelter in one of the public women’s homes. The readings were assisted by four tuba players of the conservatory thus strongly intensifying this performance and leading to many discussions with the passengers.

Zonta Club Of Ibadan II visited some major markets in the city where Zonta says No flyers were distributed and a drama sketch was performed by the University of Ibadan Drama Troop, see video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIMja2B3CD8.

The Zonta Club Of Ibadan Also took the Zonta Says NO Advocacy to the radio! The club visited the first independent radio station in the city of Ibadan, Splash FM 105.5, where they were on air for 20 minutes for the advocacy to end violence against women see attached picture.

The Zonta Club of New Rochelle sponsored a youth production of a Zonta Says NO video about domestic violence. Each student reviewed the power point prepared by Zonta International and the students wrote poems and staged the production. The piece debuts online during the 16 days awareness campaign, and live on stage at the Ossie Davis Theater/New Rochelle Public Library. Produced by Zonta Club of New Rochelle

Watch it below:

Zonta New Rochelle Teens Say NO to Domestic Violence from Zonta Network Films on Vimeo.

See more about this video here: Zonta Club of New Rochelle

Together with the Women’s shelter Iris in Luleå, the Zonta Club of Luleå arranged an event in the center of Luleå to honor the women who have been murdered by someone near them, and to protest against gender-based violence.

The event was held in the afternoon the 23 November, and was quite well visited by the citizens of Luleå, considering the cold. Members lit candles for the 17 women who had been victims of gender-based violence this year, and both the president of the Zonta Club and the president of the local Women’s Shelter gave a speech.

The moving and gripping songs of Peter and Elinor Stenlund framed the event, and gave another dimension to the audience. Both of the club’s regional newspapers covered the story, and gave good visibility on the Monday after the event.

Read about it here: http://www.kuriren.nu/nknyheter/tyst-minut-mot-mans-vald-7133279.aspx

Below, watch a video the the Z-Club of Colombo recently produced on why they say NO to violence against women.

The Zonta Club of Kitchener-Waterloo wanted to mark the 16 days in a way that might resonate with the community. Sixteen members of the Club are hoping to make a difference by speaking out on an aspect of violence against women and children that is particularly meaningful to them.

Make a sound that will be heard around the world: Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women and Girls.

Watch all 16 of their videos on their YouTube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/user/ZontaKW

Minister of Justice, Mme Anna-Maja Henriksson, and Minister of Social Affairs and Health, Mme Paula Risikko, received the representatives of Finnish and Estonian Zontians on 22 November, 2013. This was when Governor Marja Koivula together with Lt Governor Salla Tuominen, Advocacy Committee Chairman Tuija Kirveskari-Tähtinen and Member Tuulikki Petäjäniemi, as well as PR and Communications Committee Chairman Erja Lindholm presented them with the Announcement of the Lahti District Conference of 5 – 6 October, 2013, to launch District 20 Zonta Says NO Campaign and to urge Finnish Parliament to enforce the 2011 Istanbul Agreement on the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

Many communities have no easily accessible services to help victims of violence, or perpetrators. Running and maintaining Safe Houses also suffers from the economic difficulties local authorities are facing. Members therefore took this opportunity to propose that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health take up this matter and give it priority in negotiations with local authorities, so that Finland should have locally comprehensive community services and a network of Safe Houses. They also proposed that a Public Recognition Award be granted to local authorities that in 2014 and 2015 start a new Safe House in their region.

The programme to reduce violence against women over the period of five years, from 2010 to 2015, has indeed resulted in a reduction in the numbers of reports on family violence. Domestic emergency cases regarded as domestic violence have, on the other hand, increased. According to the members, this programme needs a follow-up. Finnish Zontians are of the opinion that in basic education, health education should continue to include guidance to both girls and boys on how to implement the programme of non-violence and genre equality. It is essential, in their opinion, that the 2011 Istanbul Agreement on the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence be enforced in Finland forthwith with all its obligations. They feel, mere announcements, programmes and plans will not eliminate violence against women or help women and children who are victims of domestic violence. They also emphasize the fact that the proposal to change Finnish Criminal Law Article 20 referring to the essential elements of rape does not include enough criteria of the victim’s consent/non-consent. “Non-consent”-based rape criteria depict equality between female and male better than ”Coercion”.