Zonta Club of Port Lincoln hosted a dinner last Saturday on day one of the United Nation Women’s 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence.

A three-course meal was enjoyed by guests who added an orange flair to their attire for the night, in honour of the United Nations’ chosen colour to raise awareness and take action to end violence against women and girls.

Yarredi Services organised the guest speaker for the night, Rabia Aftab of Zahra Services.

Zonta Club of Port Lincoln president Kaaren Coleman introduced the evening with a poignant reminder of Bishop Desmond Tutu’s observation.

“There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river, we need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in,” she recited.

Ms Aftab was joined by Zahra chief executive officer Kelly-Ann Tansley for support and spoke about her move to Australia from Pakistan.

At the time she was in a marriage experiencing domestic violence.

Ms Aftab said her experience leaving her marriage in a new country that did not recognise her Pakistani university qualifications meant she faced many challenges, especially with South Australian systems as she tried to establish her independence.

Ms Tansley reminded the audience that in the past week, it was alleged four women in South Australia had died due to domestic and family violence.

She urged residents to back a call to parliament for a Royal Commission into family violence.

A letter template can be found at zahrafoundation.org.au/advocacy – this letter, along with resident’s full name and full address can be emailed to the Premier if they wish to support the call.

The evening had a range of representatives from different service providers present, including Family Violence Legal Service Aboriginal Corporation, West Coast Youth and Community Services and Yarredi Services.

The Port Lincoln foreshore lights will be lit in orange for the full 16 days, as organised by Zonta.

Residents can keep an eye out for the ‘orange ladies’ – timber cutouts painted orange that will be scattered around town for the 16 days.

Orange finger buns will also be available at the Beach Bakery for a limited time.

The hashtags to raise awareness for the cause are #generationequality #spreadtheword and #orangetheworld.

The 16 Days of Activism ends on Sunday, December 10 – Human Rights Day.

Source: https://portlincolntimes.com.au/community-news/2023/12/03/zonta-raises-awareness-for-women/

For the 2023 Zonta Says NO Campaign, Zonta Club of Montevideo has chosen this year to run a campaign on the networks, placing an allusive poster every day to raise awareness and make visible the importance of ending violence against women and girls.

The campaign started November 25 and will continue until December 10.

JANESVILLE – The Zonta Club of Janesville is participating in an international campaign, 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, to inspire action and end violence against women and girls.

The Zonta’s “I say NO to Gender-Based Violence” awareness campaign began Saturday, Nov. 25 and will continue until Sunday, Dec. 10.

In honor of the campaign, the pedestrian bridge at ARISE Town Square was lit orange from Nov. 25 to Nov. 30.

There’s also a silhouette outside of the Janesville Woman’s Club featuring messages about Gender-Based Violence.

“Violence has no place in our community. It needs to be eradicated,” Zonta Club president Cathy Myers said in a release. “We’re hoping to drive home that point through these activities.”

Club members will also engage in a social media campaign about the prevalence and impact of gender-based violence.

Source: https://www.gazettextra.com/community/community_briefs/zonta-club-participates-in-16-days-of-activism-against-gender-based-violence/article_4b133ff4-8f02-11ee-8520-87ddb0b61e52.html

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women was marked on Saturday, November 25.

Orange is the United Nations’ chosen colour to raise awareness and take action to end violence against women and girls.

The Zonta Club of Port Lincoln has scattered orange timber cut outs dubbed the “orange ladies” around the city to help raise awareness over the 16 days of activism, to help eliminate domestic violence.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics Personal Safety Survey for 2021-22 found one in four women and one in 14 men had experienced violence from an intimate partner since the age of 15.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare said there was a wide range of definitions currently used for concepts relating to family, domestic and sexual violence, with no single definition in Australia.

The term encompasses a wide range of behaviours and harms that can occur in both family and non-family settings.

For people that may be at risk, South Australian Police has the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, which provides an avenue to get information about a partner or former partner, to help make decisions about safety and the future of a relationship.

A request for information can be made by either the person who is feeling unsafe in their relationship or a person concerned about the welfare of someone they know.

The scheme is an early intervention and prevention initiative, not an emergency response service – Phone Triple Zero (000) in an emergency or 131 444 for non-urgent police assistance.

Women or children experiencing domestic violence in Port Lincoln and surrounds can access Yarredi Services, an organisation that aims to support and empower clients in these positions. Chief executive officer Mishelle Di Pinto said Yarredi Services provided a 24-hour crisis response for women and children experiencing domestic and or family violence that require emergency assistance.

“Early intervention and prevention strategies can include applying to the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme or reaching out to a service for specialist support to prepare to safely leave a DV situation,” she said.

“In the last week four women have allegedly lost their lives to domestic violence, if you require support or assistance please reach out to your local service.”

Visit yarredi.org.au or phone 8683 0311.

Family Violence Legal Service Aboriginal Corporation has an office in Port Lincoln and principal legal officer Julie Detchon said the organisation provided legal and non-legal services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are victim/survivors of family violence and/or sexual assault in South Australia.

“We also assist non-indigenous people who have Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in their care,” she said.

“Our service is free and confidential, and is delivered in a culturally safe and trauma informed way.

“We run early intervention and community legal education programs across the region to help people understand more about issues relating to family violence and their options to get help.

She said the next event – and the last one for the year – is a Sista2Sista day on Wednesday, November 29 in Whyalla for First Nations’ women on Eyre Peninsula.

“People can get in contact with us by using the form on our website – fvlsac.org.au – by phone or coming to our office at 89 Liverpool Street, Port Lincoln.”

1800RESPECT is a service that supports everyone impacted by domestic, family and sexual violence, including men. They can provide options to access specialist trauma counselling or other support services for men and boys dealing with violence. To access that service phone 1800 737 732.

Members of the clubs in Ibadan invited the press to cover the unveiling of billboards and the beginning of the Zonta Says NO activities in Ibadan city.

The clubs also carried hand held placards while parading in different locations. Members encouraged the reporting of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases which our members in the legal profession will handle pro bono.

Members were delighted that market men and women remembered Zonta campaigns of previous years. We are getting more visible! The message is gaining traction!

The Zonta Club of Lockport has posted signs that say “Zonta says NO to Violence Against Women” throughout the city of Lockport. This campaign, running through December 10th, tries to bring awareness to the prevalence of violence against women.

Current statistics show one in three women will experience physical/sexual violence in their lifetime, often perpetrated by intimate partners. Some 30% of intimate partner victims report that pornography was involved in some manner. New York state has the fourth highest number of cases (more than 400) reported for human trafficking in the country, following California, Texas and Florida.

Anyone interested in assisting victims of sexual assault who are brought to Lockport Memorial Hospital can donate a sweat suit to the Zonta Club by dropping it off at one of these collection sites: Lockport Family YMCA, 5833 Snyder Drive; or Immaculata Home, 31 Lewis St., any time between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sweat suits are given to victims of sexual assault whose clothing is collected at the hospital for forensic purposes. All sizes are accepted.

Take note of this local resource: The YWCA of the Niagara Frontier’s 24/7 Domestic Violence Hotline provides phone counseling, support and referrals for emergency shelter or housing. The domestic violence and sexual assault hotline number is 716-433-6716.

Zonta International is a service organization of more than 28,000 executive women committed to empowering women through service and advocacy. The Lockport chapter provides scholarship funds for women and girls and often donates to Lockport-based women’s shelters such as the YWCA shelter, Madonna House and Immaculata Home.

Women interested in joining the Zonta Club of Lockport can reach out to membership chairwoman Brenda Ulrich at 716-628-0629 or visit www.zontacluboflockport.com.

Source: https://www.lockportjournal.com/community/zonta-club-says-no-to-violence-against-women/article_c35237b8-8d4a-11ee-99f5-abeac59de8ba.html