A list of questions and answers has been prepared to help you understand the purpose and goals of the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign and your role in helping to ensure the campaign is a success.
If you have a question that is not addressed below, please email programs@zonta.org.
1. What is the “Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women” campaign?
The Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign is a great opportunity to unite Zontians around the world in one common goal to end gender-based violence. Under this common goal, Zonta clubs, areas and districts develop advocacy actions with a focus on preventing violence, protecting victims and prosecuting perpetrators.
The campaign was launched in 2012 to raise awareness of Zonta’s efforts to end violence against women and girls at the club, district and international levels. In 2014, the campaign began to move from raising awareness of the different forms of gender-based violence to more impact-oriented advocacy actions.
Since 2015, the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign utilized the Council of Europe’s Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention) as a framework and raised awareness worldwide to this first legally binding instrument to fight violence against women (VAW) and domestic violence.
In 2017, Zonta clubs addressed trafficking in human beings as one of the most widespread human rights violations by utilizing another significant Council of Europe (CoE) Convention: The CoE Convention on Actions against Trafficking in Human Beings, a comprehensive, legally binding treaty.
In recent years, the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign has been focused on child marriage, one of the worst obstacles girls are facing globally and a severe human rights violation.
Clubs will not be expected to take action every day but can tailor actions to meet the needs of their local communities and capabilities of the club. Actions can be taken at any time during the 16 Days of Activism.
2. How will the campaign assist Zonta in increasing advocacy actions to address the issue?
The campaign will encourage clubs and districts to research and identify issues related to gender-based violence at the local, regional and national levels and to address these issues through concrete, results-oriented advocacy plans and actions.
The Council of Europe Istanbul Convention is a tool for best advocacy practices upon which concrete actions can be based.
3. How will the campaign assist Zonta in increasing its credibility and visibility?
Internally, the campaign will support increased advocacy actions to prevent and end violence against women and girls at the club, district and international levels. Through increased visibility via the Zonta International website, The Zontian magazine and Zonta International’s social media platforms, Zonta will likewise raise external awareness of its advocacy efforts to prevent and end violence against women and girls worldwide. Thereby Zonta’s global credibility as an organization advocating to end violence against women and girls will be increased.
4. How is Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women different from the UN UNiTE to End Violence Against Women campaign?
The Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign is a Zonta International campaign. Like the UNiTE to End Violence Against Women campaign, Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women focuses on actions to raise awareness and prevent violence against women and girls; however, it is a separate campaign focused on Zonta’s advocacy activities at the club, district and international levels.
There are also many partner organizations that elevate and enhance the Zonta Says NO campaign, including, the White Ribbon Campaign and Orange Your World. Please ensure that any partnership adheres to our Affiliation with other Organizations policy and guidelines.
5. What are the goals of the “Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women” campaign?
The goal of the campaign is to sensitize the public to violence against women as a human rights violation and to raise awareness of Zonta’s advocacy efforts to prevent and end violence against women and girls locally and globally through actions undertaken by Zonta clubs, areas and districts worldwide
6. How do clubs and districts get involved?
Clubs are encouraged to participate in service and advocacy activities that focus on ending violence against women and girls throughout the year, but particularly during the 16 Days of Activism (25 November, International Day for the Elimination of VAW – 10 December, Human Rights Day). Clubs can continue with existing activities focused on ending violence against women and girls, or they can start a new advocacy or service initiative, e.g. combating child, early and forced marriage, using the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention as a framework for their actions.
Advocacy tools have been developed to assist Zontians in their advocacy efforts specifically related to the Istanbul Convention. More general resources are also available and can be adapted for local advocacy. Clubs are encouraged to share their advocacy activities with the Zonta International community via zontasaysno.com.
Clubs with Z and/or Golden Z clubs are encouraged to invite the members of those clubs to participate in their sponsoring club activities or to initiate activities of their own.
View the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women toolkit here.
7. What are the costs of the campaign for my club or district?
Advocacy actions do not have to cost money; they take time and energy.
However, clubs and districts can purchase Zonta-branded campaign items from the online Zonta Store. Costs are kept to a minimum to enable as many clubs and members to participate and show their support for ending violence against women and girls with Zonta’s logo clearly visible.
8. What are Zonta’s current international violence against women projects and how does the campaign link to these projects?
Zonta International is supporting four major projects during the 2022-2024 Biennium. Three of the projects address gender-based violence within the communities and evaluate and act on the best way to educate and protect women and girls against violence.
- Adolescent Girls’ Health and Protection in Peru: a project in cooperation with UNICEF USA.
- The program aims to achieve two primary outcomes:
- Health sector provides quality and comprehensive adolescent care with an emphasis on strengthening resilience and violence prevention and develops pilot program to support adolescent parents and prevent a second pregnancy.
- Protection and education sectors have improved their abilities to promote health and prevent violence in schools.
- The program aims to achieve two primary outcomes:
- Her Health and Dignity, Our Priority, a project in cooperation with UNFPA.
- Specific objectives include:
- Women and girls who experience violence use quality essential services, including for long-term recovery from violence, in Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste.
- Specific objectives include:
- Ending Child Marriage, a project in cooperation with UNFPA and UNICEF via UNICEF USA.
- Specific objectives include:
- Elevate the voice and agency of adolescent girls by:
- Empowering marginalized adolescent girls through skills development and knowledge building.
- Promoting gender equality in adolescent girls’ families and communities.
- Increase resources and opportunities for adolescent girls and their families by:
- Strengthening education, health and child protection systems.
- Addressing the ways that poverty drives the practice of child marriage.
- Enhance legal and political action to prevent child marriage and to support married, divorced or widowed adolescent girls by:
- Helping governments strengthen their plans to end child marriage.
- Building the capacity of governments to make data-driven decisions and implement evidence-driven programs.
- Elevate the voice and agency of adolescent girls by:
- Specific objectives include:
The Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign will raise awareness of Zonta International’s contributions to the prevention of violence against women and girls at the international level and will encourage additional support for these projects.
The campaign reflects on Zonta as a leading advocate for women’s rights.
As of September 2022
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