The Zonta Club of East Auckland Area, New Zealand, has a Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women display at their local library. The display, which includes relevant books from the library, generates discussion and allows the club to contact interested individuals.
Ahead of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the Zonta Club of Brussel Zavel, Belgium, kicked off their Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign. In the heart of Brussels, club members spread awareness in the historic Saint-Hubert Royal Galleries with orange umbrellas.
While parents often marry off their daughters as a way to protect them from harm, their actions actually put their daughters at a greater risk for violence.
Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the start of the #16Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. From now through 10 December, Zontians worldwide will say NO to violence against women and take a stand to end child marriage.
Test your knowledge on child marriage by taking the Zonta Says NO child marriage quiz here.
Spread the word and say NO! Like, share and comment! Tomorrow starts the #16Days of Activism.
Here are three things that you can do to take part in the 2018 Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign:
To raise awareness of violence against women, the Zonta Club of Lulea, District 21, collaborated with their local library, the City Library of Pitea. In the center of the library, the club set up a display to showcase books and movies focused on violence against women.
Club members said they think facts are important, but if you really want to reach people you have to appeal to their emotions. Books and movies do that. This is why the Zontians chose to collaborate with the library on the display.
With an exhibition in full view from the entrance of the library, they want to encourage the visitors to read and watch stories about survivors of violence against women. This is also in line with the theme chosen by UN Women this year, #HearMeToo.
A presentation was also given to the staff about how gender-based violence impacts women all over the world. Because of this, they are now ready to answer questions from the public about the exhibition and violence against women.
The Zonta Club of Cheyenne and students from Triumph High School Z Club, USA, participated in a Silent Witness March, carrying orange silhouettes from the Wyoming State Supreme Court Building to the Laramie County Public Library.
During the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the Zonta Club of Kungsbacka, Sweden, will display an assortment of shoes painted orange to create awareness and advocate for the end of violence against women.
In partnership with Kungsbacka Women’s Tourism and Culture and Leisure, the club’s display will be viewable at the Lighthouse from 25 November – 10 December.
The Zonta Club of Accra II, Ghana, held a campaign against early child marriage to sensitize the youth and parents of vulnerable children in Accra on its effects and the need to fight it.
The program was attended by non-governmental organizations advocating for the eradication of early child marriages, students in second cycle institutions, and members of the club.
Aba Amissah Quainoo, vice president of the Zonta Club of Accra II, urged the media to reset their agenda, especially with programs that negatively affected behaviors of youth such as the romantic telenovelas on television, as they contributed to the problem.
The Zonta Club 1 celebrates its 50th year by intensifying its program against violence against women and teenage pregnancy, a concern which the Zonta International is tackling. Community and school researches reveal cases of a growing number of girls, in some cases even as young as nine years old, who have been victims of early sex and pregnancy resulting from broken homes, drugs, free sex, easy access to entertainment hubs, insufficient sex education and lack of values formation, among others.
The Zontians are working with the schools, families, barangays and the multisectoral groups to expand awareness of the problem and adopt proactive activities.
Join us in saying NO 