The Zonta Club of Alytus, Lithuania, joined a united community effort on 25 November to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, responding to an invitation from the Alytus Soroptimist Club to stand together against gender-based violence.

The Soroptimist-led initiative took place at the historic “Dainava” cinema, where attendees were welcomed with packets of orange flower seeds labeled “Plant your strength, let your peace grow.” The symbolic gesture encouraged participants to nurture personal resilience and hope. The film “There’s Still Tomorrow” was screened, highlighting the importance of awareness, courage and speaking out in the face of violence.

A variety of international service clubs—including Zonta, Rotary, LIONS Women and Dzūkija LIONS—joined the event, strengthening the message that preventing violence is a shared responsibility. The Dainava cinema building was illuminated in orange, a global symbol of solidarity with survivors. The clubs extended their gratitude to the Alytus Cultural Center for facilitating the illumination.

As part of the awareness campaign, designer Violeta Sūdžiuvienė’s boutique Bliss by Violeta created a striking visual installation: a mannequin dressed in orange, symbolizing unity with women affected by violence. Members of the Zonta Club of Alytus took photos with the mannequin to help amplify the message.

At least 150 people joined the Zonta Club of Marburg, Germany, in creating a “human chain” for the Zonta Says NO to violence against women campaign. The act attracted a lot of attention in the city, putting more eyes on the campaign and the issue of gender-based violence.

The Zonta Club Torino, Italy, has joined the United Nations’ UNiTE campaign, which designates the 25th of each month as Orange Day, a global call to raise awareness and take action to end violence against women and girls. This year’s campaign places special focus on combating digital violence.

Orange, a symbol of hope and a brighter future free from violence, serves as the visual hallmark of the campaign. On the 25th of every month, activists, governments and partners around the world unite under the #OrangeDay banner, wearing the color and promoting actions that challenge violence in homes, public spaces, workplaces, schools and online.

As part of this effort—and in alignment with the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence—the Zonta Club Torino, supported by the Municipality of Turin, the Municipal Women’s Council, SMAT Turin and several local associations, illuminated the fountains of Piazza CLN in orange. The club also organized a flash mob in front of the fountains to publicly reject gender-based violence “today more than ever.”

The club also held an impactful exhibition, “How Were You Dressed?”—a powerful response to a question still too often posed to survivors. Through displayed clothing items, each representing a real case, the installation exposes the harmful myth that attire can explain, justify or lessen violence. Each garment urges viewers to witness, reflect and challenge ingrained stereotypes that perpetuate victim-blaming.

Event organizers emphasized that gender-based violence is not a private matter but a violation of human rights and a systemic societal issue. They called for collective responsibility, stressing that change must come from listening, education, respect and the courage to dismantle cultural norms that enable abuse.

The exhibition encourages a shift in perspective:
the right question is not “How were you dressed?” but “Why did someone believe they had the right to harm you?”

The club expressed gratitude to all partners, supporters and individuals who contributed stories and made the initiative possible.

The Zonta Club of Hualien, Taiwan, has officially launched the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, joining Zonta clubs worldwide in the annual Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign.

As part of the global Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign, Zonta Milano Sant’Ambrogio, Italy, welcomed representatives from the Milan Women Council and CAP Milano, the local water utility, for a meaningful review of the “Alla Pari” project. The session featured real experiences and examples from companies committed to preventing gender-based violence within the workplace.

The project is the result of a joint effort between the Milan Women Council (an umbrella group of 18 associations with multidisciplinary expertise in gender equality, including Zonta Milano Sant’Ambrogio), CAP Milano and its network of suppliers. Together, they work under a shared memorandum of understanding to foster a culture of respect, equality and prevention. Their commitment aims to fight all forms of discrimination and violence, with a special focus on violence against women, both at work and in society.

“Creating a respectful and equitable workplace is not a symbolic gesture, but a daily responsibility,” emphasized Elena Federici, moderator of the event and our club’s representative within the Milan Women Council. The event engaged participants both in person and online.

The dedication of the Zonta Club of Isabela, Philippines, to ending Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is not just heard—it is now lighting up the entire digital landscape! The club celebrated the powerful, unanimous action of every Zonta Club of Isabela member who is proudly demonstrating their unwavering commitment by adopting the official #OrangeTheWorld profile picture frame.

This collective movement transforms our individual Facebook profiles from simple personal spaces into united public declarations of zero tolerance for violence. It is a visible, unwavering assurance to every survivor, every family and every community member in Isabela that: Zonta Says NO is a powerful, active, and absolutely unified stance against abuse. The members are visibly standing in solidarity, turning their collective online presence orange as a symbol of optimism and a powerful reminder that help is available. The club is actively amplifying the message and accelerating our progress toward the crucial goal of eliminating violence against women and girls.

The Zonta e-Club of Latvia has joined the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence with a powerful awareness initiative centered on respect, equality and collective action. The club launched its campaign, “Words. Awareness. Action.” under the motto “Respect in words. Equality in action.” with a video message from members underscoring that violence against women is never a private issue, but one that harms families, communities and society as a whole.

The campaign stresses that respect is the foundation of equality—and that equality is essential to creating a world free from violence. Throughout the 16 days, each member will contribute a short video addressing themes such as courage, compassion, justice, responsibility and hope.

By elevating diverse voices and emphasizing shared responsibility, the club aims to raise awareness, inspire action and help build a society where every woman and girl can live in safety and dignity.

The initiative concludes with a clear call to action: “Together, let’s build a society without violence!”

The campaign video is available at: https://youtu.be/0YANknpuhDQ