On the 25 November, Zonta International Club of Lagos 1 organised an Interactive Forum:  SAY NO! TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: CALL TO ACTION in collaboration with Women Arise for Change Initiative at the Freedom Park, in the heart of Lagos. This event  was a befitting climax to the Club’s ZONTA Says NO to Violence Against Women Awareness Campaign during which over 4,500 bookmarks  specially designed to enhance the visibility of Zonta Club of Lagos 1 have been distributed since February 2013.

Before the event, the Interactive Forum was widely publicized through press releases in the social media, during a popular Nigeria Info FM radio morning show on Zonta International’s 94^th Birthday, and flyers were sent by email and distributed at various events held in Lagos before 25^th November to commemorate The International Day for The Elimination of Violence Against Women …. In order to create more awareness, a ZONTA Says NO banner was hung in a strategic position at Freedom Park, which has recently become a popular venue for social, cultural and creative art events, a few days before the interactive forum and flyers were left in cafes and restaurants within the complex so that the numerous visitors attending events being held there during that weekend would know that Zonta takes the elimination of violence against women seriously.

As a result, despite the usual heavy Monday morning traffic in Lagos, a  broad spectrum of participants including members of the media, diplomatic corps, public sectors, academia, creative industries, civil society organisations and  development partners, attended the event. Prof. Wole Soyinka, Africa’s first Nobel Laureate and Chairman of the Board of Women Arise for Change Initiative, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, Chairman National Human Rights Commission, Nigeria; Mrs. Hafsat Abiola-Costello, Founder Kudirat Initiative for Democracy KIND; Mr. Christian Widmann, Head Programmes, GIZ ; Ms. Bene Uche, Public Affairs Section, US Consulate;and high level delegations from the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) and Office of the Public Defender (OPD) also graced the occasion.

At the beginning of her welcome address the President of Zonta Club of Lagos 1 Z Shade Bembatoum-Young read a poem entitled ‘No More Tears’ in order to highlight the importance of Edutainment and more specifically Poetry in breaking the silence and emphasizing the fact that victims of gender based violence are ordinary people we each come across in our daily lives, who need our understanding and support because they often suffer the additional pain of stigmatization.

Other Poems by Word-Up Poets and a 5 minute Video Clip from the movie ‘MISFIT’, directed by the award winning Daniel Emeke Oriahi and starring Ijeoma Agu, were part of the Edutainment segments of the programme . She concluded by declaring that the elimination of violence against women was every body’s business. Z. Segilola Goubadia immediate Past President of the Club, and currently a member of the International Advocacy Committee, spoke eloquently on the role of Zonta International in eliminating violence against women worldwide with special reference to ZISVAW and the Zonta Says No campaign .The key note presentation with slides tagged ‘THE BITTER TRUTH ABOUT VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN’  was made by Dr. Joe Odumakin, President Women Arise for Change Initiative, and one of the nine recipients of the 2013 International Women of Courage Award. The passionate presentation and somewhat gruesome visual images held the audience spell bound as Dr Odumakin reeled out alarming statistics on issues such as Rape, Domestic Violence Trafficking of Women and Children, Female Genital Mutilation and Child Brides. Dr. Odumakin called upon participants to work together to ensure that the necessary laws were passed and enforced to protect the rights of Women and Girls. Her presentation ended on a positive note with her leading the audience in singing ‘We Shall Overcome’.

An interactive session highlighting causes, effects and prevention of violence against women and girls in Nigeria; socio-economic and cultural factors; collaboration between NGOs and building sustainable creative industries/media/development partner/civil society partnerships, as well as crucial information about Lagos State Laws and Services from WAPA and OPD, followed by a Question and Answers/ Solutions and Strategies Segment, were skillfully moderated by a renowned female Professor of Law, Prof. Ayo Atsenuwa. Panelists included, Director ACTS Generation, Mrs. Leila St. Mathew-Daniel; Director Women Law and Development, Dr Keziah Awosika; Member Governing Council, Nigerian Conservation Foundation, Mr. Desmond Majekodunmi; Director Office of the Public Defender, Mrs. Omotola Rotimi; Assistant Director, Nigerian Television Authority, Mrs, Antoinette Falohun; Executive Secretary Girl Guides Association Nigeria, Mrs. Eno James; Mrs. Damilola Obinna of the United Nations Population Fund UNFPA; CEO Nesta Sukie Ltd, Isioma Fidel – Ewerem; Stage and Screen Actor, Ijeoma Agu, Star of ‘MISFIT’a film about violence inflicted on a women kidnapped by a gang; Mrs. Omotola Rotimi, Director, Office of The Public Defender and Mrs K.B Hopo of the Ministry of Women Affairs.     Continue reading →

The Zonta Club of Miami Lakes and the Town of Miami Lakes officially declared 25 November as the kick-off of the Zonta Says No Campaign in Miami Lakes, FL, USA. The town of Miami Lakes issued a proclamation at its 10 December council meeting, recognizing the importance of advocacy on behalf of women, locally and globally, to support efforts to prevent and end violence against women and girls.  

The Zonta Club of Miami Lakes members participated in a number of advocacy activities during the Zonta Says No Campaign and 16 Days of Advocacy from 25 November to 10 December.  The club presented its Community Service Award to Mrs. Carol Wylie at a “Women and Wine Dinner”, which included an advocacy focus on the international efforts to end violence against women. Additional club activities included a social media campaign, a Virtual Ownerless Shoes event, sharing advocacy information with other women, and donations to local women’s organizations as well as Zonta International for their efforts to combat violence against women around the world.

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.