The Zonta Club of Kitchener-Waterloo wanted to mark the 16 days in a way that might resonate with the community. Sixteen members of the Club are hoping to make a difference by speaking out on an aspect of violence against women and children that is particularly meaningful to them.
Make a sound that will be heard around the world: Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women and Girls.
Watch all 16 of their videos on their YouTube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/user/ZontaKW
Minister of Justice, Mme Anna-Maja Henriksson, and Minister of Social Affairs and Health, Mme Paula Risikko, received the representatives of Finnish and Estonian Zontians on 22 November, 2013. This was when Governor Marja Koivula together with Lt Governor Salla Tuominen, Advocacy Committee Chairman Tuija Kirveskari-Tähtinen and Member Tuulikki Petäjäniemi, as well as PR and Communications Committee Chairman Erja Lindholm presented them with the Announcement of the Lahti District Conference of 5 – 6 October, 2013, to launch District 20 Zonta Says NO Campaign and to urge Finnish Parliament to enforce the 2011 Istanbul Agreement on the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.
Many communities have no easily accessible services to help victims of violence, or perpetrators. Running and maintaining Safe Houses also suffers from the economic difficulties local authorities are facing. Members therefore took this opportunity to propose that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health take up this matter and give it priority in negotiations with local authorities, so that Finland should have locally comprehensive community services and a network of Safe Houses. They also proposed that a Public Recognition Award be granted to local authorities that in 2014 and 2015 start a new Safe House in their region.
The programme to reduce violence against women over the period of five years, from 2010 to 2015, has indeed resulted in a reduction in the numbers of reports on family violence. Domestic emergency cases regarded as domestic violence have, on the other hand, increased. According to the members, this programme needs a follow-up. Finnish Zontians are of the opinion that in basic education, health education should continue to include guidance to both girls and boys on how to implement the programme of non-violence and genre equality. It is essential, in their opinion, that the 2011 Istanbul Agreement on the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence be enforced in Finland forthwith with all its obligations. They feel, mere announcements, programmes and plans will not eliminate violence against women or help women and children who are victims of domestic violence. They also emphasize the fact that the proposal to change Finnish Criminal Law Article 20 referring to the essential elements of rape does not include enough criteria of the victim’s consent/non-consent. “Non-consent”-based rape criteria depict equality between female and male better than ”Coercion”.
Zonta Club Of Ibadan II, Nigeria marks ZONTA SAYS NO Campaign by Branding a city commuter Bus, with the Campaign Slogan ZONTA SAYS NO the bus carries this message for one month till 24 December. Members took part in a rally round the City of Ibadan in the bus, escorted by combined team of Police and Federal Road safety Corps for security and traffic control. The rally started at the state secretarial the seat of government, travelling in a branded bus, coming down at intervals at market places where there are huge crowd to distribute flyers and to address the crowd on the ZONTA SAYS NO campaign.
Zontians took the campaign to the commissioner of Police in a major Police Station and to the Criminal Investigation Department, visiting major roundabouts on the streets of Ibadan. Dance Troops of the University of Ibadan theater performed drama sketches on ZONTA SAYS NO, while a brigade band performed to call the attention of people where ever we stopped. The national Television station (NTA) and the Broadcasting Corporation Of Oyo State (BCOS) as well as print media covered the event.
See more of their actions in the campaign in the images below:
ZONTA SAYS NO campaign translated into local language, on the back of the bus.
Zonta Club Of Ibadan II took the ZONTA SAYS NO Campaign to the market place
At the Central Police Station, Iyaganku, a Major Police Station in Ibadan, Oyo State Nigeria
At the State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku, Ibadan Oyo State Nigeria
In the campaign, Men were not left out
ZONTA SAYS NO Campaign taken to schools, with a lecture on violence against women and girls, advice on what to do when it occurs and how to prevent being raped. The entire school joined Zonta Club Of Ibadan II to say No to Violence against Women and Girls.
Zonta Club Of Ibadan II took the ZONTA SAYS NO Campaign to secondary Schools, in Ibadan, advising girls on what to do when they experience violence and also how to prevent rape. The pupils joined Zonta Club Of Ibadan II in the ZONTA SAYS NO Campaign.
Zonta International President Lynn McKenzie took to Skype to send a message of thanks to you and everyone who made the 16 Days of Activism a success for Zonta International and the Zonta Says NO campaign.
Watch her message below to learn more about the triumphs of the campaign and how to continue the momentum.
Congratulations to Zontians everywhere for supporting Zonta Says NO and for standing up to violence against women and girls worldwide. Together, we have made a difference!
The Zonta Club of Cincinnati recently published a press release announcing their actions during the 16 Days of Activism. Read an excerpt below:
The Zonta Club of Cincinnati supports Zonta International’s Zonta Says NO to violence
against women campaign by participating in the 1 October 26th Annual Candlelight Vigil honoring victims of domestic violence; distributing Zonta Says NO orange bracelets/ribbons and holding workshops about human trafficking and violence against women at their recent district conference; creating quilt squares to be incorporated into a large district-wide Zonta Says NO quilt; and hosting a keynote meeting speaker contrasting
violence against women since Zonta’s founding in 1919 with today’s statistics.Zonta International is promoting their Zonta Says NO campaign and the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence – an international campaign originating from the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute sponsored by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership in 1991 – through December 2013. Nearly 30,000 Zonta members in 1,200 clubs in 65 countries are participating in those efforts in their local communities in support of Zonta Says NO to raise awareness of and increase actions to end violence against women and girls around the world through service and advocacy.
“We cannot and must not ignore the fact that violence against women and girls is still pervasive in all kinds of countries and societies, with one in three girls impacted during their lifetime,” said Zonta International President Lynn McKenzie. “It’s in our backyard. Zonta International has been committed to its prevention and eradication for many years. In 2013, as the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women focuses on fighting violence against women, we support the initiative with Zonta Says NO.”
Since June 2012, the Zonta International Foundation has raised more than $600,000 to fight violence against women. Zonta clubs around the world have organized more than 40 events as part of Zonta Says NO, panel discussions on violence against women and screenings of topical films, to displaying Zonta Says NO banners and hosting charity events to raise awareness.
Zonta Club of Cincinnati President Terri Purtee-Stein said, “Gender-based violence knows no income, societal, or racial boundaries. Unfortunately it is all too common – one in three girls is far too many incidents with long-lasting and far-reaching effects on personal lives and on society. We hope the world and local community will join in Zonta’s efforts to eradicate this horrific crime.”
The Zonta Club of Cincinnati partners with local organizations to benefit ongoing educational and service programs supporting their Ann Rasche Scholarship Fund, Visiting Nurse Association, Bethany House Women’s Shelter, North Fairmount Community Center, Mary Magdalen House, the Women’s Connection, Tender Mercies,
and Families Forward. For more information about the Zonta Club of Cincinnati, visit http://www.zonta-cinti.org.
Five District 12 clubs in Area 3 held a Zonta Says NO, Empty Shoes art event in downtown Denver, Colorado on 25 November.
Over 200 tickets were sold along with $5,000 of artwork. Proceeds will go to club and international service projects to help prevent violence against women.
The Zonta Club of Kansas City II recently participated in the 16 Days of Activism through a clothesline project at the University of Missouri – Kansas City, sponsored by the Women’s Center. The club has a long relationship with the University through the Women’s Council Graduate Assistance Fund, for which they have a named scholarship, and the Women’s Center.
PIP Harriette Yeckel was involved in the Women’s Council and she sponsored her own named scholarship. A past Director of the Women’s Center, Ruth Margolin, was also a member of the Zonta Club of Kansas City II .
The Women’s Center has had a t-shirt display for several years and Zonta has contributed a shirt in the past.
- Standing UP: Zonta members Hilary Grant, Angela Spicer, PJ Halter and Noelene Helman in front of their sign on the hill leading into Airlie Beach that they launched as part of their violence against women campaign.
Members of the Zonta Club of Whitsunday Inc. and Area Director Hilary Grant have been busy promoting the Zonta Says NO to Domestic Violence campaign as they continue the lead up to International Day for the Elimination of violence Against Women on November 25.
This is part of the Zonta International worldwide campaign that the local club have been involved with over the last couple of months to raise community awareness for violence against women. The campaign will wrap-up next weekend with a special stall at the Airlie Beach markets. Zonta member PJ Halter said that they will have a stall at the markets on November 23, selling all things orange, the colour representing this campaign.
The Zonta and Friends knitting group presented six hand knitted, gorgeous blankets to WCCS for the Women’s Refuge Crisis Accommodation. The blankets are of different sizes for families. The knitting group works all year making blankets for our local families and send several shipments overseas as well.
This presentation of blankets is one of many events taking place during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, which began on 25 November 2013. Our local Zonta Club of the Whitsundays has been busy spreading the message for not only this 16 days but for the entire year.
The Zonta Says No International Campaign to end Violence Against Women is running from November 2012 to December 2013. “In 2013, as the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women focuses on fighting violence against women, we support the initiative with “Zonta Says NO”, a worldwide campaign saying no to violence against women. Do not look away. Join us!” – Zonta International President Lynn McKenzie.
Club members at Reclaim the Night March
The Service Committee of the Zonta Club of Melton has been very active within the 16 Days of Activism. Read below to see the emails they sent to club members throughout the campaign to connect White Ribbon Day to the 16 Days and Zonta Says NO, and how they spread more awareness about violence against women.
The Zonta Club of Mariehamn, Åland Islands, District 20 dressed the signpost at the Marketplace in Mariehamn with “Zonta Says NO” cloth, handmade by the Zonta guerillaknitters of the Åland Islands.
Join us in saying NO 