South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson stands with members of the Zonta Club of Columbia, South Carolina, USA, joining the campaign Zonta says No to Violence against Women.

The Zonta Club of Long Island has been involved in to helping raise awareness of violence against women.

Listed below are some of their projects:

• A brief curriculum and activities guide aimed at raising awareness on gender violence was developed and presented to staff members at Martin de Porres High School in Rockaway, New York for implementation with their students during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence. Topics included street harassment, sexist lyrics in music, human trafficking, and gender neutral language.
• A donation was made to Holla Back, a Brooklyn non-profit dedicated to fighting street harassment of women through education and awareness around the world.
• “Zonta Says No” ribbons were distributed to over 100 people at the club’s annual Women of the Year event on 21 November to be worn on 25 November.
• Club president, Sr. Evelyn Lamoureux presented information on the 16 Days Campaign to the Nassau County Legislature on Monday, 25 November.
• Members participated in the RAVE Walk with Zonta of Queens County.

The Wellington Civic Square was ablaze with orange balloons, streamers and banners – Zonta’s International’s Zonta Says NO campaign colours. Orange ribbons were handed out to passersby as a symbolic statement of the Zonta says NO to violence against women campaign.

The Zonta Club of Wellington, New Zealand brought this serious issue to the attention of Wellingtonians on Sunday, 24 November. Supported by representatives from other women’s organizations, women and men got together to make a stand against gender-based violence and to highlight the “ZONTA says NO” Campaign – How safe is Wellington for women and girls.

Zonta’s International President Lynn McKenzie opened proceedings saying, “We cannot and must not ignore the fact that violence against women and girls is still pervasive in all countries and societies. One in three girls will be impacted during their lifetime,” she said, “Violence against women is in our own backyard!” How safe is our city? Are you concerned about the safety of your women and girls as they go about their business and activities in our community?

These are some of the questions that were put to mayoral candidates earlier in September at a debate organized by the Zonta Club of Wellington, facilitated by media commentator and presenter Linda Clark. While it was acknowledged that Wellington has World Health Organisation status as being a “safe city”, more can be done to further reduce violence against women and girls in Wellington.

Zonta International is committed to the prevention and eradication of violence against women and this fight has been going for many years. In 2013, as the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women focused on fighting violence against women, Zonta supported the initiative with ‘Zonta Says NO’. Since June last year, the Zonta International Foundation has raised more than $650,000 to invest in international projects that focus on preventing violence against women.

Zonta clubs across the world have organized events as part of Zonta Says NO, included discussions on violence against women screenings of topical films such as The Cutting (Female Genital Mutilation), debates, walks where the distance was determined by the number of women dying in their community through violence, as well as displaying Zonta Says NO banners and hosting fundraising auctions. “It is the little ripples that create the big waves”, says Lynn McKenzie.

Heather Henare, Chief Executive Officer of Women’s Refuge New Zealand, spoke after Lynn. She highlighted some New Zealand domestic violence statistics. Heather mentioned that the Refuge receives an average of 82,000 calls to its Crisis/Support lines every year. This means a crisis or support call is responded to every nine minutes of every day. 20,000 women and children needed the help of Women’s Refuge in 2013. She acknowledged Susan Cochrane for her courage in declining name suppression, preferring to call it as it was, following the conviction of her former husband for rape and assault.

In 2012-13, refuges provided 76,000 safe beds for women and children who did not feel safe to sleep in their own homes – this was an average of 209 women and children each night. The average length of stay in a safe house in the same years was 24 days for a woman and 29 days for a child. This was an increase from the previous year. 74,785 children and young people aged under 17 were present at domestic violence situations attended by police. Heather spoke of the importance of groups such as Zonta who have influences in the United Nations to help bring about awareness and change to such atrocities.

The Mayor of Wellington, Celia Wade-Brown spoke and formally opened the Rally. “There are lots of good initiatives happening in our City of Wellington, of which we are proud,” she said. “We applaud the work of the groups who address the complex safety issues in Wellington. Wellington City first gained World Health Organisation (WHO) Safe Community status in 2006,” she said. “In February 2012, they were re-accredited as a WHO Safe Community. Still there are ongoing issues to be addressed. Women must feel confident to walk the city and measures such as ensuring back lanes and dark streets around our city are well lit, will ensure our women do not feel vulnerable or threatened. We as your City Council will continue to address these issues”.

Celia spoke of her threatening experience as a young person and how she was able to avoid a potential rape situation. She went on to conclude that “rape is not the fault of women or girls”. The march commenced from the Civic Square, across the bridge to the waterfront, mingling with the busy outdoor market customers until reaching its final destination Waitangi Park.

The Zonta Club of Fredericksburg, Texas, USA kicked off the “16 Days of Activism” at 7:30 PM, Monday, 25 November, by hosting a seminar on “Women’s Self-Defense, featuring Vickie Arnold.

The public was invited to attend at no charge. The seminar was held at the Golden Hub Community Centerin Fredericksburg, TX.

The Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post, a weekly Hill Country newspaper, published an article 13 November about “Zonta Says No” and the Zonta International campaign to eliminate and prevent violence against women and girls, and the “16 Days of Activism.” The article contained an invitation to the public to attend the free “Women’s Self-Defense” seminar. Then, it ran an ad 20 November using the “Join the Campaign to End Violence Against Women” graphics, again inviting the public to attend the free seminar.

Club Chairman, Ginger Mitchell, designed a flyer on orange card stock using the “Zonta Says No” graphics and an invitation to the free seminar which she distributed to various businesses and organizations inviting the public to the free seminar.

Z CLUB INVOLVEMENT

Additionally, the members of the Z Club of Fredericksburg High School are collecting women’s and girls’ shoes which they will paint orange and display on the high school campus to make high school students aware of the campaign to eliminate and prevent violence against women and girls. It has also embraced the “Voices Against Violence” program and will be making announcements over the school PA system citing statistics about violence against women and girls worldwide as well as in our local area. One of their projects in that regard is researching information from local authorities and organizations about the frequency and severity of incidents of violence involving women and girls.

The Zonta Says NO campaign may have only begun one year ago, but Zonta has been funding projects that seek to end violence against women since 2000 through the Zonta International Strategies to End Violence Against Women (ZISVAW) fund. Learn more about the ZISVAW fund – click the image below to enlarge it.

Throughout the 16 Days of Activism, members of the Zonta Club of Auburn, NY, USA are wearing the Zonta Says NO orange ribbon, along with a badge that asks everyone who sees it to “ASK” about the orange ribbon. Each member is eager to provide a brief explanation of the campaign in an effort to raise awareness of local efforts to reduce violence against women and girls in their community.

On Saturday 23 November, the Zonta Club of Oberhausen-Rheinland and seven other clubs in the “Ruhr Area“ stood in different places in their city (the theater, the main museum and our special event place “Gasometer”) with orange shoes and bags and gave away a flyer for the “Zonta says NO” campaign.

Deborah Wallace with students and a teacher from Abbotsleigh

Throughout 2013, the members of the Zonta Club of Hornsby Ku-ring- gai Inc. have focused on the Zonta Says No campaign.

In February, members organized a very successful film afternoon that attracted more than 60 guests.

In May, the group, Vocal Infusions, consisting of singing students of members, Elizabeth Dracakis, performed a medley of songs to another packed room.

In August the manager of Delvena, a Women’s Refuge, spoke about the work she does with women who suffer domestic violence.

In September, they awarded Woman of Achievement to Nasiba Akram for her work in helping refugees from war torn Afghanistan find a haven in Australia.

On Friday, 22 November, the club held the most significant of their fundraisers with a “Zonta Says No” breakfast. Over 80 guests were inspired and deeply moved by the speaker, Detective Superintendent, Deborah Wallace APM, NSW Police. Everyone present listened intently to Deborah’s early history in the Police force, her work with men, her incredible achievements and her amazing and heartfelt support of the family of Anita Coby. The 30 students from Abbotsleigh (where there is a Z club) , Roseville College, and Mt St Benedict lingered after her talk to speak to Deborah as did the Mayor of Ku-ring-gai council and her fellow councilors as everyone wanted to speak further to such an awesome achiever in the world of men. The club was also pleased to welcome Melanie Anne Holland, a representative from Samaritan House to whom all funds raised will go.

The breakfast was a fabulous climax to a year of achievement for the club. Congratulations to all members for contributing time and energy to make this a reality.

Melanie-Anne Holland from Samaritan House, Deborah Wallace and President Anne Richardson

The Zonta Auckland North Shore Club from District 16 used the images on Zonta Says NO website but made them into one jpeg. They then posted this image (above) on Facebook, which was then boosted to a wider audience. The club also posted a booklet they developed (D16 booklet).

The club also visited two locations (2 Shopping Centers) on the 24th and encouraged people to write their name on paper dolls that they attached to a mannequin to pledge their support for the campaign.