“Violence against women is not just any problem to be approached in just any way; men and women together against feminicide, against any form of violence against women: this is Zonta’s strategy to fight an emergency which in Italy kills a women every other day” – with these words Zonta Clubs started the campaign “HANDS OFF OF WOMEN” in 2012 in Area 03 of District 30, as the first step of the international campaign ZONTA Says NO.

A year has gone by and the initiative has been perfected and broadened to cover the whole national area.

Two important events are planned.

The first on 17 November, anniversary of the signing of Resolution 54/134 by the United Nations on 1999 proclaiming the 25 November International day for the elimination of violence against women.

Promoted by Zonta Club Torino and the Association “OVALE oltre le Sbarre”, the Italian Rugby Federation has followed the appeal to involve all teams of every championship played in Italy in a minute of silence before kick-off of all games played on 17 November. The clou moments will be held in Turin ( Area 03 D30) and in Frosinone ( Area 03 D28).

Very significant what will happens in Turin: a cooperation between Zonta, the Department of Administration of the Penitentiaries and the Association “Ovale oltre le sbarre” has made it possible to involve once again La Drola Rugby, the first Italian team to be made up of prisoners to play in a championship (regional C series). Before the kick off against Ivrea on 2:30 PM inside the penitentiary “Lorusso e Cutugno”, the athletes – all wearing a bib with the slogan “Giu’ le mani dalle donne” (Hands off of women) – will propose a minute of silence for all, audience included, as a moment of consideration about the topic of violence against women, during which the representatives of Zonta International will unfold a banner of the international campaign.

Other interventions on the playing fields are being organized in cooperation with the regional committees and will involve all of the more than 40 Italian Clubs of Districts 30 and District 28 of Zonta International to heighten awareness and to particularly involve the male population. The initiative also strengthens the campaign against domestic violence, organized under the patronage of F.I.R. together with Avon Cosmetics, and the anti-violence centre Cooperativa Cerchi d’Acqua.

“The Italian Rugby Federation’s availability, the involvement of all rugby team in Italy give to Zonta International the opportunity to have a popular attention in regard to any kind of violence against women, showing the willingness to bring about a cultural change, without which the requirements for eliminating violence against women couldn’t exist.” The promoters of the events being held during the next days underline this fact and the events will highlight the dramatic consequences on society of the violence against women in Italy.

http://www.zontadistrict30.org – http://www.zonta-district28.com

The Zonta Club of Innsbruck I in Austria spreads the word about Zonta Says NO by distributing flyers with important contact information for female victims of violence. These contacts include women’s shelters and  organisations that counsel women after rape across the province of Tyrol, Austria. Furthermore, the flyers contain brief information about Zonta International and the Zonta Club of Innsbruck I. The flyers are distributed in restaurants, cafés, retail shops, hospitals, doctors offices, pharmacies, etc. all over the area.

The Zonta Club of Marlborough in District 16 has gathered posters and other printed materials to display at the Marlborough District Library. The club will have the space for two weeks, from 18 November to 2 December, covering the important date of 25 November, White Ribbon Day and the start of 16 days of Activism. The display will be seen by all people entering the library as it is immediately opposite the door. Members hope the row of brightly colored orange banners and balloons will attract attention and draw people to look at the information displayed. In collaboration with the Marlborough Violence Intervention Project, members have sourced White Ribbon posters, cards and ribbons. Member also took  advantage of the space with an A4 poster to let women know that Marlborough Zonta welcomes new members.

On 25 November, the Zonta Club of Lagos I in Nigeria, in collaboration with Women Arise for Change Initiative, is organizing an Interactive Forum titled “SAY NO! TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: CALL TO ACTION!”.

The event will engage a broad base of participants from the government, as well as public and private organizations to network and develop practical, sustainable strategies to tackle violence against women and girls. It will also highlight ‘Edutainment’ – an approach being used by the Creative Industries in Nigeria to raise awareness about the need to stop violence against women and girls.

To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the 16 days of Activism Against Gender Violence, the Zonta Club of Skopje and the Macedonian Association of Development and Integration are hosting a silent auction to promote Zonta Says NO. All funds raised will go to women victims of domestic violence living in shelters throughout Macedonia.

Below is the “ticket” to the event and more information detailing the campaign.

Zonta Event Information- Jhola

There are 42 Zonta clubs in France, which belong to the three different districts :27, 29, 30. The campaign “Zonta says NO” retained the attention of all French Zonta clubs, and each club prepared demonstrations to highlight the work of the clubs in the fight against violence against women.

To have a better visibility of Zonta at their country’s level, each of the French clubs have decided to adopt the same communication support, including the same bill in French language explanatory leaflets of the Zonta Says NO campaign, the orange ribbon and the orange band.

Local and regional media have been contacted by clubs as well as national media  has been informed by the french area advocacy representatives of the three districts.

Club member have noticed that according the courts, the perpetrators of martial violence do not receive sentences of equal importance. So the Zonta clubs have decided to create an online petition so that justice is fair on the french territory.

This petition will be presented at the end of activism period to the minister of women’s rights and to the minister of justice in the french government

affiche zonta says no définitive 

Zonta PETITION CHANGE MPP

The Zonta Clubs of Braunschweig and Salzgitter, Lower Saxony, Germany have planned a political play “Verkaufter Engel” of the theater odos in support of Zonta Says No.

The spectacle will raise awareness of human trafficking of women and girls into the commercial sex industry (i.e. prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation). A benefit event in cooperation with SOLWODI (Solidarity with women in Distress) is a non-denominational and non-partisan charity organisation that helps women in distress.

Please visit: http://www.unser38.de/braunschweig-innenstadt/kulturelles/theaterstueck-ueber-frauen-in-den-faengen-von-menschenhaendlern-am-2511-im-roten-saal-d5379.html for more information.

As part of District 22’s strategy to promote the ‘Zonta says NO’ campaign, Lieutenant Governor-elect, Amena Reza, created a dedicated District 22 campaign site where clubs throughout the District could share information and photographs, and where the public could register and purchase orange T-shirts for the 9 November awareness walk in Brisbane which attracted more than 300 participants.

See: http://atomic-temporary-42828137.wpcomstaging.com.au/

The Governor of Queensland (Australia), Her Excellency Ms Penelope Wensley AC, has lent her support to the ‘Zonta says NO’ campaign and was photographed at Government House with Member of the Australian Parliament and Zontian, Ms Jane Prentice, Brisbane City Council councillor, Ms Vicki Ryan, and District 22 Lieutenant Governor-elect and organiser of Brisbane’s highly successful ‘Zonta says NO’ walk, Amena Reza, from the Zonta Club of Brisbane Metro Breakfast.

The Australian Government announced on 19 November that it will provide $1 million to the White Ribbon campaign to help reduce violence against women, particularly in culturally and linguistically diverse communities. For the past decade White Ribbon Day, which coincides with the UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (25 November) has been working to stop violence through education, preventative programs, partnerships and creative campaigns.

Many Zonta clubs work collaboratively with the White Ribbon campaign, recognizing that one in three Australian women over the age of 15 has reported experiencing physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives. The $1 million funding will expand the activities of the White Ribbon campaign and build on the Government’s plans to ensure implementation of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and Children 2010-2022.