The Zonta Club of Fort Collins, Colorado, USA used a recent city council meeting to raise awareness of the issue of violence against women and girls. At this meeting, the mayor of Fort Collins read a proclamation opening the 16 Days of Activism.  Club president Bridget Masters later presented information on Zonta, and specific statistics about victims of misdemeanor and domestic violence in their area. This opportunity helped bring additional awareness to the problems facing women and girls in Fort Collins.

To recognize Zonta International’s support of UNiTE to End Violence Against Women and to bring awareness to a new advocacy project the members of the Zonta Club of Pierre/Fort Pierre wore orange in October.

The club expanded its effort to increase local awareness regarding violence against women and kicked off the 16 Days of Activism with the help of the local volunteer fire department and their advocacy slogan, “Real Men Raise Their Voice Against Violence”.  The club will create posters that will include the firefighter’s picture and a listing of pertinent phone numbers.  The phone numbers will offer people resources they can go to for help, or to receive more information.  Posters will be distributed throughout the area, including area businesses, schools, gas stations and even roadway rest stops.

In observation of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, the Zonta Club of Dhaka III recently hosted an event to help raise awareness and prevent violence against women. On 8 November 2012, the club welcomed Dr. Farmin Islam, a Zontian and Associate Professor of Law at Dhaka University, as the keynote speaker to address the issue of violence against women in Bangladesh, including dowries and domestic violence, harassment of women in the workplace and child marriage.  In addition to Dr. Islam’s speech, the Club assisted two victims of acid burning in entering a rehabilitation program.

To show their support for the Zonta Says NO and the Say NO – UNiTE campaigns, the Dhaka III members wore orange badges to mark the event. The club hopes to continue using such events to raise awareness of  and prevent violence against women in Bangladesh.

Welcome to Zonta Says NO – a campaign to raise awareness of violence against women and girls around the world.  Zonta International and its nearly 30,000 members in 63 countries worldwide are committed to preventing and ending violence against women and girls.  Over the course of the next year, Zonta Says NO will highlight the efforts of Zonta International and its more than 1,200 Zonta clubs to preventing and ending violence against women and girls.

Thank you for joining us in helping to make the world a safer place for women and girls everywhere!