The Zonta Club of Rome I, Italy, organized a conference to address key aspects of Italian law aimed at combating gender violence. The event opened with a historical analysis of violence against women, followed by a detailed report on workplace abuses affecting women.
Held in an institutional conference room, the event brought together influential voices, including the President of the Commission for Equal Opportunities and other representatives of the municipality.
The Zonta Club of Fredericksburg, TX, USA, is committed to its mission of “Building a Better World for Women and Girls” by raising awareness about the alarming prevalence of labor trafficking, sex trafficking and sextortion in Texas. Partnering with organizations nationwide to combat these crimes, the club has taken proactive steps to address the issue locally.
The club produced and distributed posters and rack cards featuring local resources for victims. These materials include brief descriptions of services and QR codes for easy access, ensuring help is readily available to those in need. During the 16 Days of Activism, the club displayed a prominent “Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women” banner across Main Street to draw attention to the cause.
Club President Elizabeth “Liz” Wunderlich amplified the message by delivering live radio talks on the shocking statistics and Zonta’s ongoing efforts. Informational tables were set up at local businesses, including Schatze Haus, a thrift store associated with the Grace Center women’s shelter. The store decorated in orange, distributed rack cards, and offered popcorn, cookies and water to patrons.
To further engage the community, a large Zonta Says NO banner was displayed alongside hundreds of orange marker flags, symbolizing abuse victims. The display, illuminated with orange mini-lights, served as the backdrop for a group photo featuring Zonta Club members, Girl Scouts and representatives from the Fredericksburg Police Department and Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office to showcase community support.
The Zonta Club of Colombo II, Sri Lanka, recognizes that the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is a critical opportunity to raise awareness, advocate for change and support survivors. While empowering women and girls remains vital, this year’s campaign emphasized the importance of engaging men as allies in dismantling harmful societal norms and addressing gender-based violence.
The campaign highlighted how male silence can perpetuate harmful behaviors and encouraged men to speak out against sexism, misogyny and violence against women and girls. It invited men to stand in solidarity with women and endorse the Say NO to Violence movement, creating a united front for gender equality.
As part of the initiative, 13 influential Sri Lankan men and groups, alongside three women, participated by creating videos advocating for an end to gender-based violence. These videos featured prominent community leaders, athletes, professionals and artists, sharing diverse perspectives and experiences. The content was posted daily on social media throughout the campaign, using the hashtag #16DaysOfActivismAgainstGenderBasedViolence. Club members amplified the message by reposting on their personal accounts, expanding the campaign’s reach.
The campaign encouraged men and women to share pledges or stories of positive actions, creating a viral movement that inspired others to intervene and promote safer, more equitable communities. By fostering dialogue and shared responsibility, the initiative underscored that the fight against gender-based violence is not just a women’s issue but a collective effort to build a world free from fear and violence.
During the 16 Days of Activism Campaign to say NO to violence against women and girls, the Zonta Club of Dallas, USA, actively advocated at the Preston Royal Library. Club members greeted patrons in the library foyer, distributing informational materials about their causes. They handed out orange Zonta Says NO bracelets and custom-wrapped Hershey bars featuring the club’s information and a QR code linking to domestic violence facts.
The club also provided marketing materials about local agencies supporting women and victims of domestic violence, such as the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center. Members took the opportunity to raise awareness about the club, sharing information about its activities and using the campaign as a friend-raising opportunity.
Most club members participated in the initiative, which successfully resulted in recruiting two new members. The club expressed gratitude to the library for hosting their efforts throughout the 16 Days and was thrilled to learn that additional library branches in the area are interested in partnering next year.
The Zonta Club of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, partnered with the HKSKH Lady MacLehose Centre on the “Walk the Talk to Gender Equality program”, designed to empower women in the Kwai Tsing district affected by family violence. The initiative aimed to raise awareness of their right to say no to violence and help underserved women recognize early signs of stress from family crises.
The service day brought together Zontians and HKU Golden Z members. The event began with a talk on psychological health by a counseling psychologist, who provided guidance on identifying stress caused by family crises. Participants then engaged in an interactive activity where they drew pictures and wrote messages about family harmony on round paper plates. The plates were joined together to form the words “Zonta HK,” symbolizing collaboration between the women and the club in fostering family harmony.
The event concluded with interactive booths run by HKU Golden Z members and women volunteers from the Kwai Tsing district. These booths provided opportunities to connect with the women beneficiaries, offering them support and encouragement.
Zonta District 24, secured a prominent location in Sydney for the yarnbombing initiative during the 16 Days of Activism. The site featured a grove of 15 palm trees overlooking Sydney Harbour, with stunning views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the international cruise ship wharf, and the promenade leading to the Sydney Opera House.
Sixteen of the District’s 24 clubs contributed by knitting and crocheting unique wraps for each of the 15 trees. The wraps, made in bright colors, with an emphasis on orange, were vibrant and attracted significant attention from international tourists and local residents. Many passersby stopped to take photos and shared them on social media.
Each tree displayed a poster highlighting different forms of domestic violence, offering information on where to seek help, and featuring a QR code linking to the District website. Several posters were translated into Arabic, Mandarin and Hindi to accommodate Sydney’s multicultural community.
The wraps are now being stored for future use, including a planned display on International Women’s Day at another location on Sydney Harbour. There are also hopes to secure permission to use them again for the 2025 16 Days of Activism.
For the 16 Days of Activism, the Zonta Club of Bombay I, India, organized a poster competition on the theme “Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women” to raise visibility and awareness among the public. The competition was open to students in grades 7 and 8, with three schools participating: Lady Engineer High School, Vanita Vishram High School and BJPC Institution. Participants were asked to create posters on one of the following topics:
Each school’s art teachers selected their top 10 posters, which were submitted to the club. The winners of the competition were Arushi Singh of Lady Engineer High School, who won first place for her poster on “Eliminating Violence Against Women,” Heet Mayekar of BJPC Institution, who won second place for his poster on the same topic and Himanshu Chowdhry of Vanita Vishram High School, who won third place for his poster on “Education Equality.” Consolation prizes were awarded to Dhanvi Chauhan of Vanita Vishram High School and Anushka Kanojia of BJPC Institution, both for their posters on “Eliminating Violence Against Women.”
Vanita Vishram High School was awarded first place among the participating schools, followed by BJPC Institution in second place and Lady Engineer High School in third.
Winners will be honored at the Elphinstone Club in mid-February. Prizes include ₹500 for first place, ₹300 for second place, ₹200 for third place, and gift items for the consolation winners. The club office bearers and members visited the participating schools to announce the results and present plaques, recognizing the students’ creativity and efforts in promoting awareness through their artwork.
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette lit the LITE Egg orange in recognition of the 16 Days of Activism. The Light Immersive Technology Enterprise Center, a central landmark in Lafayette, USA, is visible to many traveling the nearby roadway. Members and guests were invited to take photos during the event.
The Zonta Club of Pforzheim, Germany, addressed the alarming rise in violence against women in Germany, including 155 femicides in 2023—a 16% increase from the previous year—through a poignant event as part of the ORNAMENTA (LUST) cultural program in the Northern Black Forest.
The event, held on 20 July, featured a collaborative performance designed by Pforzheim Dance Theater’s associate director, Mar Rodríguez Valverde, and dramaturge Anna Mohrdiek. The performance engaged 155 local women, symbolizing each femicide victim, who wore black and placed orange shoes on the ground in front of Pforzheim City Hall to honor the lives lost.
Actress Leonie Jacobs delivered a powerful monologue, condemning societal indifference to violence against women, while three dancers performed an excerpt from „MǍĀN“ by ShiYu Liu, symbolizing the journey from suffering to empowerment. Zonta member Sabine Voss concluded the event with a call to action against violence: “Stand up, listen, watch, help, prevent, raise awareness, educate—all together.”
The performance, accompanied by workshops and weeks of community engagement, deeply moved participants and spectators, leaving a lasting impact. The project received overwhelming positive feedback, with offers for future collaborations. Films, photos and further details are available from the club.
Zonta District 27 Area 5 club recently coordinated two impactful initiatives that highlighted their commitment to community engagement and advocacy.
First, members distributed Zonta Says NO flyers, created by Area 5, and distributed to clubs across the region. Each club took responsibility for dispersing the flyers locally, placing them in pharmacies, doctors’ and dentists’ offices, bakeries, beauty shops, libraries and other public institutions. Some clubs also distributed flyers in markets, train stations and other high-traffic locations, ensuring widespread reach.
Additionally, the area organized a collaborative bread bag promotion, marking the first time all 12 clubs in Area 5 participated in a single initiative. The clubs collectively ordered and distributed an impressive 123,000 bread bags among various bakeries and supermarkets in the region. The campaign was met with great success, showcasing the power of unified efforts to amplify Zonta’s message.
*This story was translated into English by Google Translate.
Join us in saying NO 