Zonta District 24 clubs collaborated to knit and crochet vibrant wraps for 15 trees at Circular Quay, a bustling tourist and transport hub near the Sydney Opera House.
Each tree was paired with information on various forms of gender-based violence, educating and creating awareness among thousands of passersby within hours of the installation. The project, supported by Placemaking NSW, highlights the importance of addressing GBV and fostering community engagement.
The colorful yarn bombing will remain in place throughout the 16 Days of Activism, with media coverage scheduled for next week.
The Zonta Club of Singapore began the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence with an insightful session led by the Community Policing Unit from Marina Bay Neighbourhood Police Centre.
The session covered essential safety tips and actionable steps to address crimes such as outrage of modesty, molestation, and cybercrime. Young women from the club’s Project Pari and Project Pari Plus initiatives actively participated, making the event both impactful and inspiring.
The Zonta Club of Punta del Este-Maldonado, Uruguay, continued its Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign with the initiative “Real men only raise their voices to defend women.”
This year, with the support of park rangers and staff from the Native Flora and Fauna Breeding Station of Sugar Loaf Hill, the club expanded its advocacy to include the Zonta Says NOW campaign, raising awareness about violence against women while educating the community on environmental protection and the impacts of climate change.
On 25 November, the Zonta Club of Alytus, Lithuania, partnered with the Alytus Soroptimist Club to host a public awareness campaign in Town Hall Square, highlighting violence against women.
The square was decorated with orange balloons and a striking black box bearing the message, “You see this balloon, see violence against women.“ The event featured participation from Jurgita Šukevičienė, Member of the Lithuanian Parliament, and District 13 Governor Rūta Jasionienė, who supported the call to action, “You can’t hide violence—speak up.”
The campaign emphasized the importance of recognizing and addressing violence against women in the community.
On 25 November, the Zonta Club of Amherst Area, Canada, held a flag-raising ceremony at the Town of Amherst in support of the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign. Despite rainy weather, the event featured a proclamation by Mayor Robert Small and remarks by club president Lisa Emery.
The ceremony was attended by local councillors, members of the public and candidates for the Nova Scotia Legislative Assembly. Lisa Emery emphasized the need for local and national policies to address violence and called on the community to support refugees fleeing conflict.
“We must ensure they do not face violence again—verbal, written, or physical,” Emery said, urging attendees to report aggression to protect families and foster safety within the community.
The event served as a platform to raise awareness about Zonta’s mission and advocacy efforts in a rural area where outreach relies heavily on social media.
The Zonta Club of Perth Northern Suburbs Inc and Zonta Club of Perth Inc, Australia, joined the WA community on 25 November for the launch of the 2024 16 Days in WA campaign, led by Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence Sabine Winton.
The launch, held at Forrest Place in Perth during the Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing’s 34th March Against Domestic and Family Violence, honored lives lost to gendered violence. Speakers Ariel Bombara and Lorraine Pryor shared their experiences of living with violence, urging meaningful action to address this critical issue.
To mark the campaign, 55 landmarks across Western Australia, including Optus Stadium and the Museum of Geraldton, will be lit in orange. The WA Government has committed over AU$470 million since 2017 to initiatives aimed at ensuring safety for victim-survivors and accountability for perpetrators.
The Zonta Club I of Colombo, Sri Lanka, launched a public awareness campaign with a striking billboard at a prominent intersection, featuring impactful slogans advocating for their cause.
The billboard, displayed for one month, appears 75 times daily and reaches hundreds of individuals passing through the area each day, amplifying Zonta’s mission to raise awareness and inspire action.
As the 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence begins, the Zonta Club of Quirino, Philippines, unveiled billboards across the province declaring, “Zonta Says No to Violence Against Women.”
Coordinated with Area 4, the unified billboard campaign highlights Zontians’ commitment to ending violence against women and girls, amplifying their advocacy across the region.
The club marks this day as a Day of Envisioning, inspiring a future free from gender-based violence.
On 7 November, students, families, school staff and Zonta members gathered at the Stirling Street Arts Centre for the annual presentation of the Respect Art Calendar awards. District 23, Area 3 Director Kimberley Robbins presented the awards, recognizing students whose artwork highlighted meaningful messages about respect.
For the past three years, the Zonta Club of Bunbury Inc, Australia, has invited schools in Bunbury and surrounding areas to participate, with 246 entries submitted from eight schools. Selected artwork was featured in the 2025 calendar, fostering conversations among students about what respect looks, sounds, and feels like.
The initiative aims to create “Respect Ambassadors,” equipping children with strategies to address disrespect and promoting a vision of a future free from domestic and family violence.
Feedback from schools highlighted the impact of the project, with winners celebrated at assemblies and the importance of respect emphasized. One school shared a post recognizing a student for artwork symbolizing cultural respect and thanked Zonta for its inclusivity in the All Abilities category.
This inspiring event reflects Zonta’s commitment to fostering respect and creating a safer, more equitable world for future generations.
Members of the Zonta Club of Hamilton I, Canada, and the McMaster Golden Z Club gathered at local business Sari Not Sari to engage the public in conversations about eliminating gender-based violence. The club set up an information table and visited nearby businesses in pairs, encouraging them to display posters as a pledge to support the cause.
The event sparked meaningful discussions about Zonta’s mission and ways to combat violence against women, receiving widespread community support. It was a successful and inspiring day of advocacy and awareness.
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