Zonta Club of Brewerton, Friends for Equality says NO to violence against women

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The Zonta Club of Brewerton, Friends for Equality, USA, is one of the now-forming clubs, and they were visible in their community in several ways during the 16 Days of Activism:

  • The club called on members and allies to wear orange during the 16 Days. 
  • They encouraged self-education on these topics: Healthy relationships, signs of abuse and the services available to victims in the area. To help, the club created a display at a suburban library with information about Zonta, books recommended for reading and local community resources.
  • The club invited guests to their November meeting at the same library with the club’s Zonta Says NO display. A woman from a local women’s shelter gave an interactive talk on domestic violence and the formation of gender roles and answered the groups’ many questions. All 20 attendees learned something new. During the evening, guests pledged to say NO to violence against women by writing their names on handprints, which were then adhered to a poster.  
  • The club mounted a social media campaign inviting members and allies to be digital activists.

Throughout all activities, people were encouraged to add their single voice to Zonta – a group united to eliminate gender violence. The local newspaper published a story on the club’s actions.

Zonta Club of Cincinnati and Contemporary Arts Center present community exhibition about “Wounded Healers”

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The Zonta Club of Cincinnati, USA, and the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) hosted a collaborative community exhibition, Wounded Healers: Transforming Pain to Wholeness and Health. This unprecedented exhibition featured drawings, prints, photographs and paintings that depict the personal and painful journey of physical, emotional and spiritual abuse leading to healing, hope and wholeness.

The month-long exhibition at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, opened with a reception for the artists, their families, and guests on Thursday, 9 November. This inaugural exhibition included 21 art pieces from 15 diverse artists who responded to an open call hosted by the club and the Contemporary Arts Center.

“At the Contemporary Arts Center, we strive to engage with issues of our time,” says Shawnee Turner, Director of Interpretation. “Supporting the Zonta Club of Cincinnati on such a relevant matter that impacts so many lives in our community while seeking to make the world better through art—this is why we’re here.”

The dates of the exhibition were selected to coincide with the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women and 16 Days of Activism campaigns. To further promote the campaign, the club hosted a kickoff for the 16 Days of Activism and a panel discussion titled “The Journey Of Healing,” featuring a club member, an artist and a psychologist, who shared their experiences of abuse and their journey to find wholeness and health – all held in the exhibit space.

The artists were honored and appreciative of the opportunity to share their work. “I am blessed. I would have never believed I would be showing art at such a prestigious gallery,” artist Laurie Ann Altman shared.

Through this exhibit, the club hopes to empower artists from the Greater Cincinnati region to bring awareness to the lived experiences of those seeking a world where no one lives in fear of violence.

16 online posts for 16 days of activism against gender based violence

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The Zonta Club of Brooklyn, USA, submitted statistics for each day of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, beginning 25 November. The club shared these stats via email with all members and asked them to repost them on their social media. Additionally, they posted these submissions to their Facebook page. This action supports Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women Action.

The club ended the 16 Days of Activism with a post about women in Bangladesh by one of their members. These posts can be found on their Facebook page.

Zonta Club of Cleveland Observes 16 Days of Activism

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The Zonta Club of Cleveland, USA, was once again proud to participate actively in the 2023 Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women and 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaigns. The club kicked off the 16 Days with an educational program presented by the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking, an organization serving Northeast Ohio whose vision is to create “a world without human trafficking, one community at a time.”

Following the program, members participated in a service project, assembling holiday gift bags to be given to survivors of human trafficking by the Collaborative. The bags included a warm blanket, fuzzy socks, journals, affirmation cards, snacks, hot cocoa and chocolates, among other personal items.

Finally, in cooperation with Tower City Center, the club lit the iconic Terminal Tower building in downtown Cleveland orange to bring awareness to the Zonta Says NO campaign. In conjunction with the lighting, signage provided by Tower City Center in the building lobby brought awareness of Zonta’s cause to passersby.

These events were shared through the club’s social media outlets to showcase its members taking a stand and saying NO to violence against women.

Zonta Club of New Rochelle celebrates the 16 days of activism

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Zonta Club of New Rochelle supported Zonta International’s Zonta Says No to Violence Against Women with 16 Days of Activism.

The club used its social media account to post local, national, and international statistics on the ways in which climate change, conflict, human trafficking, child marriage, laws against women’s rights, and intimate partner abuse contribute to violence against women worldwide.

Dressed in orange, club members concluded the final weekend with an awareness walk from City Hall to the high school.

Zonta Club of Laguna launches Cyber Crime Awareness Campaign

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Eighty five people attended the event hosted by Zonta Club of Laguna, Philippines via zoom.

The speaker from the National Bureau of Investigation gave a very powerful and highly informative presentation regarding cybercrime awareness – to make people be more vigilant so they dont become a victim.

The action is important because by understanding the evolving threats in our interconnected world, we can take proactive measures to protect ourselves and preserve our digital identities. Learning how to avoid and prevent cybercrime empowers us to take action and contribute to creating a safer online environment for all.

The goals were achieved through careful planning and execution. The impact of raising awareness on cyber crime is significant for the mission of Zonta. By educating individuals about the threats and providing knowledge on prevention and action, Zonta helps protect people and their digital identities in our interconnected world.

This event is important to the local community because it empowers community members to safeguard themselves against evolving cyber threats. By learning how to avoid and prevent cyber crime, individuals become more resilient and better equipped to navigate the digital landscape, ensuring the safety of their personal and financial information. Additionally, it fosters a sense of collective responsibility in the community to work together in the fight against cyber crime.

Zonta Club of Noosa organizes a walk against domestic violence

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Sunday morning by the river is the place to be for locals and tourists in Noosa – a perfect opportunity to spread awareness of the risks, impact and dangers of gender-based violence as part of Zonta International’s 16 Days of Activism campaign against gender-based violence.

Held annually by the Zonta Club of Noosa, this year’s event attracted State and local Council representatives, Zonta members and supporters and local media, with more men attending this year than ever. Zonta Noosa President, Robyn O’Neill said, “to end violence against women we need to challenge attitudes that perpetuate, rationalise and normalise that violence and deny women’s rights to safety. Shifting behaviours is hard and slow but gender equality means all of us and working with all genders is the only way to see true change. We need the men to stand beside the women all the way. While men can be victims as well, they are overwhelmingly the perpetrators of gender based violence.“

After a week chairing public hearings held by the Youth Justice Reform Select Committee, Noosa MP Sandy Bolton told the group what she had heard taught her much more than a discussion was needed. “What we’ve seen in households across Queensland – it starts right there. It’s all interconnected. The children who are coming out of those households – it is deeply disturbing that we haven’t broken the cycle and we have so much more to do.

“What we have found is there’s a lack of communication to the assistance available and also the early interventions that happen right in our schools. Just about every witness I’ve heard this week has said it takes a community, it takes a society. It’s not just up to government or one person, it takes all of us.

“I ask you to spread the word that there is help and within the homes to reach out. If you don’t know who to reach out to call council, call myself, call somebody and we will connect you. And I encourage you to follow Zonta on Facebook.“

In the news: Safe room opens at police station with help of Zonta Club of Pine Rivers

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A newly created victim statement room is now operational at Petrie Police Station. The room provides a safe place for domestic and sexual abuse victims, as well as other vulnerable people, to speak with police and provide statements.

The Zonta Club of Pine Rivers worked with the station’s Officer-in-Charge to furnish the newly designated space.

Club President Bronwyn Evans says her members raised money to buy furniture, including a sofa and coffee table, to make the room more comfortable for those using it.

“We also provided soft furnishings to bring warmth to the room and make the experience less intimidating,” Bronwyn explains.
“We have also purchased toys and books for any children who accompany the person using the room.”

Police station ‘safe rooms’ were one of the recommendations of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into Queensland Police Service responses to domestic and family Violence.

Senior Constable Keith Morris from the QPS Moreton District Vulnerable Persons Unit inspected the room at Petrie Police Station during an informal earlier this month.

“The Zonta Club of Pine Rivers has created a room which feels comfortable and secure, using calming colours and furnishings,” he says.

“Attending a police station to report serious offences can be an uncomfortable experience and this space will be excellent to assist police when speaking with victims of domestic violence and other traumatic offences.

“The creation of this room supports police acting in a trauma-informed way to get the best possible outcomes for victims.”
Zonta Clubs throughout Queensland are working with local police stations to furnish and equip the safe rooms that have been designated.

It is part of Zonta District 22’s ‘Soft Rooms’ project.

“Zonta International’s mission is to build a better world for women and girls. It envisions a world in which no woman lives in fear of violence,” Bronwyn says.

“We hope this project helps local victims know there is a safe place available to report, and escape, violence.”

Source: https://www.moretondaily.com.au/news/safe-room-opens-at-petrie-police-station

In the news: Zonta Club of Wyoming Big Horns, USA puts the finishing touches on SCSO soft interview room

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SHERIDAN — Over the weekend, the Zonta Club of Wyoming Bighorns put the finishing touches on a new soft interview room at the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office.

The room was a collaboration between the club and the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office, while Texas based nonprofit Project Beloved provided the paint, furniture artwork and decor. On Dec. 10, the club members painted the room and completed the installation of the furniture, blankets, decor and photographic artwork.

The process of interviewing victims and perpetrators of domestic violence or sex crimes can be difficult to navigate, Sheriff Levi Dominguez previously told The Sheridan Press, and it’s important to ensure the victim feels comfortable and safe speaking about their experience. 

While Sheridan Police Department has a soft interview room, the sheriff’s office did not.

Soft interview rooms are private rooms where detectives can speak to victims in a more comfortable environment than a standard, sterile interrogation room, and soft interview rooms often trade cold metal tables, blank walls and uncomfortable chairs for couches, paintings and toys for minor victims.

“Evidence based practices call for a trauma-informed approach to reports of rape and sexual assault and a soft interview room is considered an integral component of (trauma informed care),” the Project Beloved website said. “Creating a space that is comfortable rather than stark allows the participant to feel physically and emotionally safe and can have a significant impact on the interview process.”

Project Beloved “strives to educate, advocate and collaborate to change the conversation about sexual assault and empower survivors to find their voices,” according to the organization’s website. Zonta Club member Cassie Sundberg said the SCSO soft interview room is Project Beloved’s 82nd room in the country and second in Wyoming. 

The Zonta Club of Wyoming Bighorns became an official chartered club of Zonta District 12 and Zonta International Oct. 15. The group meets monthly on the second Thursday of the month. The Zonta Club is dedicated to advocating “for equality, education and an end to child marriage and gender-based violence,” according to its website.

In addition to setting up the soft interview room, the Zonta Club of Wyoming Big Horns recently partnered with Project Beloved to prepare bags of clothes, toiletries and other amenities — known as “Beloved Bundles” — to be distributed to victims of sexual assault after forensic examinations are performed. 

Source: https://www.thesheridanpress.com/news/local/zonta-club-puts-finishing-touches-on-scso-soft-interview-room/article_623e3b98-9916-11ee-b240-03d09531e74d.html

Zonta Club of Kankakee marches to say NO and more

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The Zonta Club of Kankakee, USA, and family members walked in the Kankakee lighted parade, where hundreds of people lined the streets.

The club had a banner supporting the 16 Days of Activism, signs on their car with orange lights and everyone wearing orange scarves. They also handed candy out to the kids lining the streets and buttons.

The club was announced over the loudspeaker, talking about their mission locally and internationally and how these 16 days were important to end violence against women worldwide.

The club also collected gift cards this year at their Christmas gathering for a local domestic violence shelter and sexual assault center. These gift cards were for gas, groceries, clothes and any other needs the shelter and center needed. They collected hundreds of dollars in gift cards and cash to help them.