On 25 October, the Zonta Club of Alytus, Lithuania, collaborated with the Alytus City Theatre and the Women’s Crisis Centre to host a screening of the film, Chayalla.

The film depicts a young French woman named Chayalla who is trying to break off her relationship with an abusive partner and win custody of her sons. Throughout the film, she is torn between securing a safe and healthy home for herself and her children and believing that she can “fix” her husband. The filmmakers have spent four years filming Chaylla’s life, where the desire for freedom and justice is closely intertwined with control and dependence on violence.

Before the film started, Club Vice President Ona Adelė Berškienė gave the opening remarks and recalled that her club was the first organization in Alytus to support domestic violence survivors. In 2001, the Alytus Women’s Crisis Centre was established, which later grew into an independent institution.

After the film, the club discussed with the audience if Chayalla was “guilty herself” for being in an abusive relationship. Many Lithuanian online forums agreed that she was at fault because she could have just walked away and left her husband. However, the club told the audience that judging and jumping to conclusions is easy. We do not always know the whole story as we rush to find simple answers to more nuanced questions like do women know that they are entering an abusive relationship? Why does it often take years for them to leave their abusers? Does violence even have a gender?

To help the audience understand better a victim’s state of mind, the club invited Rugilė Bukevičiūtė, a lawyer and project manager at the Women’s Information Centre, to speak. Rugilė has many years of experience with domestic violence and helping women leave violent relationships. The conversation was led by the Director of the Lithuanian Centre for Human Rights Jūratė Juškaitė. They also discussed physical, psychological, economic, sexual and other forms of domestic violence. The participants were advised on how to help someone experiencing violence and where to turn for help. The statistics are sad, as every third woman, every fifth man and every tenth child is subjected to domestic violence.

The Zonta Club of Antipolo, Philippines, is passionate about Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign. Recognized by the city mayor and the social welfare department for preventing violence against women and children, the club has won many awards.

The club received first-place awards for “Most Outstanding VAWC 2018 -2019” and “Most Child-Friendly” in 2019. Then, on 23 August, club member Eliza Rodriguez received a recognition award from the Philippine National Police for helping them capture a perpetrator of VAWC.

For all their efforts, the club is recognized by the city government of Antipolo as one of the accredited Non-Government Organizations (NGOs). They are able to sit in the different city councils representing the voice of women and children, such as in the Antipolo City Development Council, the Antipolo City Local Health Board and more. The club is committed to creating awareness among women and children continuously.

“To show my support, I even painted my office orange to support this advocacy. I firmly believe that by empowering women, our society’s economic conditions also improve,” said Eliza. “It will help eliminate poverty, sex exploitation, and misery from society. So let us continue to educate and empower women to enlighten the world.”

In coordination with the Tulare Country Child Abuse Prevention Council, the Zonta Club of Porterville and the Z Club at Granite Hills High School, USA, hosted the Lisa Project in 10, a 10-minute unique multi-sensory exhibit experience allowing the visitor to hear, see and experience the reality of the world of child abuse, domestic violence and human trafficking.

Through audio narration from a child’s perspective, visitors are guided room by room through scenarios depicting abuse. This experience immerses each guest into the world these victims face daily. The clubs hope that guests will walk away with an understanding of the various forms of abuse, including sexual abuse, and can use that knowledge to help save a person someday.

Admission was free, and the club handed out information from the club and local emergency shelters as guests exited the exhibit.

Amping up for the 2022 Zonta Says NO Against Violence to Women campaign, the Zonta Club of Christchurch South, New Zealand, is getting ready to plan their annual Zonta Says NO breakfast.

Every year since 2009, the club and its Golden Z clubs deck out in orange apparel and rally their community to attend the special breakfast. Always boasting more than 100 hungry patrons and supporters from local community and service groups, it is the largest specific Zonta Says NO event in their city.

Not only does the club provide a meal, but they also invite an inspirational speaker. Past speakers included Louise Nicholas, Officer of the New Zealand of Merit, Judge Jane McMeekan, former Minister of Justice Amy Adams and Leanne McSkimming from the New Zealand Police. After breakfast, everyone marches through Christchurch carrying large orange cut-out dolls and displaying Zonta Says NO banners in Cathedral Square to mark White Ribbon Day.

Since 2015, the club has initiated illuminating various public structures in orange on the first day of Zonta International’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. Orange-lit buildings in their city have included the Christchurch International Airport’s control tower and terminal building and the Isaac Theatre Royal. The club actively supports White Ribbon and UN Women events, and they are constantly looking for opportunities to display our banners and orange cut-outs.