On 9 November, the Zonta Club of Brooklyn, USA, invited Linda MacDonald and Jeanne Sarson, two retired public health nurses, who have spent the past 28 years as grassroots supporters of women who have survived non-State torture (NST), trafficking and sexualized exploitation perpetrated within intimate relationships. Though Linda and Jeanne work predominately in Canada, they counseled governments, UN agencies and NGOs worldwide on violence inflicted on women and girls. They advocate the need for women’s voices to be heard.

During the segment, the club felt staggered by the statistics quoted by Linda and Jeanne and was especially touched by the voices they shared. The speakers talked about the concept of “non-State torture,” a term they coined to address all forms of violence and torture against women and girls. Getting laws changed to recognize this abuse as torture is their life’s goal, and they have recently published a book on the subject.

The club recorded the program and sent it to the Zonta USA Caucus. They are planning on partnering with the local chapter of National Organization Women (NOW) on a 3-part seminar on human trafficking.

To engage members to participate in this year’s Zonta Says NO campaign, the Zonta Club of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, prepared orange t-shirts and oranges masks for everyone.

During their general meeting, the club took pictures of each member wearing their shirts and masks while making a different Zonta Says NO gesture. They compiled all the photos to create posters.

During the 16 Days of Activism, the club will share the posters on social media to promote saying NO to violence against women.

On 10 November, at the inquiry of the Zonta Club of New Essex, USA, Governor Philip Murphy of New Jersey proclaimed 25 November to be Elimination of Violence Against Women Day in the state. The day will recognize that violence against women is an obstacle to achieving equality and peace. It also acknowledges that abuse prevents victims from obtaining their inalienable human rights and freedoms. Since COVID-19, there has been an exacerbated risk of violence against women, especially those already vulnerable.

Governor Philip also committed to illuminating the Capitol building in orange on 25 November as a part of the United Nation’s UNiTE to End Violence Against Women and Girls Campaign. The first Elimination of Violence Against Women Day theme is Orange the World: Fund, respond, prevent, and collect.

Club president Dorothy Knauer said, “the Zonta Club of Essex County is proud to join with the New Jersey Governor’s Office, UN Women, Zonta International and organizations across the state and around the world to unite and take action to end violence against women. We envision a day and a world where all women are safe from all violence.”

The Zonta Club of Maroochy Inc, Australia, launches its Zonta Says NO social media campaign with GIFs.

The club was inspired to make GIFs after participating in Zonta International’s Elevator Speech Pitch. The GIFs were an instant hit and are now trending in use across District 22 and some overseas clubs.

The club hopes to produce more GIFs throughout the 16 Days of Activism.

The Zonta Club of Harrisburg-Hershey, USA, held its Zonta Says NO to Gender Violence rally on 9 November. In support of Zonta International’s mission of eliminating trafficking, this year’s event focused on preventing and stopping human trafficking. Nine legislators and representatives from anti-trafficking organizations presented insightful information on current legislation and best practices on recognizing and eliminating human trafficking. 

To learn more about the speakers’ presentations, the club urges you to visit their website.

The Zonta Club of Pontiac North Oakland, USA, was permitted by their local Pontiac main library to place a Zonta Says NO display in the main case. The display went up in October for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and it will continue to stay there for the 16 Days of Activism.

As a part of their annual observance of the 16 Day of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the Zonta Club of Cebu II, Philippines, launched a nationwide photo competition. This year’s theme is Women at the Core of The Pandemic: Celebrating Their Resilience and Strength. The contest is open to everyone in the Philippines, and it seeks to celebrate the creative coping mechanisms and strategies women made to mitigate the effects of COVID-19.

The club chose their theme to celebrate women’s tireless and often thankless work in mitigating the pandemic’s spread. There is much evidence to support that women have been disproportionately affected by the global pandemic. Despite this, they are being called upon to be the backbone of recovery in their communities. Women stand at the frontlines as healthcare workers, caregivers, innovators, community organizers, and leaders combating COVID-19. Their tireless work helps to highlight both the centrality of their contributions and the disparate burds that women carry.

The contest will accept photo submissions until 15 November 2021. Each photo must include a brief description explaining how the images capture and interpret the contest theme. A panel of judges is composed of distinguished photographers and women advocates. They will judge the entries based on originality, thematic integrity, technical execution and artistic merit.

To better serve the local community during the pandemic and prepare for more advocacy actions during the 16 Days of Activism, the Zonta Club of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, created a non-profit YouTube channel. The club launched their channel with more than 14 videos uploaded.

Their channel is shared with service partners to allow access to health, culture and self-care by women of all socio-economic groups. The club will be posting in-person health sharing session videos with users of the Sheng Kung Hui Lady Maclehose Center and a “Prevention of Early Pregnancy” video during the 16 Days of Activism. 

The club is asking for other members to subscribe to their channel to maintain their “Non-Profit” status.