Zonta Club of Szombathely holds virtual informational session with the Victim Support Center

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The Zonta Club of Szombathely, Hungary, has its own anti-violence program where they visit schools regularly. However, the program was suspended due to COVID-19.

The club already had a donation relationship with the Victim Support Center in Szombathely, but they did not know its activities completely. Members held a virtual meeting with the support center’s coordinator to learn more about the organization’s services and how to spread awareness.

The state victim support system is not widely known, although it provides professionally designed services to victims. One element of this is the Victim Support Center, maintained by the Ministry of Justice.

They can be approached by anyone who has suffered emotional, physical or property injury, has been the victim of a crime ranging from relationship violence, robbery, harassment at work, cyberbullying or fraud to human trafficking. The victim can receive free counseling from professionals (social worker, psychologist, lawyer) in the form of advocacy, such as helpful conversation, emotional support and personalized counseling to advance their case.

It is important that, in addition to the victim, his or her relative or witness to the incident can request assistance while remaining anonymous. Disclosure of the name is only required in the case of a reportable complaint.

The Hungarian state is committed to the elimination of all forms of violence and to the protection of victims. In addition to the centers, it also operates regional specialist services and sheltered accommodation. The Victim Support Line, available on the green number 06 80 225 225, can be called free of charge every day of the week 24 hours a day.

The Szombathely Victim Support Center has been operating since 2018, and by 2025 the service will be available in all county capitals.

Zonta clubs in Rotterdam install Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women flags on main road

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The Zonta clubs of Rotterdam and Rotterdam aan de Maas organized 33 flags to be hung on one of the main roads into the city’s center. They were hung this week and will remain through 10 December.

The message on the flags say, “Stop Violence against Women” and “We will continue until all women’s rights = human rights.”

Zonta Club of Geelong Inc updates Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women road signs

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For the past several years, the Zonta Club of Geelong Inc, Australia, has displayed four Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women signs on boards provided by their local council on roadsides on major entries to the city.

The club updated the signs this year to include “Zonta Says Yes to Gender Equality.” The signs also align with a local initiative called the Barwon Month of Action – Say no to violence against women and children.

Zonta Club of Pampanga includes students in Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women mall event

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The Zonta Club of Pampanga in the Philippines organized a Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women mall event featuring the four participating high schools and some Indigenous children of Pampanga, performing “Break the Silence, Stop the Violence” dance interpretation, sending the message to more than 300 spectators the club invited to join in the campaign.

Eight like-minded groups have enjoined showing support of the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign.

The event was sponsored and supported by the local government unit and SM City ClarkMall as the venue of this activity.

Also during this event, the club has honored and recognized the 3 Centennial  Champion Awardees who have been part of Zonta’s advocacy and service projects in this biennium.  Three organizations were also given Centennial Community Awards for the cooperation and assistance of Zonta’s campagin on ending child marriage.

The Zonta eClub of the Philippines1 launches Instagram and Facebook campaign for gender equality

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As part of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign in 2019, the Zonta eClub of the Philippines1, District 17, joined fellow Zontians worldwide in saying no to violence against women and work to end child marriage by launching an online campaign for gender equality.  The campaign was on both Instagram and Facebook and engaged club members who are leaders from various industries to be involved in taking a stand in saying NO to violence against women and work to end child marriage.

Club members created media pages that turned negative connotations of women to their rightful, valued and positive significance. Each page was designed to strengthen gender equality, lessen prejudice and stop violence against women and girls. Each post was shared on the club’s official Instagram account (@zecphils1) as well as individual members’ accounts on Instagram and Facebook using the hashtags #ZontaSaysNO and #16days.

This campaign brings forth the discussion surrounding sexual harassment in the workplace and the need to fundamentally transform the power structure and discriminatory norms that enable gender-based violence and discrimination to exist. By turning negative connotations of women into its positive valuation and rightful importance, club members advocated for a change in attitude in general and more specifically attitudes toward women in the work place. Club members hope this campaign brings awareness as well as accountability to the issue at hand and that the message transcends beyond the work environment.

Zonta Club of Schaffhausen spreads awareness of child marriage with ‘Welcome at Home’ exhibit

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Zonta Club of Schaffhausen

Exhibition element informing about forced marriage: “It should have been the most beautiful day of my life.”

From 25 November to 11 December, “Welcome at Home” was shown in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. This project was initiated and led by the Zonta Club of Schaffhausen and actively supported by the local police and more than 15 local agencies dealing with domestic violence.

The exhibit and the symposium got a lot of media presence and thus helped to create the public pressure necessary to get politicians moving. In the meantime, the regional parliament has approved to create a body to take charge of implementing the Istanbul Convention in the region.

The target group of the exhibit itself was young adults. Approximately 800 vocational school students were led through the exhibition by a team consisting of a teacher, a policeman and a social worker. The goal was to inform them about the causes, backgrounds and toxic consequences of domestic violence and also about the support services for victims in the region.

Zonta Club of St. Louis arranges for billboard display

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Advocacy Chair for the Zonta Club of St. Louis, District 7, promoted the posting of a billboard with the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women messaging.

Judy Jensen promoted the posting of the billboard to support the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign.

Past President Sherri Brooks designed the display, which included the international ZI logo, and Barbara Meyer negotiated a discounted rate with the local vendor, DDI Media. 

Club members asked passerby to contact their legislators and listed zonta.org for references.

The ad appeared for 10 seconds at a time every minute in rotation with other ads and ran for two weeks.

Zonta Club of Kankakee works with local law enforcement

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The Zonta Club of Kankakee supported the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence and Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign with the assistance of local law enforcement and others within the criminal justice system.

Law enforcement and criminal justice officials stepped forward to support the 2019 campaign.

Zonta Club of Offenburg lights up local town hall in orange

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The Zonta Club of Offenburg, District 30, took part in this year’s international campaign to say no to violence against women. From 16 to 26 November, the historic town hall in Offenburg, a city located at the brim of the Black Forest and close to the French city of Strasbourg, was illuminated in bright orange and attracted a lot of visitors and passers-by.

As in Offenburg, the Christmas lighting and the Christmas Market started 26 November and the Zonta club had to organize the campaign before that date. At the same time, a cooperation with the bakers’ association was initiated and 40,000 bread bags were printed that were distributed to all the local bakery shops. They had the slogan “Zonta Says NO” printed on one side and “Gewalt kommt mir nicht in die Tüte” on the other side. “Das kommt nicht in die Tüte” is a German saying meaning “this is an absolute no-go”, so the inscription reads “Violence is an absolute no-go”.

On 25 November, the international day against violence against women, various local celebrities distributed bags filled with pretzels for free. Among these were the Mayor of Offenburg and Christina Obergföll, gold-medalist in javelin throwing.

The press coverage was excellent. All in all, the fourteen club members of the Zonta Club of Offenburg were very content with the outcome of the campaign and would like to repeat the campaign in 2020.

Zonta Club of Neustadt an der Weinstrasse lit multiple local buildings in orange

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Members of the Zonta Club of Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, District 28, are proud that they managed to illuminate numerous public and private buildings for one week in orange light in honor of the Zonta Says NO campaign and Zonta’s centennial anniversary.

The Hambach Castle, the Hornbach Tower, the Cineplex, the Wolfsburg, the town hall and other city buildings, the Stiftskirche and the Gimmeldinger church, along with many other buildings, were illuminated.

The lighting of the Hambach Castle was particularly successful as it is one of the most important symbols of German democracy. At the Hambacher Fest in May 1832, the German flag was carried in black, red and gold for the first time. Which is why the Hambach Castle is known as the cradle of German democracy. This was very important as a symbol of the campaign.