During the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence (25 November – 10 December), the Zonta Club of the Coos Bay Area along with members of the local community, will join nearly 1,200 Zonta clubs in 67 countries for the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign. Launched in 2012, the campaign is a global call for actions to end violence against women and girls in communities around the world. Zonta International calls on parents, educators, administrators, law and policy makers to address PREVENTION OF ROOT CAUSES of Violence Against Women THROUGH EDUCATION and to facilitate effective mechanisms that will ensure eradication of Violence Against Women by: • Supporting PREVENTIVE programs promoting gender equal norms and violence-free environments, and programs that help men to change violent behavior. • PROTECTION of women by providing One-Stop Centers with medical/legal/social help for victims. Furthermore, promoting short term shelters and long term affordable housing for women and children, and supporting vocational training for victims to become self-supporting. • PROSECUTION of the perpetrators through a) laws that clearly blame perpetrators, not victims; b) reporting systems and support to victims during legal processes; c) training of police and legal professionals to understand the issues. From Nov 26 through Dec 10 the Zonta Club of Coos Bay will be posting pictures taken of several group and agencies holding our signs in support of ending violence against women. These pictures will be posted on our Facebook page: Zonta Club of the Coos Bay Area with different pictures posted each of the 16 days. On Dec. 9th follow the orange footprints at Pony Village Mall and join our Zonta Club as we March to Stamp out Violence. The event begins at 6 pm and includes community speakers who will talk of the importance of ending violence in our community. The Women’s Safety and Resource Center will be present to answer questions and offer information on community resources. CLUB PRESIDENT Debbie Schade says: “We are excited to partner with Women’s Safety and Resource and the many men, women and athletes in our community who appear in our pictures to raise awareness about Domestic Violence /Violence against women in our Community.” About Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women: See examples of the thousands of events across the world and learn more about the campaign by visiting www.zontasaysno.com. About Zonta Club of Coos Bay Area: Visit our website at wwwzontacoosbay.org to learn more about Zonta and the Zonta Says NO campaign. About Zonta International: Founded in 1919, Zonta International is a global organization of 30,000 professionals in 67 countries advancing the status of women worldwide through service and advocacy. Zonta International’s ongoing efforts to end violence against women and girls at the international level are carried out in partnerships with the United Nations and its agencies through the Zonta International Strategies to End Violence against Women (ZISVAW) program. Since the program’s inception in 1999, more than US$3.5 million has been provided to support 43 projects in 33 countries. To learn more, visit www.zonta.org.
