In 2012, Zonta International launched "Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women," a global campaign to raise awareness of and increase advocacy actions to end violence against women and girls around the world.
Every year, during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, Zonta clubs and Zontians around the world take action and advocate to end gender-based violence in all its forms. Every year, the Zonta Club of Cape Girardeau works to mark the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) campaign beginning November 25, 2021 the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and ending on December 10, 2021 Human Rights Day, by highlighting the indelible fact that violence against girls and women is a human rights violation.
As in previous years, the Zonta Club will begin with a proclamation from the City of Cape Girardeau during its Nov. 15, 2021 City Council meeting to highlight the days and awareness-raising activities, including attracting attention and generating public support.
The theme of the 2021 Campaign is “Together We Can End GBV in Education!” and uses the human rights framework to not only raise awareness about gender-based violence, but also to eradicate it once and for all.
As they have in the past, Cape Zontians uses social media to promote awareness and education about the days of activism with a focus on education. The Club previously hosted a "Pages of Empowerment" Book Club with readings focused on women’s issues at Catapult Creative House.
This year, we are celebrating Sixteen Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence by partnering with The Mystic Brew Store who has created the candles for the Zonta Club of Cape Girardeau to help show support and help change the world one day at a time in hopes of building a bright future. Amazingly, 50% of the profits from the candles will be donated to Zonta Club of Cape Girardeau. The candles are orange which represents a brighter future, free from violence against women and girls. The candles are $10 each.
In addition, they partnered with its Golden Z Club and the Redhawks Rising student organization at Southeast Missouri State University to observe the 16 Days of Activism and the groups' shared focus of eliminating gender-based violence with a Peace Pole project on Dec. 4th of that year. Peace poles are hand-crafted monuments recognized as the most prominent international symbol and monument to peace.
Since 1991, the Center for Women’s Global Leadership at Rutgers University has led the 16 Days of Activism campaign, involving more than 5,478 individuals, organizations, and policy makers from more than 180 countries around the world. Twenty years after the U.N. Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, progress has been made, but problems still hinder women and girls’ advancement and full participation in society. Ending violence against girls and women will transform the world. That’s the philosophy behind the 16 Days campaign, which has been a catalyst toward ending gender-based violence for nearly a quarter-century.
To learn more, contribute, or take action, visit https://zontasaysno.com/