Day Sixteen: Respect for Each Other
Men of quality must not fear equality. We must live to make each other’s dreams come true. The challenge is to show men the concrete and immediate advantages of gender equality, for men themselves, not only for women.
As men are a part of the problem, they can also be a part of the solution. One man can make a difference! We must challenge their silence in the face of gender-based violence committed by other men. There is a silent, large majority of men who care. The task is to make them speak up! Satish Kumar Singh – Deputy Director,
Centre for Health and Social Justice
Gender-based violence, or violence against women and girls, is a severe violation of human rights. Violence not only negatively affects women; it also affects their families, communities, and countries. It knows no national or cultural barriers; it takes place at home, in the workplace and in open spaces, and affects millions of women and girls in peacetime and in conflict. Gender-based violence includes psychological, physical and sexual violence, and harmful practices such as intimate partner violence, sexual violence and harassment, child marriage, and human trafficking, according to UN Women.
- 35% of women worldwide have experienced either intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.
- 38% of murders of women are committed by an intimate partner.
- Children who grow up in families where there is violence may suffer a range of behavioral and emotional disturbances. These can also be associated with perpetrating or experiencing violence later in life.
For over 100 years, Zonta has contributed to help achieve a world free of violence against women and girls through service and advocacy. We have a history of partnering with United Nations agencies or recognized NGOs on programs that promote and protect the human rights of all women and girls and reduce the incidence of violence.
Our ongoing advocacy impact is built around the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign. The campaign has raised awareness of the global epidemic of women’s rights violations and has united Zonta clubs worldwide in conducting impactful advocacy actions to fight violence against women and gender inequality.
On this, Day 16 and the final day of this years’ Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign, the Zonta Club of Frankfort says “thank you” to…
- Kaspar Media and Clinton County Daily News for their support by helping get the word out to ensure our community is aware of this long-standing problem of our society.
- The local businesses and entities that allowed the placement of signs or used orange lighting as visual symbols to draw attention to domestic violence.
- All those in our community who have taken a step to end violence by saying “NO!”
ZONTA’S VISION
Zonta International envisions a world in which women’s rights are recognized as human rights and every woman is able to achieve her full potential.
In such a world, women have access to all resources and are represented in decision-making positions on an equal basis with men.
In such a world, no woman lives in fear of violence.