Zonta International

From the ZI website

MISSION 

Zonta International is a leading global organization of individuals working together to build a better world for women and girls.

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.

There are over 26,000 members in 1100 clubs from 62 countries.

Zonta International holds General Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and Participatory Status with the Council of Europe. Zonta teams engage in these important intergovernmental organizations and in important events and campaigns to further our global advocacy efforts and our mission to build a better world for women and girls.

The current Strategic Plan has the following goals:

Credible and Visible Voice
Club Success
International Leadership and Sustainability
Engagement of Audiences and Allies

Advocating for Gender Equity

Gender equality is a basic human right and its achievement has immense socioeconomic implications. Yet, gender inequalities are deeply rooted in every society.

Sustainable Development Goal No. 5 is to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. While progress has been made, no country in the world has achieved gender equality.

According to the UN Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, climate change may push up to 158.3 million more women and girls into poverty (16 million more than the total number of men and boys).
According to recent data from some 90 countries, women devote on average roughly three times more hours a day to unpaid care and domestic work than men, limiting the time available for paid work, education and leisure and further reinforcing gender-based socioeconomic disadvantages.
It takes women 15 months to earn the same amount as men earn in 12 months. Women are paid approximately 81 cents for every dollar a man makes.
Women continue to be underrepresented at all levels of political leadership. As of 1 November 2023, women’s representation in national Parliaments ranged from 0 to 61.3%, with the average standing at 26.7%.
While women represented 46% of world employment, only 32% of managerial positions in the world were occupied by women in 2023.
Throughout the world, one in three women and girls have already experienced physical and/or sexual violence. Less than 40% sought help, and of those, only 10% went to the police.
Of all of the women who were killed in 2020, 58% were murdered by their partner or a family member.
Globally, one in five girls were married before age 18.

Zonta in Action

In 2022, the SDG Gender Index found that not one country is on track to attain gender equality by 2030. The Global Gender Gap Report 202 3 estimates estimates at the current rate of progress, it will take 131 years to reach full parity. While the global parity score has recovered to pre-pandemic levels, the overall rate of change has slowed down significantly. Zonta International has spent 100 years advocating for gender equality and continues to fight for the cause.

Zonta and its clubs advocate on a variety of issues related to gender equality and women’s empowerment through:

In addition to our advocacy efforts, Zonta’s education programs and international service projects work to empower women and provide them opportunities to live on an equal basis as men.

Ending Gender Based Violence

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, female genital mutilation and human trafficking, according to UN Women.

In 2022, around 48,800 women and girls were killed by their intimate partner or family member. This is on average about 133 women or girls a day.
41% of women worldwide have experienced either intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.
Of those who have reported intimate partner violence, one in five women have experienced physical or sexual violence by a partner.
Approximately 59% of all female homicide victims in 2021 lost their lives by an intimate partner.
The first sexual experience of some 30 percent of women was forced. 45% of those under 15 at the time of their sexual initiation report the experience was forced.
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.

Zonta in Action

Zonta International envisions a world in which no woman lives in fear of violence. For 100 years, we have contributed to help achieve a world free of violence against women and girls through service and advocacy. Though many countries have laws against domestic violence, sexual assault and other forms of gender-based violence, there are challenges in implementing these laws.

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. Zonta International currently supports the Global Programme to End Child Marriage, which brings together governments, civil society, families and young people in a collective effort to prevent girls from marrying too young and to support those already married as girls. Read more about the projects we have supported through the Zonta International Strategies to end Violence Against Women progra m.

Our ongoing advocacy impact is built around the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women advocacy campaign. Launched in 2012, the campaign has raised awareness of the global pandemic of women’s rights violations and has united Zonta clubs worldwide in conducting impactful advocacy actions to fight violence against women and gender inequality.

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Ending Child Marriage

Child marriage is any formal or informal union where one or both of the parties are under 18 years old, according to Girls Not Brides. Early and forced marriage happens across countries, cultures and religions. Each year, 12 million girls are married before they turn 18. More than 100 million additional girls will marry before their 18th birthday by 2030 without more action taken.

It is estimated that 650 million women alive today were married as girls. Worldwide, about 21% of girls are married in childhood. Child brides are often pulled out of school and are at a greater risk of violence, being trapped in poverty and serious health complications or even death due to early pregnancy.

Globally, one in every five girls is formally married or in an informal union, before reaching age 18. In the least developed countries, that number almost doubles – 36% of girls are married before age 18, and 10% of girls are married before age 15.
Girls with no education are three times as likely to marry by 18 as those with a secondary or higher education.
90% of adolescent pregnancies in the developing world are to girls who are already married.
Girls between the ages of 15 and 19 are twice as likely to die in childbirth as women in their 20s, and newborn children of younger mothers face greater risks of dying.
Early marriage doubles a teenager’s chances of living in poverty and triples the likelihood she will be beaten by her spouse, compared to married adults.

ZONTA IN ACTION

Child marriage directly hinders eight of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. While the prevalence of child marriage is declining, efforts to address this human rights violation must be significantly scaled up. At this rate, it would take another 50 years to eliminate child marriage worldwide.

Zonta International has partnered with UNICEF USA and UNFPA to support the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage, which is working to achieve lasting change on a significant scale by tackling the human rights violation in a dozen of the most high-prevalence or high-burden countries.

Since the program’s launch in 2016, more than 7.7 million adolescent girls and more than 4.2 million community members have been reached with information, skills and services. The Global Programme has successfully completed Phases I and II with tremendous results through government support and civil society partners including women’s groups and youth-led groups directly in 12 countries (Africa, the Middle East and South Asia). Progress in the past decade has prevented 25 million child marriages, of which 18 million were because of the acceleration efforts.By 2023, the program will begin it’s Phrase III and focus efforts on empowering adolescent girls to use their voices against social norms, making health resources and education accessible, and encouraging local government commitment to provide gender-responsive services and implement law to align with human rights standards.

In addition to its support of the Global Programme, Zonta has participated in advocacy efforts around the world to shine a light on child marriage through the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign and other partnerships and events.

The Zonta USA Caucus, a member of the National Coalition to End Child Marriage in the United States, is helping thousands of Zonta members and other supporters in the U.S. speak out against child marriage in the United States.

In April 2020, the Zonta USA Caucus, in partnership with UNICEF USA, launched a yearlong national Public Service Announcement billboard campaign to stop child marriages in the United States. The billboards direct people to stopchildmarriages.org, which provides facts about child marriage in the United States and allows users to call on their state representative and state senator to support legislation to end child marriage with zero exceptions in their state.

Zonta says No to Violence Against Women

Expanding Access to Education

Education is a human right. It has the power to save and improve the lives of women and girls, which leads to healthier families and stronger communities.

According to UNICEF, receiving an education makes girls less likely to marry young and more likely to lead healthy, productive lives. Educated girls earn higher incomes, participate in decisions that affect them, and build better futures for themselves and their families.

Around the world, 130 million girls are out of school, including 32.3 million of primary school age, 30 million of lower-secondary school age, and 67.4 million of upper-secondary school age.
66% of countries have achieved gender parity in primary education, 45% of countries have achieved gender parity in lower secondary education and 25% in upper secondary education.
Of the world’s 796 million illiterate adults, two-thirds of them are women.
Gender-equitable education systems can contribute to reductions in school-related gender-based violence and harmful practices, including child marriage and female genital mutilation.
An educated female population increases a country's productivity and fuels economic growth. Some countries lose more than US$1 billion a year by failing to educate girls to the same level as boys. Universal secondary education, especially in poor countries, has a multiplier effect that builds both wealth and health, but only three in four girls complete their secondary education.

ZONTA IN ACTION

Investing in the education of women and girls yields high returns, such as breaking cycles of poverty, fostering economic growth and empowering women both in the home and workplace.

Zonta has a dedicated history of supporting women in education: We have provided more than US$12.8 million to thousands of women around the world through the Amelia Earhart Fellowship, Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship, Women in Technology Scholarship and the Young Women in Public Affairs Award.

The Amelia Earhart Fellowship expands opportunities for women pursuing advanced studies in the typically male-dominated fields of aerospace engineering and space sciences.
The Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship supports women pursuing undergraduate and master’s degrees in business management.
The Women in Technology Scholarship encourages women to pursue education, career opportunities and leadership roles in technology and related fields.
The Young Women in Public Affairs Award recognizes young women, ages 16-19, who demonstrate superior leadership skills and a commitment to public service and civic causes, and encourages them to continue their participation in public and political life.

In addition to its education programs, Zonta continually chooses international service projects that include the education of women and girls as key strategies.

As part of its activities, the Ending Child Marriage project improves education access and supports interventions that encourage girls to enrol in school, strengthens education systems and supports interventions that keep girls in school and provides out-of-school girls with alternative learning opportunities.
Let Us Learn Madagascar, an integrated education program, addresses education and gender inequity in Madagascar through approaches targeted toward adolescent girls.

Zonta International is supporting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which include ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. Education is essential to a prosperous life, and we are proud of our continued efforts to fight for gender equity in education.