Message from President Salla on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
Dear Zontians and fellow advocates for equity,
Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, a day when we join together, emboldened by our fellowship, and make the choice to SPEAK UP to say NO to violence against women and girls.
Now is not the time to wait for things to get better. Zonta International was born from the passion of our founders who did not sit back and say inequality is bearable. Since that first day, we have stood up for ourselves and for others and we will continue to do so until equity is reality and the world we envision without violence is the one we live in.
I ask you to join with me as we begin these 16 Days of Activism and recognize how crucial the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign is throughout the world. Violence does not affect just a small portion of some other community. It is all around us as every 10 minutes a woman is killed.
We know children are being forced into marriage, another form of gender-based violence. This is not just in the 12 focus countries of the Global Programme to End Child Marriage, which the Zonta Foundation for Women supports. This crime is happening everywhere. For example, some European countries still have the loophole of parental consent and 37 U.S. states still allow for children under 18 to be married. Iraq’s parliament is currently preparing a legislative change to allow marriage with a 9-year-old girl; for boys, the age limit would be reduced to 15 years. Every 10 minutes, 229 girls are married. We must stop this, and we must advocate for enforceable laws with no exceptions. We know that if we do not have efficient legislation, we cannot hold governments accountable to end not only child marriage but all forms of gender-based violence.
Wherever there is global conflict, women and girls are at a higher risk for all forms of violence. On every side, in new and ongoing conflicts or wars, such as in Gaza, Haiti, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan and Ukraine, just to name a few out of more than 120 armed conflicts around the world this year, women and children are suffering in the shadows. We cannot wait for the reports to come out after the fighting subsides to see how many are now displaced, maimed, raped or dead.
We will not wait to say NO.
Our voices as we speak up must carry beyond active war zones. At this very moment, in every corner of the globe and every community, we are reminded of the urgency of Zonta’s mission. The rights of women and girls are being stripped away forcing them to make choices that put them in even more harm. Countless women and girls face various forms of violence within their own homes, often unable to access the vital services and protections they desperately need to survive. We must not let this continue to happen. We must raise our voices and speak up.
- SPEAK UP and work to get enforceable legislation to end violence against women including the brutal violation of human rights, child marriage, where you live.
- SPEAK UP to your legislators before more rights are taken from us, our daughters, our granddaughters.
- SPEAK UP and take action when you see the need for victim and survivor resources within your own communities.
- To all men and boys – I encourage you to stand with us and to SPEAK UP as gender-based violence is not just a matter of women or girls, it adversely affects everyone.
We will not back down as we continue our work and intensify our efforts to combat gender-based violence. Our voices and actions through the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign will build not just a better world for women and girls, but a better world for all.
Thank you for standing with us and thank you for SPEAKING UP.
Salla Tuominen
Zonta International President
Join Zonta International for three sessions with three incredible speakers throughout the day.
Each speaker will give their own expertise and perspective and allow for questions from participants. See more information at 2024 Zonta Says NO Virtual Summit.
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25 NOVEMBER 2024