Zonta Club of Redcliffe Inc partners with rugby team to end gender-based violence

The Zonta Club of Redcliffe Inc, Australia, has partnered with a local rugby league team, The Redcliffe Dolphins, for six years to spread the message, "Zonta Says NO to gender-based violence" by having an "Orange Day".

On this day, the club holds an information stall, wearing orange shirts. Members give away small orange footballs, orange wristbands and orange pens, all with the Zonta Says NO message and a women’s helpline contact number. The club hopes to expand one day to include all teams in the competition and eventually branch out to all Winter Sport Codes in May 9 Domestic & Family Awareness Month and the Summer Sports Codes during the 16 Days of Activism. 

At the match, players typically wear orange socks and form a guard of honor as they run out on the field, holding a banner and some of the club’s cut out orange ladies. The match day this year was 29 May. Club members were grateful to have District Governor Bridget Mather and District Board Member and former District Governor Ans Van Erp, as well as members from other clubs to help swell numbers.

In September 2019 at their combined District Conference, the club put an idea to the conference and it was voted to try and make the initiative Australia-wide. District 22 Governor Sandy Venn Brown was very proactive with this idea and approached the CEO of QRL who was very encouraging. However, COVID-19 restrictions prevented it from going ahead in 2020.

The club wants to encourage other clubs — especially in Australia — to help achieve their goal of all sporting codes to hold an Orange Day. The club requests that you please contact them for more information on how you can help achieve this goal.