The Zonta Club of Guelph and its members advocate for human rights and gender equality. Promoting legislative awareness and advocacy locally, our focus is on issues that aim to improve the legal, political, economic, educational, health and professional status of women and girls and shall promote justice and universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. Zonta International has consultative status with United Nations and supports UN initiatives to eradicate violence against women & girls globally. Local advocacy projects have included:
- “Zonta Says No to Gender-Based Violence” poster campaign
- “Campaign School” a program providing women with the mentors, skills, knowledge, and resources they need to run for political office in Canada
- “Take back the night” annual march and vigil in September with the mission of ending sexual, relationship, and domestic violence in all forms. Hundreds of events are held in over 30 countries annually.
- “Sister’s in Spirit Vigil” Anual event on October 4th a day when we honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse people, support grieving families, and create opportunities for healing. The violence experienced by Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse people in Canada is a genocide. United, we will demand action on an issue that impacts us all!
- “16 days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence” is the 16 Days between November 25th (The International Day to End Violence Against Women) and Dec 10th (Human Rights Day). During the 16 Days our club participates in daily awareness campaign providing activism messages and advocacy actions that everyone can take to end gender-based violence.
- “December 6th Vigil” serves as an opportunity to reflect, remember and honour the 14 lives lost at L’Ecole Polytechnique Massacre and each woman and girl whose lives were taken by violence in the past year. The vigil takes place at Marianne’s Park in Guelph, hosted by Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis. 2021 Event details here
- “International Women’s Day Events” annually on March 8. IWD is a global holiday to commemorate the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women. It is also a focal point in the women’s rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights and violence and abuse against women and girls. The Zonta Club of Guelph hosts an annual speaker event during the week of IWD. Event details will be posted here.
- “Women on the Bridge” annual event since 2012 during the week of International Women’s Day. Co-hosted by Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis, Zonta Club of Guelph & CFUW Guelph. The “Women on the Bridge” campaign started in 2010 when women from Congo and Rwanda joined together on the bridge connecting their two countries, showing that they could build the bridges of peace and hope for the future. Event details will be posted here.