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Get ready for the 16 Days of Activism:  25 November – 10 December

Get ready for the 16 Days of Activism:  25 November – 10 December

The Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign is one of the most widely participated-in campaigns throughout the Zonta world every year. The actions you take, whether a long-standing project in your community or a new initiative sparked by current events, help build a better world.
This year, the Zonta International theme for the 16 Days of Activism and Zonta Says NO Summit explores how conflict, war and political instability affect women and girls in distinct and often disproportionate ways. Whatever you do, together we say NO!

Start your plan.  

1: Register for the Zonta Says NO Summit ~ Tuesday, 10 December
Across three sessions, participants will hear directly from women and experts with experience from conflict-affected contexts, including Ukraine, Afghanistan and other regions around the world. Sessions will be delivered live and made available to paid ticket holders as recordings.
Meet one of our speakers
Indai Sajor served as a member of the Women’s International War Crimes Tribunal on Japan’s Military Sexual Slavery. She will join us for a special talkback session following a screening of a short film featuring her investigation of the experiences of “comfort women.” Learn more about Indai before the summit by watching her appearance on our Remarkable Women Powerful Stories podcast. Hear Indai’s full Story
Register Today   US$25 | Members: US$20 | Students: US$10

2: Share Your Action and Your Story
Each action taken by individual members or clubs helps build a better world for women and girls. To submit a Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign action, please click the button below to access the Zonta Says NO form. You will also have the option to share more details about your action to be featured in future publications.
Share Your Story

3: Tools to Take Action
Through this Zonta Says NO campaign, members influence the creation and implementation of national and local laws, as well as general attitudes and behaviors. Tools like the Zonta Says NO Toolkit and the Social Media Toolkit are available for Zonta Says NO actions throughout the year or during the 16 Days of Activism. Access them all by clicking the button below.
Tools to Take Action… Read the rest

Foundation

Give Back Grants

Zonta International is excited to announce the launch of the Zonta Community Give Back Grants program, a new initiative to recognize and support impactful, local service projects led by Zonta clubs around the world.

The program provides small grants to support mission-aligned community projects led by Zonta clubs, using a dual-tier model that combines financial support with opportunities for global recognition. The vision for the program, if it is to continue long-term, is to have one grant cycle per biennium, with each cycle rotating its focus across Zonta’s strategic priorities; the 2026–2028 Biennium will focus on ending violence against women and girls. Grants will be awarded through a competitive application and selection process.

Eligibility & Expectations

Applicant clubs must:

  • Be in good standing.
  • Align projects with Zonta’s mission, with a focus on ending violence against women and girls.
  • Demonstrate clear community impact with defined outcomes.
  • Implement hands-on projects (partnerships with NGOs or Z or Golden Z clubs encouraged).
  • Disclose any additional funding, partnerships or sponsorships.
  • Commit to reporting results and sharing outcomes for visibility
… Read the rest

Foundation

New Giving Options and Planned Giving Resources for Zonta Donors

To maximize fundraising revenue, the Zonta Foundation for Women has a new partnership with Freewill.  FreeWill provides digital tools, educational resources and fundraising support that can help the Zonta Foundation for Women strengthen its planned giving program and encourage gifts of non-cash assets. Its offerings include the Planned Giving Suite and the Smart Giving Suite. We will begin to promote these opportunities with our upcoming Every Member Every November campaign.

Planned Giving

FreeWill helps to make legacy giving more accessible by offering free estate-planning tools for eligible donors, making it easier for them to include the Foundation in their estate plans. For Zonta, these resources can strengthen the Zonta 1919 Legacy Circle, encourage more members and supporters to consider leaving a lasting legacy, and help develop a more consistent planned giving pipeline.

Smart Giving

FreeWill’s Smart Giving tools will help Zonta Foundation for Women accept and promote gifts beyond traditional cash or credit card donations. These gifts can provide donors with additional ways to donate, while potentially unlocking significant philanthropic resources.

Giving option Potential benefit to Zonta
Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) Simplifies grant recommendations from eligible donor-advised fund accounts.
Stocks and securities Enables donors to contribute appreciated investments without selling and donating cash themselves.
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) Allows eligible U.S. IRA owners to make qualifying charitable gifts directly from their retirement accounts.
Cryptocurrency Offers another option to donors who hold digital assets.

Although most Smart Giving options are specific to the U.S. financial and tax system, international donors may also benefit from access to these resources:

  • U.S. assets held by donors abroad: A donor living outside the United States may have U.S. – based property or investments. FreeWill states that its wills can address property located in all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.; foreign property may require separate estate-planning advice.
  • U.S. – based account holders: International donors who maintain eligible U.S. brokerage accounts, IRAs or donor-advised funds may have opportunities to use applicable non-cash giving methods.

FreeWill offers an opportunity to expand the Foundation’s fundraising beyond traditional donations. Combining planned giving resources with accessible non-cash giving options will support long-term financial sustainability.… Read the rest

JMK

2027 Understanding the Women in Business Leadership Award

The 2027 Women in Business Leadership Award is now available.

The Zonta Women in Business Leadership Award celebrates excellence and recognizes outstanding achievements by women between 18-35 years of age who are driving innovation and creating an impact in the business world. This prestigious award honors exceptional leadership, entrepreneurial spirit, ethical conduct and significant contributions while addressing global or local issues affecting women and girls or climate justice.

The program operates at the Zonta club, district and international levels. Zonta International offers 10 international awards of US$5,000 each and a complimentary one-year supporting membership in Zonta International for the next financial year.

Timetable:

  • Clubs determine their own timelines for receipt of applications.
  • Club recipient is selected and application is sent to governor by 30 November 2026 or date set by Chair.
  • The district applicant selected and application received by Zonta International Headquarters by 2 January 2027.
  • The official announcement of international recipients 28 February 2027

Who is Eligible? Women, aged 18-35 at the time of application, who demonstrate evidence of the following, are eligible to apply.  (The 2028 award will be offered without an age qualification based on the 2026 Convention vote.)

❑ Exceptional leadership in a business-related field of study or industry.
❑ Entrepreneurial spirit.
❑ Ethical conduct.
❑ Significant contributions to addressing global or local issues affecting women and girls or climate justice.

Previous Zonta Women in Business Leadership Awardees are not eligible to apply to renew the Award for a second year. Club members and individuals with direct membership with Zonta International and employees of Zonta International and Zonta Foundation for Women are not eligible to apply for the awards.

Z club and Golden Z club members are eligible to apply. Recipients of a Zonta fellowship or award who have received a complimentary one-year supporting membership from Zonta International are eligible to apply during their complimentary membership year, provided that they are not applying for the same fellowship or scholarship they previously received from Zonta International.

Committee or jury members or any member involved in the selection process should follow the Zonta International Conflict of Interest Policy in the selection of awardees.

All information and supporting documents for the 2025 “Zonta Women in Business Leadership Award” can be found at zonta.org under Our Programs/Education.… Read the rest

UN

CSW 71 (2027)

The seventy-first session of the Commission on the Status of Women will take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 8 to 19 March 2027.

Representatives of Member States, UN entities, and ECOSOC-accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from all regions of the world are invited to attend the session.

Themes

  • Priority theme: Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
  • Review theme: Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes
  • Critical area of concern or cross-cutting issue: Poverty and the economic empowerment of women

 

… Read the rest

UN

CSW 70 (2026)

The 70th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) concluded in March 2026 with the adoption of Agreed Conclusions focused on ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls. Amid sharp geopolitical and ideological divisions, the final text passed via a recorded vote of 37 in favor, 1 against (the United States), and 6 abstentions rather than the traditional consensus. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Priority Theme & Core Legal Mandates

  • Access to Justice: Emphasized broad judicial reforms to eliminate discriminatory laws, structural barriers, and equitable legal practices. [1, 2, 3]
  • Community Recognition: Formally recognized community justice workers and paralegals inside national legal frameworks to expand grassroots reach. [1, 2]
  • CEDAW Commitments: Urged member states to ratify and fully implement the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. [1]

Digital Justice & Emerging Threats

  • AI & Technology Governance: Established new frameworks addressing digital justice, aiming to harness technology safely while governing AI systems responsibly. [1, 2]
  • Online Gender Violence: Committed governments to actively investigate, prosecute, and punish technology-facilitated and online exploitation and violence against women and girls. [1]

Crises and Institutional Reform

  • Conflict Zones: Demanded survivor-centered and gender-responsive justice systems in humanitarian, crisis, and conflict-affected settings.
  • Labor & Protections: Called for repealing discriminatory workplace regulations and reinforcing national mechanism safeguards. [1]

Procedural Divides

  • Voting Shift: Marked a departure from historical consensus-building due to intense amendments proposed over inclusive terminology, climate change language, and reproductive rights. [1, 2]
… Read the rest

Foundation

Foundation Update – June 2026

Zonta Foundation for Women  June, 2026 Update

Zonta District 1 has exceeded its goals:
District:  $45,000, 100% club donation  25% member donation
As of May 30, 2026, $46,015.21 raised, with 100% of clubs and 27.5% of members donating,  (Zonta International average is 21,.5%)

Of 32 districts, D1 is one of eight to have all clubs donate and eighth in percentage of individual donations!!! Individual donation percentages for our district are the highest in more than five biennia!
We are indeed a mighty district.

Top three donating clubs:
Quaboag Valley – $8,978
Chelsea and North Shore – $4,634
Concord – $10,867

It has been an honor to serve as District 1’s Foundation Ambassador this biennium. Thank you to my sister Zontians and the District 1 board for their support, enthusiasm and fellowship.
With Zonta spirit,
Mary Ann

Dr. Mary Ann K. Rubis
Zonta International
Cross-mentoring Committee
District 1
Foundation Ambassador
2024-2026

Build a better world
for women and girls

 International Service Projects Update:

Climate Empower: Community Empowerment and Innovation for Gender-Transformative Climate Action

  • Gender-based violence manual and tools developed
  • Community dialogues and workshops held
  • Peer-led spaces created and sustained
  • Human stories produced and disseminated
  • Youth-focused innovation hubs started
  • Return to school policies after childbirth created
  • Road-map for 2026 showing monthly tasks created

Ending Child Marriage: A Programme to Accelerate Global Action Phase III

  • 8 million boys and men have participated in group education and dialogue
  • Nearly 3 million traditional and religious leaders engaged in sensitization and consensus-building
  • Over 2.5 million girls and boys accessed prevention and protection services – more than double the original target
  • 81 policies or legal instruments directly addressing child marriage have been drafted, proposed or adopted

Laaha: A Virtual Safe Space for Women and Girls

  • Available in 21 countries, an increase of nine since report last year
  • More than 160 interactive modules
  • New content on how to speak to adolescents on various topics has been developed for parents

Education Programs

Amelia Earhart Fellowships

  • Three Fellows studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology receive their wings at a January event hosted by District 1 Zonta Club Chelsea and North Shore with assistance from the Zonta Club of Malden.

Zonta Women in Business Leadership Award

  • Casey McDermott D1’s candidate from Nova Scotia wins one of 10 $10,000 international awards
… Read the rest

AE

2025 AE Fellows

The Zonta Club of Chelsea and North Shore hosted the annual Amelia Earhart Dinner on January 15th at the Hilton Garden Inn, Boston, in collaboration with the Zonta Club of Malden. The event honors the spirit of pilot Amelia Earhart, who had been a Zonta member, and recognizes young women recently awarded Amelia Earhart fellowships to pursue Ph.D. degrees in aerospace engineering and space sciences. Zonta International awards thirty $10,000 fellowships annually. Three of these were Zonta District 1 awardees, all Ph.D. candidates at MIT: Myrella Cabral of Brazil, studying Aerospace Engineering; Palak Patel of the US, studying Mechanical Engineering, and Fatima Zaidouni of Morocco, studying Physics. Each spoke about her area of study contributing to global aerospace projects. Dr. Irene Porro, Director of the Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Center for Integrated Science Learning (www.cm-center.org) at Framingham State University was keynote speaker. Dr.
Porro highlighted the importance of making science learning relatable and experiential across the ages, the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, and the importance of women’s participation in global advances in science and space exploration.Mary Knight, Secretary of Zonta District I presented each fellow with, “wings,” a pin symbolizing empowerment, academic excellence and the legacy of Amelia Earhart.
Janice Tatarka, President of the Zonta Club of Chelsea and North Shore presented recipients with flowers. Event coordinator, Lee Farrington noted in summary, “All three Fellows were such a pleasure to meet and hear from. In addition to the monetary award and their “wings”, each received one year membership in Zonta International, and expressed a desire to support our mission of making a better world for women and girls and the connections. Dr. Porro
related well to our mission as well. Upon learning that a fellow countrywoman was the incoming Zonta International President, she asked to be connected to Fernanda Gallo Freschi to brainstorm ideas on how the CM-Center can be involved in Zonta’s efforts Attendees of the ceremony were impressed also with the raffle table, the tributes to Amelia Earhart and the opportunity to network. The 2026 Amelia Earhart Dinner was truly inspiring.”

… Read the rest