Zonta International
Advocacy
Zonta advocacy is action taken in “the public interest” or for “the greater good” with respect to empowering women and girls and promoting and protecting their human rights.
International
Zonta International advocates primarily through its General Consultative Status with ECOSOC at the United Nations (UN) and its Participatory Status at the Council of Europe (CoE). Zonta International has been affiliated with the UN since 1969 and has been represented in the CoE since 1983. Through these relationships, Zonta uses its strong voice to present our priorities and demand focused action when advocating for gender equality and women’s human rights worldwide.
National
Zonta International, districts, areas and clubs draft letters and send petitions to national governments to initiate or influence hearings and legislation on issues affecting women and girls.
Local
Zonta clubs monitor laws and policies and their impact on women, participate in hearings and public meetings with local politicians and administrators and host speakers and panels to raise awareness about issues affecting women at the local level.
Our Causes
Zonta International and our members work at the international, national and local levels to realize our vision of a world in which women’s rights are recognized as human rights and every woman is able to achieve her full potential, where women have access to all resources and are represented in decision-making positions on an equal basis with men, and where no woman lives in fear of violence.
Advocating for Gender Equality
We advocate for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in all aspects of life.
Ending Gender-Based Violence
We raise awareness of the global pandemic of women’s rights violations and unite our members worldwide to fight violence against women and girls.
Ending Child Marriage
We work with partners to prevent child marriage in some of the highest prevalence countries while our Zonta clubs and members advocate for an end to this human rights violation in their own countries.
Expanding Access to Education
We support women’s education through our own scholarships, fellowships and awards and through our international service projects, which very often include education of women and girls as key strategies.