Build a Better World for Women and Girls
Geelong bollards created by former Zonta Geelong member Jan Mitchell (Dec.)
About Us
We focus on women's empowerment by improving the legal, political, economic, educational, health and professional status of women at the global and local level through service and advocacy.
We aim internationally to foster high ethical standards, to implement service programs, and to provide mutual support and fellowship for members who serve their communities, their nations and the world.
Our club is made up of women from a diverse range of professions from in and around Geelong. Together, we support a range of service projects and scholarships at the international, district and club levels to help women in Australia and overseas.
The Zonta Club of Geelong meets monthly for dinner on the first Wednesday of the month between February and December. Currently we meet at The National Hotel, Cnr Moorabool &
Lt Ryrie Streets, Geelong
at 6.00 for a 6.30 start.
Meetings include Guest Speakers, information sharing and project planning.
Come along and learn more about Zonta and what we do. Dinner fee applies. For more information about upcoming meetings please go to the Events Page or contact the Club
News and Stories
The Zonta Says No campaign aims:
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To promote the human rights of women
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To promote Sustainable Development Goal No. 5 “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”
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To end violence against women and girls
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Zonta Australia
Three Zonta Districts work together to create Zonta Australia:
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District 22 consists of Zonta Clubs in Queensland
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District 23 includes Zonta clubs in South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.
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District 24 comprises Zonta Clubs in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales.
Gender equality is a basic human right and its achievement has immense socioeconomic implications. Yet, gender inequalities are deeply rooted in every society.
Sustainable Development Goal No. 5 is to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. While progress has been made, no country in the world has achieved gender equality.
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Nearly 40% of women and girls, or 1.4 billion people, live in countries that are “failing on gender equality.”
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According to recent data from some 90 countries, women devote on average roughly three times more hours a day to unpaid care and domestic work than men, limiting the time available for paid work, education and leisure and further reinforcing gender-based socioeconomic disadvantages.
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Women are paid approximately 81 cents for every dollar a man makes.
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Women continue to be underrepresented at all levels of political leadership. As of 1 January 2019, women’s representation in national Parliaments ranged from 0 to 61.3%, with the average standing at 24.2%.
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While women represented 39% of world employment, only 27% of managerial positions in the world were occupied by women in 2018.
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35% of women worldwide have experienced either intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.
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Globally, one in five girls were married before age 18.
ZONTA IN ACTION
In 2019, the SDG Gender Index found that not one country is on track to attain gender equality by 2030. The Global Gender Gap Report 2020 estimates it could take 99 1/2 years. Zonta International has spent 100 years advocating for gender equality and continues to fight for the cause.
Zonta and its clubs advocate on a variety of issues related to gender equality and women’s empowerment through:
In addition to our advocacy efforts, Zonta’s education programs and international service projects work to empower women and provide them opportunities to live on an equal basis as men.
I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free
human being with an independent will.
Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre
Zonta Says NOW to Gender-Equal Climate Action
Women are less likely than men to recover after severe weather events such as extreme heat, drought, fires, storms, and floods. Why? Because systemic gender inequality has led to women having fewer resources and choices than men. With each climate-related disaster, the gender gaps in education, pay, digital technology and legal rights widen, and violence against women increases.
The climate crisis is a human rights crisis—and a women’s rights crisis
UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, 2022
Zonta International’s Statement on Climate Change: a gender equality issue shows how women are agents of change for intergenerational gender-equal climate justice and recommends a human-rights-based approach to solve the climate crisis and achieve greener, cleaner, and equal societies.
How do we take action?
Zonta Says NOW to gender-equal climate action aims to implement Zonta’s Statement on Climate Change using this five-step framework.
1. We gather the facts. We learn about climate change, how it impacts gender equality, and what we can do about it.
2. We lead by example. We take personal action to reduce our carbon footprint, build more resilient communities, and take on leadership roles in our clubs, communities and workplaces.
3. We use our voice. We share the facts and our personal actions with family, friends and co-workers – everyone we meet!
4. We advocate. In our clubs, we work for climate justice by closing gender gaps in education, health, safety, technology and human rights and advocate for gender-equal climate action by governments.
5. We collaborate. We magnify our voice by collaborating with like-minded organisations e.g. other Zonta Clubs, UN Women, Soroptimists, and One Million Women
Zonta International envisions a world where every woman can achieve her full potential, has access to all resources, is represented in decision-making positions on an equal basis with men, and lives without fear of violence. By taking gender-equal climate action now, we can keep this vision alive.