by Zonta Districts & Clubs Local Advocacy Zonta Club of Fort Bonifacio: Advocacy before lighting Zonta logo on the giant globe in front of the biggest mall of Asia.

What is Advocacy? Advocacy is an action directed at change. It is putting a problem on the agenda, providing a solution to that problem, building support for that solution and for the action necessary to implement that solution.

Advocate what? Promote justice and universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. Source: ZI Bylaws & Advocacy Policy Zonta International, its districts and clubs are urged to express themselves and become involved in issues that: Improve the legal, political, economic, educational, health & professional status of women. Advance understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of executives in business and the professions.

Outcomes of Zonta Advocacy Issues of concern to women are addressed with sustainable change. Club membership is motivated & enhanced. Zonta’s visibility & credibly is increased. Important leadership opportunities emerge. Programs & speaker opportunities are enriched.

Advocacy Within Zonta Advocacy involves education and outreach. It can & should involve your whole club… and finding other like-minded organizations in your community to work together on important issues. What will you do? Picture: District 30 Zontians give a welcome at Zonta’s Convention in Torino, Italy.

Advocacy is Integrated with Service, Scholarships & Awards In addition to supporting international service and award programs, every Zonta district and club around the world implements its own service and advocacy initiatives. Thus, Zontians enact thousands of local actions that apply global human rights principles and Zonta International's objects at the local level. Zonta Club of Santiago-Chile awards Woman of the Year to astronomer Maria Teresa Ruize and advocates for Zonta says NO

Advocacy Within Zonta: Local Advocacy What’s going on in your community? What do you care about? Have you found your voice or are you relying on others? Where do you fit in to solve problems and make a difference?

Snapshots of Local Advocacy Zonta Club of Madrid runs to raise awareness of breast cancer. Zonta Clubs of of Ibadan organized a successful rally in December 2012 Zonta Club of Kitchener-Waterloo held its first “Join Us on the Bridge” Zontians showed support to ratify CEDAW in US Capitol.

Plan your Local Advocacy Activity Identify and mobilize required resources Monitor and evaluate the progress Avoid conflicts of interest at all times Conduct advocacy in an ethical manner District 17 Z and Golden Z Clubs Say NO UNite to end violence against women. Know your issue Establish your objectives Conduct a stakeholder analysis to identify opposition Develop a strategy

ZI Advocacy Goals Activities: ZI Advocacy Committee communicates regularly with other ZI Committees and works with stakeholders to focus efforts, determine strategies and take action where Zonta advocacy can have greatest impact. Goal A: Work together on strategic issues advancing the status of women with other ZI Committees and additional key stakeholders. Zonta International President Lynn McKenzie meets former Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachelet.

ZI Advocacy Goals Activities: Each district defines the most important issues in own district and creates a framework that enables Zontians to take action. Each district hosts a credible speaker on current issue(s) of importance to women in that district and publishes a summary that is shared throughout Zonta. Each club takes action on at least one advocacy event/issue each year. Goal B: Increase visibility of issues and actions to end violence against women, advance equal rights and opportunities and ensure justice under good laws at all levels of Zonta.

ZI Advocacy Goals Activities: ZI Advocacy Committee shares resources via the ZI Advocacy semi-annual e- Newsletter, ZI website and other media. ZI Advocacy Committee shows how advocacy is integrated with other district/club activities and seeks improvement means to build advocacy skills among Zontians. Goal C: Enable members, clubs, & districts to become more effective advocates. Each district and club advocacy committee increases awareness of important issues in district newsletters and on website.

ZI Advocacy Goals Goal D: Become a leading advocate on the status of women issues per CEDAW articles Activities: Each district checks its (ratified) countries’ reports to CEDAW Committee, as well as “shadow” reports to identify issues for Zonta advocacy action. Districts in USA coordinate efforts in each of the states and work with other NGOs toward US Senate ratification of CEDAW. Meanwhile, CEDAW criteria are used within local communities.

ZI Advocacy Committee is here to help Please do not hesitate to ask questions. Contact us at: Kay Meyer, Committee Chairman & these Committee Members will do their best to help you. You can You can also visit the Advocacy Tools webpage on the Zonta International website to learn more about the ZI Advocacy Committee, resources, policies and external publications.Advocacy Tools