ZONTA CLub of Medford, MA

Please join Zonta Club of Medford on Tuesday, January 10, 7-8:30 pm for a discussion about ending child marriage and expanding access to education, two critical Zonta causes that are intimately connected.

Shagufa Bloom Habibi will share her story as a child bride in Afghanistan. She escaped her marriage in 2015, and came to the US to continue her education. She says: " It is always my passion and dream to continue helping more girls to achieve their goals for getting an education. I write blogs about Afghan girls, Education, and my story, and run fundraising campaigns to collect donations and help our Afghan families and children back in Afghanistan. This is my way to help girls get an education and rescue them from child marriage.” Shagufa will be joined by Marilyn Mosley, the founder of EducateGirlsNow, whose mission is to empower the daughters of Afghanistan through education and self determination, "ensuring that the girls are signing lessons rather than marriage contracts.”

Senator Pat Jehlen and Representative Christine Barber will also join our discussion to explain the recently passed laws banning child marriage in Massachusetts.

The meeting is on Zoom; here is the link:

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District 1 has lost a long-term Zontian, leader and friend, Lynn Goodhue. Lynn was passionate about the advancement of women and the protection of human rights worldwide. She was very active in the Northampton Zonta chapter and was elected District 1 Governor, serving all New England and Nova Scotia for two years and then elected to serve as Director on the International Board of Zonta. Through Zonta she traveled the world and annually attended the Commission on the Status of Women meetings at the United Nations. She continued her education as a Mathematics major at Smith College (class of 1970, Phi Beta Kappa), and earned two post graduate degrees, an MBA and a Master's in Computing and Electrical Engineering. A pioneering woman in STEM, she worked for many years directing the computer center at Smith College. Here is her full obituary. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/lynn-goodhue-obituary?id=37789011

On 8 November, Zonta International turns 103! Join Every Member, Every November in celebrating by adding your wishes to our birthday card here: https://www.groupgreeting.com/sign/6a9675415b344ec And, give a gift that will help build a better world for women and girls at www.zonta.org/donate

Ending Child Marriage, No Exceptions, in Massachusetts is a Reality!

Six years of relentless advocacy has led Massachusetts to end child marriage, making it the seventh U.S. state to ban this human rights abuse that destroys girls’ lives. As Zonta members advocated for this legislation, many Massachusetts citizens were aghast that children could legally marry in Massachusetts. For anyone who wants more information about this issue, we have an informational video at www.zontaqv.org that you need to watch. Now, the practice has ended - no child under 18 can marry in this state. And children who were subjected to early marriage, have a path forward to freedom.

This day would not have been possible without the tireless work of the countless elected officials—especially Representatives Kay Khan, Paul Donato, and Senator Harriet Chandler, organizations like the Massachusetts Coalition to End Child Marriage, UNICEF USA, and Unchained at Last, and individual supporters that kept this issue in the forefront. Special thanks to Massachusetts Zontians and friends for their advocacy. There was a ceremonial signing of the legislation which appears in the FY23 budget by the Governor on September 7, 2022.

While there is still a lot of work to do to ensure all girls and women are protected from early and forced marriage, let’s all pause and celebrate what we can do together when we take a stand for what is right!

Advocating, raising awareness, writing legislation, taking action, taking a stand… that is what Zonta does. We do not promote fidelity to any political party. Do you want to make the world a better place by working toward gender equality? Are you ready to join a supportive global community of like-minded people to take action to empower women and girls? If you are active or have been previously active in a profession, are willing to commit time to service and advocacy projects in our communities, and contribute financially to and raise money for local & international projects that benefit women - we welcome you! Visit www.zontaqv.org or email [email protected] to learn more.

Zonta International is a global community that has empowered women and girls through service and advocacy for 100 years. It was founded on November 8, 1919, in Buffalo, New York, by a group of forward-thinking women who envisioned a women’s service organization that would advocate for laws and policies that ensure gender equality and help every woman and girl realize her full potential. Through continuous engagement for 10 decades, Zonta International has become a respected and reliable agent of civil society. As a non-governmental organization with general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, the organization promotes and strives to protect the human rights of all women and girls and reduce the incidences of violence against them. Since 1923, Zonta has provided more than US$40.9 million to empower women and expand their access to education, health care, economic opportunities, and safe living conditions. Zonta’s nearly 1,200 clubs support local and regional initiatives in 63 countries worldwide.

Zonta Club of Medford has lined up a wonderful series of speakers for the Fall, and we’d love to have you join us—on Zoom—for any that interest you.

Tuesday, September 13, 2022, 7:15-8:30 pm
Massachusetts State Senator Patricia Jehlen will join us to discuss reproductive rights and other issues facing women in Massachusetts and how we might advocate in support of upcoming legislation. She will talk about the ROE Act and the more recent bill protecting reproductive and transgender rights, with a focus on access to late-term abortion. She has a local story to share. If there is time, she will also discuss the VOTES act and what's still missing, and economic rights including One Fair Wage, Enough Pay to Stay.

Tuesday, October 11, 2022, 7:15-8:30 pm
Resiliency is the capacity to adapt successfully in the face of change, stress, threats or disasters. The ability to rebuild one’s life after a devastating tragedy and to cope with the hard things in life. Joan Vitello-Cicciu PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAHA, FAAN, Dean and Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, has studied resiliency and shares tips and response strategies for building resiliency and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Tuesday, November 15, 2022 7:15-8:30 pm
To kick off Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women 16 Days of Activism, RAD (R**e Aggression Defense) Instructor and club member Julie Kaufmann will give a presentation on Risk Awareness Strategies for Personal Safety,. We’ll discuss strategies to reduce/avoid risks, principles of self-defense, and ways to change our language to better reflect the world we want to see. Leave feeling more empowered to say NO!

All Zonta Club of Medford evens are on Zoom. Here is the link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89646075451?pwd=MllTMlRPak4xb2dDTllCZ2dHZVIvdz09

Meeting ID: 896 4607 5451
Passcode: 504703
One tap mobile
+16469313860,,89646075451 # US

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...

Meet our next guest, Zontian Sara Diana F***j. In 2020, Sara was introduced to Zonta International when the Zonta Club of Hervey Bay Inc, Australia awarded her the Young Women in Public Affairs (YWPA) Award. In return, she joined the club and became the youngest president of a Zonta club at the age of 19.

Hear her story on demand now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXhnQ3fW7DM

Massachusetts Becomes the 7th State to End Child Marriage - Tahirih Justice Center Today, Governor Charlie Baker signed a law that raises the legal age for marriage to 18 with no exceptions, ultimately ending child marriage in Massachusetts. This is a huge win for survivors and advocates that have been arduously working to ban laws that allow child marriage in the United States. T...

WMCC will be hosting another RAD Self Defense class for women and girls this summer.

To protect the most vulnerable and put an end to trafficking in persons, the global community must come together to take action. As an organization pledged to empower women and girls and promote justice and universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, Zonta International is adding its voice and the voices of the 27,000 Zontians across the globe to the call for action to prevent trafficking in persons.

Grab the latest The Zontian issue to learn more: https://issuu.com/zontainternational/docs/zon-zontian-issue4-final/s/15968328

So, you've been elected as president. Are you ready? Join other club presidents around the world to learn new tools, tricks and tips that will support your experience not only as president, but also give ideas as to how to become a successful leader!

https://zontahamburg2022.events.whova.com/

Zonta receives a briefing about UNICEF's work in Peru at the UNICEF Peru country office at the start of Zonta's visit to the adolescent girls' health and protection project in Peru supported by Zonta International and Zonta members worldwide. UNICEF USA UNICEF Perú

Can't join us in Hamburg? No problem! Join us online as a virtual attendee. For the first time ever, Zontians can have their own exclusive Convention experience at their fingertips. Visit the following link to learn more: https://www.zonta.org/Web/News_Events/Convention_2022/Virtual_Program