These remarks were delivered by long-time Zonta member Arlene Wright, kicking off 16 days of Advocacy.
"Zonta is an international service club that empowers women and girls through advocacy and service. On the 8th of this month Zonta celebrated its centennial. With approximately 28,000 members in 63 countries we lift women up. Our own club has straightened the crowns of many women in our area, quietly working to help others for 33 years.
The Zonta Says NO campaign started in 2012. The first two biennium, 2012 to 2016, focused on Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women. In 2016 to 2018 the focus was extended to include saying NO to Human Trafficking and the violence it brings. And this our centennial biennium emphasizes the issue of child marriage.
Child marriage is a form of sexual and gender-based violence with detrimental physical, social and economic consequences. 77% of Nigerian girls are married by the age of 18 and 30 % by the age of 15. Niger has the highest percentage of child marriages in the world. These early marriages result in adolescent girls giving birth before the age of 17 and not finishing their education. 73 percent of these girls ages 15 to 19 cannot read or write.
Zonta International has committed one million US dollars to help the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) reduce early marriage and pregnancy in Niger. UNFPA says it “is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled”.
Child marriage is not just a third world issue. While the age of majority in Canada is 18 or 19 depending on the province or territory, children may marry at the age of 16 with parental or court consent. In the US it differs depending on the State with many allowing early marriage. In 41 States surveyed 200,000 minors were married in the US between 2000 and 2015.
These young women are harmed for life by being separated from their family and homes; often beaten by their husbands; increased chances of living in poverty and they are 50% more likely to drop out of school. In addition to this, they are twice as likely to die during childbirth than women in their 20’s giving birth. Most of these marriages end in divorce.
Our flag raised November 27th will fly for the next two weeks and will bring to the attention of this community the need to say NO to violence against women whether it be through, physical, mental, emotional, violence, gender trafficking or early marriage."
photo credit: Melissa Crannie, City of Owen Sound
