Zonta celebrates 100 years by honouring and empowering women

District 25 Governor Shahnaz Nathani, Zonta International and International Foundation Vice President Ute Scholz and Conference Chairperson Manthri Perera at the Zonta District Conference

• Zontians from Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and Nepal converge for Zonta International’s centennial year District 25 Conference in Colombo

Zonta International, a leading global organisation of professionals empowering women worldwide through service and advocacy, celebrates a milestone 100 years at its 15th Biennial District 25 Conference, scheduled to be held in Colombo. 

This two-day event will see nearly 150 Zontians gather to celebrate this landmark year, honour the Zonta Centennial Country and District Awardees and empower many more women through service and advocacy. Zonta International and International Foundation Vice President Ute Scholz will also grace the occasion.

Commenting on this milestone year, District 25 Governor Shahnaz Nathani said: “We Zontians through friendship and understanding, cooperation and goodwill are an irresistible force to ensure that women’s rights are human rights. The Zonta centennial anniversary provides us with a unique opportunity for increased visibility of Zonta’s work towards women’s equality, empowerment and the elimination of violence against women and girls.”

District Conference Chairperson Manthri Perera said the District Conference promotes the programs of Zonta International. Projects are discussed, reviewed and new programs are planned for the following biennium. Workshops and discussions aim to inspire members to become more involved in the service projects of their clubs, creating a membership experience that is rewarding on our centennial anniversary theme of ‘Celebrate, Honour and Empower’.

The two-day program will include workshops and panel discussions on being digitally empowered and understanding the best practices of ending child marriage. A unique segment at the conference will be the recognition and presentation by path-breaking female leaders from different fields or game-changers from each of the participating countries. These women have found new ways of thinking that are more efficient and productive and will share their story to further motivate the members.

Centennial Anniversary Grants were awarded through all Zonta Clubs around the world. These one-time grants of $ 5,000 have been presented to likeminded service organisations for projects conducted in partnership with Zonta Clubs. District 25 is the recipient of five such grants, two in Sri Lanka, nominated by Zonta Club IV Colombo and the Zonta Club of Kandy. The identified organisations are the Centre of Handicapped in Kandy and Without Borders Sri Lanka, an initiative spearheaded by Kavindya Tennakoon.

The highlight of this year’s event was the presentation of the Zonta Centennial Recognition Awards to the winners from the four countries in the district. The winner of the Zonta International District 25 Centennial Recognition Award and the Zonta International Centennial Recognition Award from Bangladesh is Razia Sultana, a lawyer and educator from the Rohingya community. 

Since 2014, she has spoken out for the rights of her people and worked with some of the 725,000 Rohingya refugees now in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. As a volunteer researcher for Kaladan Press, an independent news service focusing on Myanmar- and Rohingya-related issues, she has fearlessly documented the stories of those victimised by waves of Government and army violence in Myanmar and is working directly with the Rohingya people, particularly women and girls. As a lawyer, she advocates for the rights of the Rohingya people and conducts research and educational programs, specialising in trauma, mass rape and human trafficking.

The awardee from Sri Lanka, Deborah Edirisinghe, is the Founder and Director of Child Action Lanka and has been at the forefront of a number of remarkable initiatives, working with street, war-affected and severely underprivileged children and women, focusing largely on empowering women and female children by providing them with free education, food, clothing and medical care.

Dr. Kriti Bharti from India is a young courageous activist on a mission to end child marriage in India. A rehabilitation psychologist working on the establishment of children’s rights and protection, Zonta wanted to recognise her outstanding work. 

The award-winner from Nepal, Bandana Rana, has three decades of experience in promoting women’s rights and gender equality at the grassroots, national, regional and global level. A long-term leader in the Nepalese women’s movement, she has spent decades in voluntary activism, promoting women’s rights through national and international organisations. More than 100,000 victims of domestic abuse and violence throughout the country have benefitted from her work at the ground level. 

Zonta International is a global community of more than 29,000 members operating in nearly 1,200 Zonta clubs housed in 63 countries. At the local level, Zonta clubs identify the most urgent issues affecting women and girls in their communities and develop service and advocacy projects to address these challenges. The issues and solutions vary, as each is tailored to local needs. Zontians in the region look forward to a new era of service to women in the coming years.