Zonta gets men on board on road to equity for women
Ute Scholz: Vision for the future
Zonta International is a global organization consisting of nearly 30,000 professionals in 66 countries (grouped into 32 Districts) who volunteer their time to advance the status of women and children world-wide. District 25 comprises India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka with a membership of over 500. The 2019 Centennial Conference currently being held in Colombo has 350 members from all member countries of District 25 and special invitees from other countries.
Ute’s dedication to Zonta goes back to the days when she was working a fulltime job. She has held several roles in the organization, including the role of Governor of her district. “At that time, my parents were alive and I was taking care of them. When I came home in the evening, it was sometimes 10 at night. I gave my husband a kiss, and I opened my laptop and I was now a Governor at work,” she recalls.
After she finished her full time job and worked freelance, Ute submitted her candidacy for the International Board, and also became the International Chairman for Zonta Young Women in Public Affairs Award and International Director.
“Being a member on the International Board is something different because you have to travel, read more papers and be present at board meetings,” she explains. Her position as Director also gave her the chance to go to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York. Her experience there, representing an international human rights organisation, changed her view of Zonta.
“When I saw that we are really making a change for women, I felt proud of what we do with the help of our members,” she recalls.
After taking up the mantle of Vice President, Ute made it her mission in Zonta to get men to support their ideas. “We as women being 50% of the world, cannot change the whole world.” So we needed to get the men to support our ideas, which is to have a world where women can develop their full potential, where women’s rights are acknowledged as human rights, and where no woman has to live in fear of violence. “This cannot happen when we don’t take the other part of the world with us on this journey,” she explains.
In order to have more men join them, Zonta has also begun to create individual memberships. People can now become members of Zonta International without being a member in a particular Club. “I think it is very interesting to get men to become individual members, just to say yes, I am an individual member and with that I stand for the goals and issues of Zonta. The best example is my husband!” she adds.
Ute was a Board Member for two years after she was elected. Thereafter, she sent in her application for International Vice President, her current post. Today she feels lucky to be able to combine both her freelance work and her role as Vice President Zonta International. She recalls visiting Madagascar this year for a Zonta International Foundation project called ‘Let Us Learn Madagascar’.
This project focuses on bringing children (especially girls) to school. “This is something very special, I will never have a chance to do something like that in my life,” she adds with a smile.
Aside from their international projects, Zonta also conducts several projects in cities and villages around the world. Every Zonta Club focuses on women and children, with regard to education or violence in their local communities. One of their main concerns currently are the strategies in place against child marriage and teenage pregnancy.
To mark their centennial year, Zonta International has also given a special grant where clubs could apply on behalf of NGOs with projects in their local community. For this nearly 300,000 USD was spent all over the world directly to where it is needed. “This was kind of a thank you from Zonta International to our clubs for their wonderful work they are doing in the local communities,” Ute says. Two grants were also given to Sri Lanka.
Governor of District 25 Shahnaz Nathani joins us to elaborate on some of the main issues that the District 25 Conference will focus on: strategies to help eradicate violence against women.
Part of the Centennial celebrations include an awards category, where every Zonta country and district will be recognising a non-Zontian who has worked towards empowering women. On this basis, the four countries in District 25 have selected high profile women who have worked in different areas. They will receive their awards at the District Conference in Sri Lanka.
“Our motto is to empower women through service and advocacy. I think it is very important that we as members also have to empower ourselves. This is, for me, one of the most important outcomes,” says Ute.