Press Release
The Harbour Bay Plaza is brightly adorned with orange bows symbolizing the bright hope that Zonta Bahamas has that its message to end violence will seep in, community by community, until women and girls nationwide are protected.
This weekend, members of Zonta Clubs of New Providence and Nassau took the 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence Campaign, also known as the Orange the World Campaign, to the eastern district of New Providence. In addition to sharing information pamphlets and tying orange bows around Harbour Bay Plaza, Zonta introduced a new element to its campaign that turned out to be a hit.
The Zonta Bahamas Say No to Violence Raffle featured a grand prize of $5,000 along with ten other prizes including hotel stays, food, fuel and gas vouchers, and more. The raffle took place outside of CIBC Bank, Harbour Bay on Saturday, November 29, with Marie Roberts being the lucky winner of the cash prize.
More importantly, Zonta raised funds to support a plethora of programmes they have, designed to make a meaningful difference in the lives of women and girls. The Workforce Readiness Programme, for example, is a wildly popular programme that provides inner city and underprivileged women with the tools they need to successfully achieve gainful employment and provides them with businesswear to dress for success in their new jobs.
“Programmes like these help to deter incidents of gender-based violence against these women,” said Zonta Club of New Providence President ACP Janet McKenzie. “We can help to tackle the rates of violence against women we see in these communities when women can work for themselves and feed their families.”
Zontian women believe in sisterhood and because of it, they also have an Endowment Fund that has transformed the lives of women by helping make their dreams of higher education a reality. The Zonta Endowment Fund is a successful venture for this century-old organization. At least 11 Bahamian women over the age of 35, who do not qualify for a government scholarship because they cannot take on full time school as they are working, have received their Bachelor’s Degree thanks to the Zonta Endowment Fund.
The 2025 Orange the World Campaign has already included a Digital Violence Webinar featuring experts like Minister Paul Scavella, Dr Sean Knowles, and Detective Constable 4754 Tiffany Fernander. Zonta also partnered with the University of The Bahamas to host a Say No to Violence Symposium in person and online. The in person event was held on Thursday, November 27, 2025 at the Harry C Moore Library, where UB President Dr Robert Blaine gave the keynote speech. Presenters included Dr Nikechia Hall-Dennis, Gender Expert Elaine Sands, and Mental Therapy Coach Philippa Dean.
The 16 Days of Activism runs from November 25, the International Day to End Violence Against Women and Girls, to December 10, International Human Rights Day. This year, Zonta’s final event will be held on December 12 with a special forum entitled: “Protecting the Vulnerable” for people living with disabilities, to be held at the Department of Physical Planning’s Hearing Room, JFK at 10am.
(Photos: D Newton Photography)
The post Orange the World Campaign to End Violence Against Women and Girls appeared first on ZNS BAHAMAS.
