ZCOM International Convention Report

Rachelle Ferman, Trish Steele accepting club recognition for generous support of ZIF from Sonja Hönig Schough, Zonta International President 2016-18

For nearly 100 years, the members of Zonta International have been champions on behalf of the world’s women and girls. At the Zonta International Convention in Yokahama, Japan in July more than 2,000 members from around the world prepared to usher Zonta into a new century of positive impact as Zonta gets ready to celebrate its centennial in 2019.

Zonta Club of Midland members Trish Steele, 2nd Vice President, and Rachelle Ferman, Advocacy Chair, represented the local club at the convention and accepted an award recognizing the club for its generous support of the Zonta International Foundation (ZIF) during the 2016-18 Biennium. The Midland club hosts several fundraisers each year, including the annual Homewalk in December, with overall funds raised divided between local scholarships, local service grants and ZIF.

In the 2018–2020 Biennium, with the generous support of Zonta clubs and individual club members around the world, Zonta International will contribute more than 5 million US Dollars to projects and programs to empower women and girls. Zonta’s international service projects, including a major international project to eliminate child marriage, will focus on young women as both beneficiaries of the projects Zonta supports and as change makers themselves. Zonta will also expand its existing educational programs with the launch of the Zonta International Women in Technology Scholarship to encourage more women leaders in technology fields across the globe.

Trish and Rachelle participated in business meetings, workshops and cultural events during the convention and brought back new ideas for implementing Zonta’s goals locally. The goals for 2018-20 are to maximize Zonta’s impact through service and advocacy initiatives and educational programs that empower women and girls; strengthen resources to support the mission; and enhance Zonta’s profile around the world through centennial anniversary activities. The club is expanding local activities for the Zonta Says No to Violence Against Women, Equal Pay Day, and Ending Human Trafficking campaigns along with local membership drives to support these goals.
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The Zonta Club of Midland invites all area women to explore what Zonta has to offer members in support of women and girls in the community and around the world at a membership event on Thursday October 25th. For more information please go to ZontaCubofMidland.org or email membership@ZontaClubofMidland.org.