Volume I | August 2024
40 YEARS
Inspiring Impact: Zonta Foundation for Women Quarterly Report
The 2024-2026 Biennium will celebrate a momentous occasion the Zonta Foundation for Women’s 40th anniversary. This milestone is not just a marker of time but a testament to the enduring power of the collective action and generosity of thousands of Zonta members and friends. As we look back on four decades of remarkable achievements, we are reminded of the countless lives transformed, the women and girls uplifted and the future improved through the unwavering support of our Zontians and loyal supporters.
Since the Foundation’s inception at the Sydney Convention in 1984, the mission has remained clear: to build a better world for women and girls. From funding international service projects that provide life-changing opportunities to working toward gender equality in education by supporting scholarships, fellowships and awards, our journey has been one of continual growth and transformation.
This anniversary year is an opportunity for us to reflect on the Foundation’s history and celebrate the incredible achievements made possible by your support. Additional issues of the Zonta Foundation for Women Quarterly Report will highlight stories of impact and feature past education awardees, international service projects and key Foundation supporters. Is there a program or project that has resonated with you or inspired you to give more? We invite you to share why you support the Foundation. Email us at zifoundation@zonta.org and you could be featured in a future issue.
As we mark 40 years of making a difference for women and girls, we extend our deepest gratitude to you our donors, partners, members, and advocates. Thank you for being a part of our journey. Here’s to building a better world with a strong Foundation.
Action needed now to end child marriage
p g g g (2018) and II (2020-2024) of the program. Now as we continue our partnership into Phase III, Zonta International has committed US$1.5 million to end this human rights violation.
The Global Programme targets 12 countries which are home to almost half of the world’s child brides (300 million). In 2022, the Global Programme achieved the following results with the support of Zonta International and other partners:
More than 6 million adolescent girls (aged 10–19) actively participated in lifeskills or comprehensive sexuality education interventions.
161,446 girls (aged 10–19) were supported by the programme to enroll and/or remain in primary or secondary school. More than 4 million boys and men actively participated in group education/dialogues that address harmful masculinities and gender norms.
More than 16 million individuals (boys, girls, women and men) participated in group education/dialogue sessions on consequences of and alternatives to child marriage, the rights of adolescent girls and gender equality. 825,677 traditional, religious and community leaders participated in meaningful dialogues and consensus-building to end child marriage.
The global prevalence of child marriage has dropped from 23% to 19% in the last 10 years, although 1 in 5 girls are still married in childhood, and this number is declining too slowly over time. Overall global progress would need to be 20 times faster to eliminate child marriage by 2030. The United States in the last year now has 13 states of 50 who have passed legislation to end child marriage. Progress is possible and we will persist on.
Look for more updates in the future about the Global Programme to End Child Marriage in addition to these two incredible projects below.
New international service projects for the 2024-2026 Biennium
Equality in education is our goal
The Zonta Foundation for Women provided more than US$1.2 million in fellowships, scholarships and awards from 2022-2024 thanks to our generous donors. These funds were awarded to women in aerospace engineering and space sciences, broader STEM fields, business, and young women leaders
We remain committed to ensuring education equality for all women and girls. Here are the educational programs to look forward during the 2024-2026 Biennium:
AMELIA EARHART FELLOWSHIP
US$10,000 awarded to 30 women globally each year in the fields of aerospace engineering and space sciences.
ZONTA WOMEN IN BUSINESS LEADERSHIP AWARD
US$10,000 to 10 women who are driving innovation and impact in the business world.
ZONTA WOMEN IN STEM AWARD
US$10,000 to 16 women who are conducting groundbreaking research, pioneering discoveries, and/or making exemplary contributions to advancing knowledge and innovation in a STEM field.
JANE M. KLAUSMAN WOMEN IN BUSINESS SCHOLARSHIP
US$5,000 to 37 women pursuing degrees in business leading to a business management career.
ZONTA YOUNG WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP AWARD
US$5,000 each year to 37 young women who demonstrate leadership skills and commitment to public service and civic causes
Ria Vijayan, 2024 Amelia Earhart Fellow
Jihyeon Sung, 2024 Young Women in Public Affairs Awardee, now the Zonta Young Women in Leadership Award
ALUMNA SPOTLIGHT
One of our 2021 Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholars, Sanuri De Silva, joined Zonta in Brisbane this June at the 2024 Convention. She reflected on her journey of coming into a foreign country as a young woman in pursuit of higher education and the difficulties she faced. She took us through her life as a young girl in Sri Lanka, and how she watched her mother save the family business as a strong, empowered woman. Sanuri has accomplished so much at such a young age and continues to have many ambitions for her future
Zonta International will continue to support women in business with the new Zonta Women in Business Leadership Award. Applications for the award will open in 2025.
“I do want to continue helping startups [companies], so that is why I am studying in finance. I am working in finance. I am working in strategy. I especially would like to restart my company and work with female-led startups [because] I think it is very important [as] they are some of the most underrepresented funded areas, so women in business is where I hope to make them investor ready and advocate for them.”
