Zonta International Foundation

Zonta international is passionate about providing life-changing opportunities for women and girls through international service. By partnering with agencies of the united nations and other recognized non-governmental organizations, zonta has improved women's health, provided better economic opportunities and prevented gender-based violence in over 87 countries. Since the first service project, zonta has contributed more than $39.7 million to international service projects. The fiscal year ending may 31, 2025, is the first year of the zonta foundation for women 2024-2026 biennium. Zonta foundation for women funded the following international service projects the first year of the 2024-2026 biennium. Climate empower: community empowerment and innovation for gender-transformative climate action: evidence shows the direct and indirect impacts of climate change on women and girls in disportiate ways. Climate challenges are fueled by persistent and deeply rooted discriminatory sociocultural norms that justify or tolerate gender-based violence. Through the climate empower program, unfpa and zonta international are advancing innovation, education, and community-led solutions to reduce gender-based violence and strengthen resilience in madagascar, mozambique, and south sudan. The program directly benefits over 500,000 women, girls, and youth, while also reaching broader communities with awareness and tools to address and prevent climate-induced gender-based violence. (us$1,000,000).laaha: a virtual safe space for women and girls: one in three women experience violence in their lifetime, and 12 million girls are married before they reach the age of 18. Safe spaces are essential for providing women and girls with access to information, support services, and opportunities for empowerment- especially in humanitarian crises. Laaha, unicef's first digital platform co-created with women and girls from crisis-affected regions, extends this vital support online. Zonta international and unicef support this program which provides resources on health, rights, safety and financial literacy in 13 languages, ensuring accessibility and safety for all users. By replicating the protection, connection, and empowerment of physical safe spaces, laaha helps women and girls most in need access life-changing information and build supportive communities in a secure virtual environment. (us$750,000)global programme to end child marriage: a programme to accelerate global action: the foundation has committed additional funding to unicef usa to support the unfpa-unicef global programme to end child marriage in 12 focus countries: bangladesh, burkina faso, ethiopia, ghana, india, mozambique, nepal, niger, sierra leone, uganda, yemen and zambia. Zonta international's continued support will help advance the global programme's realization of its vision in which girls everywhere experience healthier, safer and more empowered life transitions while they maintain control of their own destiny by making informed choices and decisions about their education, sexuality, marriage and childbearing. Having already transformed the lives of millions of girls through the first two phases of the program, zonta international's continued support will strengthen government capacity and ownership to sustain progress long term - creating lasting change for millions more girls worldwide. (us$1,500,000)