Photo provided to the Times Observer Representatives from the Zonta Club of Warren and the Warren County Commissioners gathered on Wednesday as the commissioners approved a resolution in support of an internatioal effort to say “No to Violence Against Women.”

The Zonta Club of Warren and the Warren County Commissioners have teamed up to send a message: “No to Violence Against Women.”

“Our local Zonta has been following 16 Days of Activism the last several years,” Phyllis Wright wrote in a letter to the commissioners, “and in 2021 wants to expand our participation and show the world that Warren County Pennsylvania says NO to Violence Against Women.”

The commissioners presented and approved a proclamation declaring Nov. 25 through Dec. 20 as “Zonta Says No to Violence Against Women, Warren, Pennsylvania.”

That proclamation cites various statistics regarding physical and sexual violance as well as trafficking and encouarages “all residents to prevent gender-based violence by educating the community on its harm, to advocate for survivors of gender-based violence and to act in service on their behalf.”

Zonta International is a “leading global organization of professionals empowering women worldwide through service and advocacy,” according to the organization’s website.

Wright’s letter to the commissioners details that the 16 Days of Activism corresponds with Nov. 25 — the International Day for The Elimination of Violence Against Women — and Dec. 10, Human Rights Day.

“The 16 Days of Activism continues to be coordinated each year by The Center for Women’s Global Leadership,” Wright wrote.

It’s local advocacy with international support.

“The UN supports this civil-society led campaign through the United Nations Secretary-General’s UNiTE to End Violence Against Women Campaign,” Wright explained. “The UNiTE Campaign utilizes the color orange to represent a brighter future, free from violence against women and girls, as a unifying theme running through all of its global activities.

The local Warren Zonta Club currently has 31 members.