By Angela Norval
“Wow, what a start to the 2023 Zonta year; we thought 2022 was a big year, but let’s see what this year brings.”
This is just a taste of the excitement shared by president Le-Anne Allan as she and fellow members of The Zonta Club of Bundaberg look towards another year of empowering women worldwide through service and advocacy.
Such was the exceptional work by members, they received a personal congratulations letter from Zonta International president Ute Scholz on being one of the top three clubs in Tier II of Zonta International’s 2022 Add Your Voice Membership Campaign.
“We thrive thanks to the efforts of clubs like yours, working to welcome and retain members in our incredible community of gender equality advocates,” she said.
Another honour for The Zonta Club of Bundaberg was being named as Community Group of the Year at the 2023 Australia Day Awards ceremony.
Le-Anne said all members were honoured to be considered for such an award particularly when the other nominees were of such high calibre with very active profiles in the community.
“This award is a reflection of the enormous of good will, hard work and commitment by club members to the ideals of Zonta,” she said.
“Astonished is one word to describe how we felt after receiving the award; because The Zonta Club of Bundaberg has been silently working within the local community for over 32 years and this is the first award we have received for our contributions to the community.
“It is a compliment from the community to be recognised in such a way and we are most proud of this recognition.”
Zonta members volunteer their time and talents to work toward Zonta’s vision.
“We envision a world in which women’s rights are recognized as human rights and every woman is able to achieve her full potential.
“In such a world, every woman has access to all resources and is represented in decision-making positions on an equal basis with men and no woman lives in fear of violence.”
Le-Anne highlighted that for her and so many other members, membership in Zonta was an honour and a privilege.
“We are confident our members contribute their caring, enthusiasm and talents to our club and the community.”
The Zonta Club of Bundaberg continue to advocate strongly to end domestic and family violence, working alongside and supporting many local organisations in this domestic and family violence space including Bundaberg Police and EDON Place.
“We understand we are not the frontline or first responders in this area, as it is not within our area of expertise or experience, but we actively support and assist these and other organisations where we can.
“Our focus on changing the course of and history of young women is empowerment through education, as we believe education is a human right that has the power to save and improve the lives of women and girls, which leads to healthier families and stronger communities.”
Locally the Zonta educational programs and awards include:
• An annual Young Women in Public Affairs award. The award recognises young women, aged 16-19 years, who demonstrate superior leadership skills and a commitment to public service and civic causes and encourages them to continue their participation in public and political life.
• Annually, Zonta support the Skills for Tertiary Education Preparatory Studies program in partnership with CQUniversity Bundaberg with two $1000 annual scholarships providing recognition and financial assistance to two first year female undergraduate students residing and studying in the Bundaberg region.
• Annually, Zonta provide seven $300 financial bursaries to girls transitioning from grade six in local state primary schools Bundaberg South, Walkervale, Bundaberg West, Rosedale, Gin Gin, Thabeban and Burnett Heads to grade seven in local state high schools.
• In 2023, there was the introduction of The Zonta Club of Bundaberg’s Wide Bay TAFE Education Award, recognising a female TAFE student who is committed to further education, training and employment in a non-traditional female field of endeavour, with a cash prize of $500 aimed at supporting the recipient in her studies.
• In 2023, The Zonta Club of Bundaberg are also looking to introduce financial support for the Life Education Program which is delivered to children in local primary schools.
• Annually, The Zonta Club of Bundaberg co-ordinate a local 16 Days of Activism Campaign to End Violence against Women and Girls which runs from 25 November to 10 December.
In addition to its education programs, Zonta also hold a community breakfast event for International Women’s Day focused on friendships and advocacy, sharing in the glow and celebrations of local women’s achievements.
“Zonta’s voice becomes stronger when we recruit great individuals to work with us to further the mission and vision of Zonta.
“The Zonta Club of Bundaberg are a group of women who encourage each other, involve each other, support each other, empower each other, educate each other, enjoy each other’s company, and allow each member to do what they can when they can for the great cause of Zonta International.
“We would love to see new members join us and bring to the club their support for the great work that Zonta Bundaberg does on a local, national, and international level.”
