Zonta International

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Zonta International is a global professional service organization founded in Buffalo, New York in 1919 with the mission of advancing the status of women.

Currently, Zonta International is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The organization has over 30,000 members in 68 countries.

Zonta is well-known for its Amelia Earhart fellowship program, found in 1938 in honor of Amelia Earhart, who was a charter member of Zonta. The fellowship provides funds for women to study aerospace science or engineering at the graduate level. The organization also awards the Jane M. Klausman Women in Business scholarships to students entering the third or fourth year of a business-related undergraduate degree program and the Young Women in Public Affairs program recognizes the service and advocacy to pre-college women aged 16 to 20.

The Zonta International Foundation supports the charitable and educational programs of Zonta International through effective fundraising, investment of funds, and the distribution of proceeds. Funds raised through the foundation support programs that make a difference in the lives of women in more than 75 countries around the world. Zontians and Zonta Clubs have been committed to preventing violence against women for many years. They have supported such efforts through special local projects and generous donations to the Zonta International Strategies to Prevent Violence Against Women (ZISVAW)Fund. Current issues and projects supported by the International Service Program include Poverty and HIV/AIDS, Education and Health in Afghanistan and Bolivia and economic self-sufficiency for tsunami victims in Sri Lanka.

[edit] Zonta International and the United Nations

Zonta International service has been closely linked with the United Nations since Zonta expressed support for the fledgling UN in 1946. As an international non-governmental organization (NGO), Zonta brings women's concerns to the UN, suggests solutions, draws public attention to issues and encourages its members to participate at the local level.

Zonta maintains representatives of its United Nations Committee at UN sites in Geneva, New York, Paris and Vienna. Committee members attend UN conferences, and UN agency, committee and commission sessions.

Accredited NGOs, like Zonta, participate in these sessions by providing written statements and oral presentations on issues being considered. NGOs also may organize panels relating to the general debate.

UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Since 1985, Zonta has had general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), one of six principal bodies carrying out UN work.

ECOSOC is responsible for two-thirds of UN programs, in particular, those concerned with economic issues such as trade, industrialization and development, as well as social issues such as women’s rights, children and social welfare. ECOSOC makes recommendations on how to improve education and health conditions and to promote respect for and observance of the human rights and freedoms of people everywhere.

Zonta International also has consultative status with: International Labour Organization (ILO) Council of Europe

Commission on the Status of Women One of nine functional ECOSOC committees, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the leading policymaking body concerned with women's rights and the equal status of women. Since 1946,the CSW has convened an annual conference, now attended by thousands of women worldwide, to discuss issues of paramount concern for women.

Department of Public Information Zonta is one of many NGOs associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information because of its strong programs on issues of concern to women. The UN provides NGOs access to information and materials and the NGOs agree to disseminate information to their membership.