Zonta Celebrating 89 Years

I am the vice president of the Zonta Club of Charleston. My husband still thinks that we are involved in space explorations....thanks to our sort of funny sounding name: Zontians...Well, what is Zonta? Zonta is by invitation only, it is a global organization of professionals and executives working together to enhance the status of women worldwide through service and advocacy. We have more than 33,000 member in 65 countries. Being a member of Zonta is a priveladge, famous Emilia Erhard was one of the first members soon after the organization was established in the US in 1919.

Zonta works locally and internationally to enhance the status of women. Locally, we work with young ladies at Florence Crittenton. Internationally, Zonta sponsors and funds educational, health and service programs in countries such as Rwanda (Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV), in Guatemala and El Salvador (Safe Cities for Women), in Liberia (Reduction of Obstetric Fistula). Over the years, Zonta established educational centers in Sri Lanka, after tsunami, and in war-thorn Afganistan, and HIV preventions programs in sub-Saharan Africa.

Celebrating 89 Years in 2008, Zonta International continues to be on the front lines of the fight for women's equal rights through local and global projects that promote economic self-sufficiency, political equality, access to education and health, and the prevention of violence against women. Each year, Zontians dedicate hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours and millions of dollars.

www.zonta.org