Each year on December 10, Zonta International observes Human Rights Day, which commemorates the day in 1948 when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.
“It’s been 80 years since the United Nations was established to prevent future global conflicts and 77 years
since they adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, spurred by the massive and systematic human
rights abuses committed during the Second World War. At the same time, there was a focus to highlight the
interrelationship between war prevention and fundamental human rights. Yet here we are today with people
around the globe – mainly women and girls – struggling for this basic freedom.”
~ Jeni Royalty, Vice President – Zonta Club of Frankfort
Human Rights Day also concludes the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign and the 16 Days
of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. Click here to be inspired by how members worldwide have
advocated to end gender-based violence over the last two weeks.
The Zonta Club of Frankfort participated in the Zonta Says NO! / 16 Days campaign by placing orange bulbs in
their exterior light fixtures, along with several businesses showing support with orange lighting, putting Zonta
Says NO! signs around the community, and placing daily posts about gender-based violence on social media:
www.facebook.com/zontaclubfrankfort.
Our Everyday Essentials, this year’s UN Human Rights Day campaign, seeks to reaffirm the enduring relevance
of the UDHR and its core values — equality, justice, freedom, and dignity — reminding us that human rights
remain a steadfast promise for society. As the UN published in its observance of Human Rights Day, “In this
period of turbulence and unpredictability, where many feel a growing sense of insecurity, disaffection and
alienation, this theme is to reaffirm the values of human rights and show that they remain a winning proposition
for humanity.
It is widely known that Eleanor Roosevelt was the first chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights and
played a significant role in drafting the UDHR. However, there were other women who were crucial to the
document’s adoption, including Hansa Mehta, Minerva Bernardino, Begum Shaista Ikramullah, Bodil Begtrup,
Marie-Hélène Lefaucheux, Evdokia Uralova and Lakshmi Menon.
Just as these women shaped the milestone document that enshrines the rights of all human beings, women
continue to defend human rights and pursue gender equity.
On Human Rights Day, the Zonta Club of Frankfort thanks the community for its support as they stand up for
human rights and calls on others to join them in advocating for the rights of women, girls and all human beings.