Advocacy Report

In 2022 the Service and Advocacy Committee was devolved into two committees. The Advocacy Committee is an amalgam with representatives of all the other committees.

During this Biennium Zonta International and District 23 have emphasised the role of Advocacy at all levels to improve the lives of Women and Children.

We have been attending the Area 1 and 4 Advocacy which have been held a mostly monthly basis via Zoom The following topics have been discussed and shared with club members.

·         Response to Family Violence and Coercive Control

·         Homeless Women and Children

·         Financial Literacy for Women

As a committee we decided to pick up on Financial Literacy which we did in two ways.

1.      We held a Financial Literacy Information Night during the 16 Days of Activism on the 1st December at the Melton Library and Learning Hub.

We had three excellent speakers:

• Christian Unger – Financial Capability Worker from Good Shepherd Foundation

• Mel Shirley – Community Stakeholder Officer from Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria

• Alec Cole - Accountant with Tax Concepts in Melton.

The small number of people who attended gained good information.

2.      Behind the Toilet Door Campaign

We printed 1000 posters with information about helpful websites, about financial literacy for women. We have distributed approximately 700 posters which have been place behind toilet doors in community centres, childcare centres, gyms and doctor’s surgeries. We are about to start on businesses such as hairdressers and pubs. The posters have placed in these venues in Melton Bacchus Marsh and Sunbury.