Zonta Kitchener-Waterloo
Building a Better World for Women and Girls — a world free of gender-based violence
Every November, at Voices Empower: Break the Silence, in a sea of purple, there are a group of women who stand out in radiant orange. They are from the Zonta Club of Kitchener-Waterloo. This 6km Walk is a community awareness powerhouse in the region that illuminates the alarming rates of femicides across Canada and encourages participants to crowdfund to tackle one of the root causes – domestic violence, specifically intimate partner violence. It is widely supported by individual and community groups with attendance and crowdfunding both increasing significantly over the years.
One consistent supporter is Zonta. As a community-focused organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls through advocacy, service, education and charitable support, it’s no surprise that its members show up every fall to walk 6km in honour of the women who are killed every six days in our country. Zonta brings together professional women who work collaboratively to create positive change both locally and internationally; addresses issues that affect women and girls while supporting programs that promote equality, opportunity and safety.
A key focus of the organization is advocacy. The club actively supports efforts to end gender-based violence, promoting awareness and action on issues that disproportionately affect women and girls. Through public education campaigns and community engagement, Zonta encourages individuals and organizations to support safer and more equitable communities.
The missions of Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region and Zonta are closely aligned and for decades, both have demonstrated the power of volunteer leadership, community engagement advocacy, service, education and fundraising, to create meaningful change for women and girls. Events like Voices Empower prove that local action can contribute to a more equitable and inclusive world.
We are not making sufficient progress on this critical social issue. We need to keep talking about it.
One long standing Zonta member and individual supporter of Women’s Crisis Services, Catherine Wordley, shares that the issue of domestic violence is pervasive and impossible to ignore. “One only has to look at the statistics …the issue is so prevalent…we are not making sufficient progress on this critical social issue. We need to keep talking about it.” That’s why she crowdfunds for the cause annually and even won top prize for the individual raising the most money during the Voices Empower campaign in 2025.
Voices Empower 2026 will be held this year on Saturday November 21. Registration and sponsorship are now open!