The Zonta USA Caucus mourns the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other people of color harmed by systemic racial discrimination and violence in the United States and is committed to working towards a more equitable nation. In our quest to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls, the Zonta USA Caucus understands that racism can be a multiplier of injustice and we must oppose it forcefully. We will approach that goal by advocating for racial and gender equality in a way that reflects our awareness of the intersectional forces.
We fully endorse the statement of the President of Zonta International, Susanne von Bassewitz:
Zonta International responds to discrimination
10 June 2020
As an advocate for women’s rights that are, in fact, human rights, Zonta is committed to treating everyone with equal respect and can not tolerate discrimination.
No person should be disadvantaged, let alone be a victim of violence, because of her/his gender, skin color, ethnicity or any other reason. Instead, everyone should have the same opportunities to develop their full potential.
We acknowledge that, in order to overcome discrimination of any kind, we need to sharpen our awareness for unconscious biases that affect our individual actions and advocate for laws and policies that ensure equal rights and opportunities for all people.
The diversity of our global organization is a strength we will build on every day on the path to gender equality.
Our 28,000+ members from 63 countries join with others to make this world a better place for all.