We encourage young women in our communities to realise their potential in education and encourage leadership and organisational skills. We do this by providing role models and opportunities for girls to hear how other women have formulated their careers, overcome obstacles, and identify opportunities that have led them to success.
Zonta is dedicated to achieving gender equality in education and supports scholarships, fellowships and awards for women and girls pursuing education and careers in areas traditionally only open to men.
To enable Zonta to reach young women, we run Z Clubs in high schools and Golden Z Clubs in universities. In Christchurch the Zonta Club of Christchurch-Canterbury sponsors a Z Club at Avonside Girls’ High School. Lincoln University has an active Golden Z Club which is sponsored by the Zonta Club of Christchurch North.
The Zonta Club of Christchurch-Canterbury had had a Z Club for 27 years (2021) and in that time many girls have worked hard to provide leadership, advocacy and service to their school, communities, and local organisations.
We work with a teacher liaison who helps to promote Z Club at the beginning of the school year, and we typically get around 35 to 40 girls enrol in the first few weeks. A small team from our Zonta Club meet with the girls once a week, and initially we give them an overview of the Zonta organisation and how they will fit in. Z Club is run as a simpler version of a Zonta Club, with a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Once a Board has been voted in, the girls then choose a local charity to support with Service and Fundraising throughout the year. In recent years, these have included:
- Canterbury Heart Kids
- CanTeen
- Goodnight, Sleep Tight
- Camp Quality
- Ronald McDonald House
- Local rest homes
- All Star Kids
- Aviva
- Cholmondeley Children’s Home
