WHILE the issues facing women at home and abroad have changed throughout history, the Zonta Club of Bendigo\u2019s commitment to solving them hasn\u2019t faltered.<\/p>\n
For almost half a century the club has made it their mission to champion women in all parts of life and support those in need.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn that time it\u2019s grown not only in its membership but in the number of things that it gets involved with,\u201d said club president Janet Cobden.<\/p>\n
Closer to home the Zonta Club assembles toiletry and emergency tote bags for women fleeing domestic violence or other unsafe situations with the help of non-member volunteers, while they also put together birthing kits for women in developing countries.<\/p>\n
The kits allow pregnant women to give birth safely in the absence of medical professionals, and the club has distributed 40,000 units in their 40-year history. With the help of sponsorships, the kits now cost $5 to produce.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s something we\u2019ve made very community orientated,\u201d Ms Cobden said. \u201cWe invite community members every year to come and help assemble them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe save about one in 10 mothers from dying from birth.\u201d<\/p>\n
The club also offer five different scholarships for young Bendigo women, and they\u2019re moving towards supporting young girls in STEM specifically.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt a local level what we\u2019re going to focus on is reaching out to primary school children,\u201d Ms Cobden said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo far we\u2019ve managed to raise $3600 for girls who are in primary school to be supported by the Bendigo Discovery Centre.\u201d<\/p>\n
The money raised will go towards Discovery memberships, which Ms Cobden said will give young girls the opportunity to pursue their interests in the science and technology areas.<\/p>\n
The club has raised and distributed over $379,000 to the community in their 40 years, and Ms Cobden attributes the effort to the dedication of Zontians past and present.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re very much a hands-on group, we have lots of fun, but there\u2019s a certain amount of business that we have to get through,\u201d she said. \u201cAsk a busy woman and she gets it done.\u201d<\/p>\n