Empowering Women: Zonta Club's Impact in Greater Cincinnati

By Mary Casey-Sturk

What do Amelia Earhart and a group of dedicated women in Greater Cincinnati have in common? Both have supported Zonta International as members of the renowned advocacy group.

Zonta International works to improve the lives of women and girls in our community and around the world through service projects, advocacy efforts and educational scholarships.

The Zonta Club of Cincinnati was chartered in April 1935 and Zonta International was founded in Buffalo, New York in 1919. Today, Zonta International has a global reach with over 26,000 members in 65 countries.

Their goal then and now: to build a better world for women and girls.

Helping Globally and Locally

I sat down with the members of the Zonta Club of Cincinnati recently over lunch and learned firsthand what they were doing in our community and beyond.

One of their many projects is packing birthing kits and newborn kits for countries lacking funding for medical resources. These basic kits provide essential items which are much needed for hygiene and safety. Shares Jane Wiehe, long-time member and current President, “The birthing kits provide for a safer birth if the mother delivers at home-especially helpful if no birthing attendant is available, or, for those mothers delivering in under-resourced areas or areas of conflict.” Wiehe further notes, “We include plastic sheeting, which will provide a clean surface for the mother to deliver on.” Since 2014, they have assembled over 5,000 birthing kits and nearly 1,000 newborn kits.

The World Health Organization reported these key facts in 2025:

Every day in 2023, over 700 women died from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth.
A maternal death occurred almost every 2 minutes in 2023.
Between 2000 and 2023, the maternal mortality ratio (MMR, number of maternal deaths per 100 000 live births) dropped by about 40% worldwide.
Just over 90% of all maternal deaths occurred in low- and lower-middle-income countries in 2023.
Care by skilled health professionals before, during and after childbirth can save the lives of women and newborns.

Maternal mortality is unacceptably high. About 260 000 women died during and following pregnancy and childbirth in 2023. Approximately 92% of all maternal deaths occurred in low- and lower-middle-income countries in 2023, and most could have been prevented.

On a regular basis, the local members of the Zonta Club gather to assemble the kits, and they are passed on to an Indianapolis-based non-profit for distribution.

Closer to Home

Zonta 16 Days of Activism is their ongoing advocacy campaign “Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women”. Since 2012, Zonta International has campaigned to raise awareness of the global issue of women’s rights violations. Each November, 16 days are set aside to advocate.

Longtime member and current president, Jane Wiehe, shared Zonta’s connections with local libraries. “Our collaboration with the library began in 1953 when we furnished the Children’s Reading Room.” Wiehe continues, “Fast forward to 2022 – Zonta Says No (against gender-based violence) Bookmarks were developed to be distributed to libraries during the global advocacy days of 16 Days of Activism (November 25-December 10^th) and throughout the year.

“(Zonta) works with libraries to host community talks with speakers from Women Helping Women and YWCA; book displays at the Madeira, Mt. Healthy, Main Branch, Forest Park libraries focused on gender-based violence, survivor stories, healthy relationships and resources for help at 2 libraries each year since.” Shares Wiehe, adding, “The bookmarks are now in all 41 libraries.” Wiehe further thanked Library Civic Engagement Coordinator, David Siders, who has been instrumental in building awareness and engaging the community through the libraries.

In early 2026, Club members traveled to Columbus to speak out against child marriage in Ohio, their message was to stop marriage for those under 18. This is a district-wide effort (Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia) to end child marriage. Annually, the Club awards grants to area non-profits and student scholarships. Coming later in 2026, it will host its fourth annual Journey of Healing: The Trauma-Informed Power of Art exhibition at the Contemporary Arts Center. A selection of artists from several mediums submitted work depicting personal journeys of well-being, which represents the power of art as a healing modality. Members Shawnee Turner and Lori Burkhardt were instrumental in establishing the Journey of Healing at CAC. And in June 2025 spoke at the Zonta International North American Interdistrict Meeting in Novi, Michigan to Zonta clubs from the US and Canada on forming this art project from concept to completion in their own clubs.

The hope is to empower artists, both professional and amateur, from the region to bring awareness to the lived experiences of those seeking a world where no woman lives in fear of violence.

There’s more this group does annually and during my lunch I learned about these and other projects. What struck me throughout the conversations was just how devoted they were to the cause and women and girls in our community-and beyond.

Members Share

Several members spoke about why they joined Zonta. Due to the very personal nature of their reasons for joining, IHL is identifying them as they requested.

“After enduring a lifetime of physical and emotional abuse from my mother, I realized that Zonta advocates to help women and girls escape from abusive situations. I joined Zonta to help and advocate for women and especially children, escape from abuse, and live in a world that is safe. I will continue to be a lifelong member of Zonta and advocate for the elimination abuse towards women and girls.” shared M.H.

G.C. added, “I became a Zontian 23 years ago to make a difference in the world. Sharing the Zonta mission of lifting up women and girls through service, education and advocacy spoke to me in a profound way. I continue to stay and serve in Zonta because of our mission and the friendships I have made with the high-quality women who serve alongside me.”

Newer member, Judy, who has been advocating for ending child marriage (no marriage until age 18, no exceptions) in Ohio shared, “Nationally Zonta has partnered with Unchained at Last to raise awareness of Child Marriage in the U.S., currently only 16 states have made child marriage 18 no exceptions.” Adding, “For me, advocacy has taken on an increased urgency and it’s imperative that all citizens in the US need to be aware of what’s going on at the local, state and federal levels. Raise your voice!”

This is just a sampling of the work they are doing, if you would like to learn more, visit zonta-cinti.org.