President’s Message:
I am most honoured to be elected President of our dear Zonta Club of Hong Kong this year. Together with my very capable Board members, I pledge to do our utmost to build upon the legacies of our Past Presidents and to lead the coming biennium toward new beginnings – rooted in our solid foundations, with a special focus on Advocacy and Service.
Our club motto is clear: “Building a better world for women and girls”. With this goal in mind, our Club, Hong Kong’s mother club, has served our community for the past 54 years. My Board and I promise to continue what our Founder Sisters established, with the same fervour and dedication.
For those who are new to Zonta: Zonta International is a global service organisation of executives and professionals working together to empower women through Service and Advocacy. Founded in 1919 in Chicago, USA, Zonta International now has over 29,000 members in more than 1,200 clubs across 63 countries. It holds consultative status with six agencies of the United Nations and two international organisations.
In line with Zonta International’s expectations, our Club is committed to the following missions and vision:
Mission
1. To improve the legal, political, economic, educational, health, and professional status of women, and to advance understanding, goodwill, and peace through fellowship among executives in business and the professions.
2. Through a system of committees, to implement service programmes in joint efforts with local community groups, facilitate discussions, submit views on public policies, and manage and contribute to a diversity of local service projects that help the needy in Hong Kong.
Visions
The Zonta Club of Hong Kong envisions a world in which:
1. Women’s rights are recognised as human rights, and every woman is able to achieve her full potential.
2. Women have access to all resources and are represented in decision-making positions on an equal basis with men.
3. No woman lives in fear of violence.
With the above in mind, I pledge first to continue our service projects pertaining to “Say No to Violence Against Women and Girls.”
Through our excellent Z and Golden Z clubs, we hope to inspire our youth – through hands-on service projects – to expand their international perspectives and leadership skills, while providing educational opportunities that broaden their horizons and encourage compassion toward others.
In this coming biennium, I wish to emphasise service toward the needs of – single mothers, mothers raising children with physical or mental challenges, girls who have hearing- or visually-impaired parents, and those suffering from domestic violence – across all income groups. The daily challenges they face are too often neglected and misunderstood. This is not just about financial support. Compassion and action are equally needed to bring about sustainable change – through local advocacy campaigns and national incentives.
Consider just a few alarming facts:
• Globally, nearly 650 million women alive today were married before the age of 18.
• Globally, about two in three women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner.
• In Hong Kong, domestic violence cases involving female victims show a concerning trend.
Reported cases have risen 10% in recent years to over 1,200 annually – though up to 33% go unreported. And women constitute approximately 85% of domestic violence victims, with significant cases involving child abuse and intimate partner violence.
I believe we, members of this club, share a common vision with the goal to empower women of all ages and abilities; and to bring out their full potential. We strive for gender equality, and work toward more balanced representation and treatment at all levels. I believe that when we come together, we will create a better world for those less privileged than ourselves. Together, we will not back down in the face of adversity – we are stronger as a global community united in our cause.
I also believe we have the power to inspire our youth to become pillars of the world, to better themselves and those around them, guided by the same vision and compassion, in the true Zontian spirit of ending gender-based violence and prejudice.
Mother Teresa once reminded us, “What we are accomplishing may be a drop in the ocean, but if this drop were not in the ocean, it would be sorely missed.”
Small efforts can still achieve great impact when our united hearts are in the right place.
Let us work closely together to honour our mission and vision in this biennium, and create a world we will all be proud of.
Stand with us. Become the difference.
Thank you.
Prof Gillian Choa
President 2026 – 2028
