The goal of the Young Women in Public Affairs (YWPA) Award Program is to encourage young women to participate in public affairs by recognizing a young woman’s commitment to the volunteer sector, evidence of volunteer leadership achievements and a dedication to the empowerment of women.
Applicants aged 16-19 on 1^st April each year, studying at a secondary school, college or university in a Zonta district/region, or who are studying elsewhere but are citizens of a Zonta country at the time of application, are eligible to apply. The application process must start with a Zonta club.

Download the 2023 application form: Zonta Club of Oak Brook 2023 YWPA Application FINAL
(Applications are due by February 28, 2023, to: YWPAOakBrook@gmail.com)

Applicants are asked to reflect on their voluntary commitment to their school and to their community and the problems limiting the empowerment of women in their own country and worldwide. The Zonta International Young Women in Public Affairs Award Program looks to the young women of today to be the leaders of tomorrow.

Zonta International, with world headquarters in Oak Brook, IL, USA, is a leading global organization of professionals empowering women worldwide through service and advocacy. The Young Women in Public Affairs Award is one of many programs for women and girls sponsored by Zonta International. The Award is funded by voluntary contributions to the Zonta Foundation for Women Young Women in Public Affairs Award Fund.

On May 12, 2022 members of the Zonta Club of Oak Brook gathered to celebrate their 10^th anniversary with community friends, members from other Zonta clubs, and reminisced and shared some of their clubs history.

Charter Members, Sponsor Joliet Zonta Club, and 2012 ZI D6 Governor

A special ‘Thank You’ to Zonta Club of Joliet for celebrating with us. They sponsored us in2012 and coddled us for an entire year as we blossomed into a club. And, thanks to our 2012 Zonta International District 6 Governor Yvonne Chalfant who conducted our beautiful and memorable Charter Ceremony! It was wonderful to have them come up to join us in the gathering.

Sponsor Members of Joliet Zonta Club 2012 ZI D6 Governor

We were honored by Zonta International President join in our celebration!

First Board Members

International President  ZI D6 Governor

Congratulations to our 2022 Young Woman in Public Affairs Award recipient, Catherine Tang, Junior at Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, Illinois!

Catherine Tang

Catherine’s involvement in Public Affairs is outstanding. Catherine’s involvement Public Affairs within her high school includes School Safety Committee, Model United Nations Club, and Varsity Debater. Catherine also has stellar Public Affairs experience  outside her school, beginning as a volunteer, later rising to a paid intern, at the office of Illinois State Representative Jonathon Carroll. She serves as Newsletter and Communications Head of the Sex Ed Initiative; volunteers to help judge and manage tournament brackets for Chicago Debates, a not-for-profit working to give students from lower-income families an opportunity to participate in debate; volunteer tutors middle schoolers in math and history for Project: Vision, a not-for-profit that helps youth in Chicago and surrounding communities; and works one-on-one with ESL students, many if whom are recent immigrants from China or Latin America. She participated in the Youth Ambassadors Program to Argentina and Chile, is a peer mentor for the Experiment Digital: Climate Change & the Environment, and serves as an Executive Board member of the World Language Honor Society. We wish her a wonderful Senior year at Glenbrook North and in all her future educational and professional pursuits.

Zonta Club of Oak Brook is now accepting applications
for 2022 JMK Women in Business Scholarship

Click to download: Zonta Club of Oak Brook – 2022 JMK Application

Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December, the day the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948.

The United Nations’ theme of Human Rights Day this year is “EQUALITY – Reducing inequalities, advancing human rights”—which relates to Article 1 of the UDHR: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”

“Our objective at Zonta International has always been for women to be treated equally,” said Zonta International President Sharon Langenbeck. “As long as inequality exists, human rights will be abused.”

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For the last 16 days, Zonta members around the world have been advocating to end gender-based violence through the Zonta Says NO to Violence Against Women campaign. Zontians in nearly 20 countries lit up monuments in orange, created public displays to build awareness, held webinars and workshops to educate their communities, and so much more.

Although our 16 days are coming to their end, by no means have we ended our fight to End Child Marriage. The impact of its end would be exponential and allow for girls to be children, not brides.