On Monday, the Zonta Club is celebrating the centennial anniversary of Zonta International.

To celebrate this anniversary, the Zonta Club of Austin will honor mighty community citizens who have made a lasting impact on others.

An award ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday at the Eagles Club in Austin. The night of festivities will begin at 5 p.m. Zonta District 7 “Centennial Impact” awards will be announced this evening.

“The mission of Zonta International is to empower women and girls through service and advocacy,” said President Cheryl Retterath. “We are honored to recognize the work in the Austin area made by the individuals, agencies, and businesses who will be recognized for the support and services they provide for women in our community. Join us for an evening of celebration of the ‘small but mighty.’”

Zonta International is a worldwide organization that has empowered women and girls through service and advocacy for 100 years.  It was founded on Nov. 8, 1919, in Buffalo, New York, by a group of forward-thinking women who were not satisfied with the predominantly social nature of many women’s organizations. 

Instead, Zonta’s founders envisioned a woman’s service organization that would advocate for laws and policies that ensure gender equality and help every woman or girl realize her full potential. Through continuous engagement over almost 10 decades, Zonta International has become a respected and reliable agent of civil society.  Zonta International is a non-governmental organization with general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

Zonta International promotes and strives to protect the human rights of all women and girls and reduce the incidences of violence against them. Since 1923, Zonta has provided more than $40.9 million to empower women and expand their access to education, health care, economic opportunities, and safe living conditions.