YWCA

As a global movement that engages with and mobilizes women, young women, and girls, the World YWCA is committed to progressive, community-based leadership, particularly through programming that is led by and for young women. In all its work, the World YWCA takes a collaborative, intergenerational approach that centers young women’s leadership and provides them with resources to build transformative leadership skills and become advocates and change-makers in their own lives and that of others.

The World YWCA’s work hinges on a commitment to human rights-based, feminist, faith and intersectional leadership that is inclusive, grounded in local communities, and grassroots-driven. The global YWCA movement has long emphasized a gender and human rights approach, and tackled issues in support of gender equality and human rights through a range of programming, advocacy, and services, and this work continues to this day.

The YWCA has provided safe spaces to women and girls since its founding in 1855, and this work continues to this day, both in person and virtually. Such safe spaces are a safe environment that encourages all people present to share experiences, opinions, and views without fear or threat of any harm.

Founded by women from Christian traditions and inspired by core principles of faith that recognize the equal value of all human beings, the YWCA has a powerful faith-based, grassroots history. There is a wide range of YWCA associations: some are ecumenical, while others are entirely secular organizations. The World YWCA works with a range of multi-faith leaders and ecumenical partners, secular organizations, governments.

The YWCAs work to secure access to sexual and reproductive health and rights through comprehensive sexuality education and programming, safe spaces, health services, & training.

The YWCA is involved in the fight to address and end violence against women and girls, which is the world’s largest human rights violation. YWCAs provide support to victim survivors and at risk individuals through crisis, health, housing, and legal services, safe spaces, and advocacy.

The World YWCA maintains that not only are women, young women, and girls profoundly, negatively impacted by war and conflict, but their leadership is essential to promoting non-violence and achieving a world with lasting peace and justice.

The World YWCA’s work supports the UN’s 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals.

Each year during the third week in October, YWCAs worldwide focus on raising awareness to end violence against women, young women, and girls. YWCA’s Week Without Violence was launched in 1995 and has grown from a grassroots initiative into a global movement with events in over 20 countries.

Starting in 1904, the World YWCA and the World Alliance of YMCAs have issued a joint call to prayer during the Week of Prayer and World Fellowship. During this week, the two movements pray and act together on a particular theme in solidarity with members and partners around the world. The week-long event is a Bible study based on that year's theme.

At the 1947 World Council meeting in Hangzhou, China, the decision was made to establish an Annual YWCA Membership Celebration. The 1947 Council asked the Executive Committee to assume responsibility for the design of the celebration, and in 1948 an Advisory Group of the Executive Committee conducted a survey among nation associations and defined the name, aim and timing of the soon-to-be annual event. World YWCA's Observance Day was born, to help each member see how she could act locally in relation to the theme for the year. The Wednesday or Thursday of the last week of April was chosen as the date for the Observance Day each year.

In 1949, a Planning Group was formed, representing national associations, members of the Executive Committee and the World YWCA staff. Some chosen themes for the Observance Day have been: My Faith and My Work, My Place in the World, My Contribution to World Peace, I Confront a Changing World, Toward One World and My Task in Family Life Today.

In 1972, an Executive Committee decided that the event name would be changed to World YWCA Day and that the theme would be chosen by the Executive Committee from among various programmes decided by the World Council. A 1989 Executive Committee Task Force decided that the date of celebration for World YWCA Day would be April 24.

In the beginning of the 20th century, a profound shift began within the YWCA. While industrialization had been a founding concern of the association, it had sought primarily to insulate women morally and socially from urban life. During the 1910 World YWCA conference in Berlin, however, the voices of thousands of working women from the United States were heard, and these objectives began to change. A resolution was passed requiring the association to study social and industrial problems, and to educate working women about the "social measures and legislation enacted in their behalf."[5] Thus the social conscience of the YWCA was born in the form that it maintains today.

Until 1930 the headquarters of the World YWCA were in London. The executive committee was entirely British, with an American General Secretary. This policy resulted in a resolutely Anglo-Saxon lens through which the association viewed the world. In 1930, however, the World YWCA headquarters were moved to Geneva, Switzerland, the same city as the newly formed League of Nations. This was symbolic of the drive to become a more diverse association, and also to co-operate fully with other organizations in Geneva (such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and the YMCA.)

The Second World War both strengthened the YWCAs of the world, and left its mark. Many of its members found it necessary to choose between their conscience and the safety of themselves and their families. In several countries, particularly in Eastern Europe, YWCAs were suppressed and disbanded. Throughout occupied Europe, however, women worked relentlessly to construct support systems for their neighbors and refugees, often with exceedingly limited resources.[6]

Shortly after the end of the war, the YWCA worked to fortify the bonds of women throughout the world by holding the first World Council meeting in nearly a decade in Hangzhou in 1947. This was significant in being the first World Council held outside of the West, and further voiced the desire to be an inclusive, worldwide movement.[6] It also served to bring together women who lived in countries that had been enemies during the war, and to raise awareness among the western YWCAs that the ruin of war was not limited to Europe.

During the following decades, the World YWCA spent much time researching and working with the issues of refugees, health, HIV and AIDS, literacy, the human rights of women and girls, the advancement of women and the eradication of poverty; mutual service, sustainable development and the environment; education and youth, peace and disarmament, and young women's leadership. These issues continue to play an integral role in the World YWCA movement.

YWCAs have a presence in 27 countries in Europe. The European YWCA includes national YWCAs in Belarus, Denmark, Great Britain, Norway, Romania, and more. The European YWCA is a regional legally registered body, serving as an umbrella organization for the national YWCAs around the European continent.

The YWCAs of the Middle East region are in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel.

There are over 20 national YWCAs serving communities across the Africa region. YWCAs of Africa include YWCA of Burkina Faso, YWCA Malawi, YWCA South Africa, and YWCA Togo.

YWCA has a presence in a number of countries in Asia, including YWCA of Bangladesh, YWCA of China, YWCA India, YWCA Korea, YWCA of Nepal, YWCA of Taiwan, and YWCA of Thailand.

National YWCAs in the Pacific region include YWCA Aotearoa New Zealand, YWCA Australia, YWCA of Papua New Guinea, YWCA of Solomon Islands, and YWCA of Samoa. YWCA Australia dates back to 1880, when the first YWCA in the country was established in Sydney to help migrant women.

In North America, YWCA has a presence in the United States and Canada. YWCA USA was founded in 1858 and today has over 200 member associations, serving over 2 million women, girls, and their families.[35] YWCA USA is one of the largest provider of domestic violence programs and shelters in the United States. YWCA Canada dates back to 1870. Today, YWCA Canada has over 30 member associations, serving 1 million women, girls, and their families.

National YWCAs in the Caribbean region include YWCA Barbados, YWCA Grenada, YWCA Haiti, and YWCA Trinidad & Tobago.

YWCAs of Latina America include YWCA Argentina, YWCA Belize, YWCA Brazil, YWCA of Chile, YWCA Colombia, and YWCA Honduras.

• Young Women's Christian Association (University of Washington) Records. 1903-1982. 50.6 cubic feet. At the Labor Archives of Washington, University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.
• Young Women's Christian Association of Canada fonds at Library and Archives Canada.[7] The archival reference number is R4957. 1870-1991. 26.1 meters of textual records;1045 photographs (chiefly b&w); 7 audio discs (ca. 3 h, 11 min.); 9 architectural drawings; 5 crests and pennants; 2 printing blocks, linocut, photomechanical cut; 1 print photo-mechanical; 1 award plexiglass; 12 audio reels (ca. 11 h, 35 min); 7 audio cassettes (ca. 7 h, 30 min.); 7 film reels (ca. 3 h).[8]