YWCA

 

(YWCA), organization whose stated mission is “to empower women and girls and to eliminate racism.” The movement is nondenominational. It grew out of the homes for young women and female prayer unions established throughout Great Britain during the mid-19th cent., most notable of which was the London boardinghouse created (1855) by Lady Kinnaird, generally taken to be the first YWCA. In 1877 a number of these organizations merged officially to form the Young Women's Christian Association. The movement spread to the British colonies and to the Continent. Meanwhile, in New York City, a prayer group known as the Ladies' Christian Union, generally considered the first YWCA in the United States, had been organized in 1858 by Mrs. Marshall O. Roberts. In Boston, another group formed (1866) the first U.S. association officially to call itself the Young Women's Christian Association. The movement spread rapidly, and a national body, the Young Women's Christian Associations of the United States, was established in 1906. National headquarters have been in New York City since 1912. In 1894, a World Young Women's Christian Association was formed; its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland; 101 national YWCAs belong to the organization. In the United States there are YWCA buildings in all cities of appreciable size. YWCAs may provide child-care, shelter, physical-fitness and health-education programs and social-justice discourse. The YWCA has some 2 million members.

Bibliography

See YWCA Directory; M. S. Sims, The Natural History of a Social Institution (1936) and The Purpose Widens, 1947–1967 (1969).

The YWCA (Young Women's Christian Association) is a women's membership movement that strives to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision--to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA is a non-profit organization, the first of which was founded in the UK in 1855. The umbrella organization for the national associations is the World YWCA, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The original Christian focus is still strong in many of the national movements, both in Europe and the rest of the world, but some have changed their focus to social programs and services and mission-based topics.

The YWCA is independent of the YMCA, though many local YMCA and YWCA associations have amalgamated into YM/YWCAs or YMCA-YWCAs, and belong to both organizations while providing the programs of each.

In the UK

In the United Kingdom, the name has been truncated to YWCA England & Wales as Christianity no longer plays an integral part in the organisation. YWCA England & Wales concentrates on informal education (youth work), information and signposting for young women growing up in disadvantaged areas. It also campaigns on issues that affect young women. YWCA's most recent campaign was called Respect young mums, and was about getting better support for teenage mums.

Jury's Hotel, Great Russell Street, London, was originally built by Sir Edwin Lutyens as the YWCA headquarters - the railings at the entrance still bear the YWCA monogram.

In the US

In the United States, there are nearly 300 YWCA associations nationwide at close to 1,100 sites serving 2.6 million members and participants. Associations are configured into 9 regions. Regions vary in size from 19 associations (New England) to 60 associations (Great Lakes). Average of the other regions is 32 associations. The associations employ about 14,000 staff members - 44% are full-time and 56% part-time. In 2004, the YWCA USA utilized 75,225 volunteers to deliver our services.

In 2004, YWCA USA associations registered 2.6 million people in programs for children, youth and adults, of which 22% were helped with domestic violence programs, 8% were involved in economic empowerment & leadership development programs, 10% participated in racial justice programs, 7% were served by housing and shelter programs, 24% experienced child, youth and teen programs, 24% enjoyed the benefits of health, fitness and aquatic programs. The majority of the YWCA USA associations publicly advocate on Racial Justice, Violence Against Women, Early Childhood Education and Increasing Women's Income issues.

The YWCA of The City of New York, the oldest of all of the YWCAs in the United States, is 150 years old. They are unique in that the organization is guided purely by human service-oriented programs rather than physical services. Such programs include their Early Learning Centers, Family Resource Center, Out-of-School Programs, Professional Development Programming, and Women's Employment Programming to name a few and still guided by the YW mission of eliminating racism and empowering women. They are a major component of the non-profit community in New York City. They produce several fundraising events annually including the Salute to Women Leaders Luncheon, the YWCA-NYC Theatre Benefit (featuring the broadway hit The Color Purple in 2005 and the revival of Michael Bennett's A Chorus Line in 2006). Their annual Summer Soirée (held at the W Hotel in 2005 and Cipriani 23rd Street in 2006) at which they present their "W" award. This award is presented to a woman who is a visionary, an innovator, trend-setter, a woman who gives back to her community and helps those the YW serves daily: the women, girls and families of New York City. In 2005, this award was given to Marian McEvoy and in 2006 to Star Jones-Reynolds.

Prior to the U.S. civil rights movement, some YWCA facilities were segregated or operated as separate organizations. Advocates like Helen L. Seaborg in Washington, D.C. worked successfully to mediate mergers between the segregated groups. Today the YWCA works worldwide to eliminate racism.

The YWCA USA is a preeminent provider of domestic violence programs and shelters in the United States, serving well over ½ million women and children. As comparison, the largest national hotline averages 192,000 calls per year. They are one of the largest providers of child care in the United States with nearly 350,000 children cared for, possibly more children than the largest for-profit center chain. The total income per year is almost $650 million - ($649,500,430). Of this amount, 49% is from government grants, 23% from public support (individuals, foundations, corporations) and membership fees, and 21% from program service fees.

The YWCA USA is an organizational member of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, which advocates gun control.

Trivia

• The YWCA logo was created in 1988 by Saul Bass.
• The organization was mentioned in The Smiths' song Half A Person. "I booked myself in at the Y...WCA. I said I like it here - can I stay? I like it here - can I stay? And, do you have a vacancy, for a back-scrubber?"

Bibliography

• Mary S. Sims, The YWCA: An Unfolding Purpose (New York: Woman's Press, 1950).
• Mary S. Sims, The Purpose Widens, 1947-1967 (New York: YWCA, 1969).

See also

• YMCA
• Jewish Community Center
• 92nd Street Y

External links

• World Young Women's Christian Association
• YWCA England & Wales
• YWCA of Hong Kong
• YWCA USA
• YWCA Canada
• YWCA of Vancouver
• YWCA Switzerland
• YWCA Germany
• YWCA of India
• [http://www.ywca.org.au/ YWCA Australia

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