YWCA

Last updated

YWCA
Young Women's Christian Association
Founded1855;169 years ago (1855)
Founder Mary Jane Kinnaird
Emma Robarts
Founded at London, United Kingdom
Headquarters Geneva, Switzerland
Region
Worldwide
Website www.worldywca.org

The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries.

Contents

The World office is currently based in Geneva, Switzerland, and the nonprofit is headquartered in Washington, DC.

The YWCA is independent of the YMCA, but a few local and national YMCA and YWCA associations have merged into YM/YWCAs or YMCA-YWCAs and belong to both organizations, while providing the programs from each (an example being Sweden, which did so in 1966).

Governance structure

The World Board serves as the governing body of the World YWCA, comprising representatives from all regions of the global YWCA movement. It oversees the organization's operations and activities. On the other hand, the World Council acts as the legislative authority and governing body of the World YWCA. It convenes every four years to make significant decisions affecting the entire movement, including policy, constitution, strategic direction, and budgets. During the World Council meetings, 20 women are elected to serve on the World Board, representing various member associations affiliated with the global YWCA movement.

History

The YWCA history dates back to 1855, when the philanthropist Lady Mary Jane Kinnaird founded the North London Home for nurses travelling to or from the Crimean War. [1] The home addressed the needs of single women arriving from rural areas to join the industrial workforce in London, by offering housing, education and support with a "warm Christian atmosphere". Kinnaird's organisation merged with the Prayer Union started by evangelist Emma Robarts in 1877. [1]

The Australian YWCA was formed in 1880 when Mary Jane Barker organised the initial meeting in Sydney. [2] Ann Alison Goodlet became its first President. Goodlet served until 1903. [3]

In 1884, the YWCA was restructured. Until then, London had had almost a separate organisation, but there was now one YWCA organisation. Beneath this there were separate staffs and Presidents for London, England and Wales, Scotland, Ireland, "Foreign" and Colonial and Missionary. This organisation distributed Christian texts and literature, but it also interviewed young women in an effort to improve living conditions. In 1884, they were working amongst Scottish fisherwomen, publishing their own magazine and operating a ladies' restaurant in London. [1]

The World YWCA was founded in 1894, with USA, Great Britain, Norway and Sweden as its founding mothers.

A YWCA poster from 1919 YWCA In Service for the Girls of the World - Poster, 1919 s58d.5 - 2.jpg
A YWCA poster from 1919

The first world conference of the YWCA was held in 1898 in London, with 326 participants from 77 countries from around the world. [4]

Early 20th century

Poster urging women to join the British war effort in World War I, published by the YWCA Affiche-guerre Femmes-au-travail.jpg
Poster urging women to join the British war effort in World War I, published by the YWCA
YWCA, New York City Young Women's Christian Association, NYC (Club women of New York, 1905).png
YWCA, New York City

In the beginning of the 20th century, a shift began within the YWCA. While industrialization had been a founding concern of the association, it had sought primarily to evangelise, and to protect women morally and socially from the consequences of urban life. But the emerging socialist movement began to affect these objectives. The first sign of this was during the 1910 World YWCA conference in Berlin, when a resolution was passed against considerable opposition, requiring the association to study social and industrial problems, and to educate working women about the "social measures and legislation enacted in their behalf." Over time the well-organised activists were able to take control of the YWCA, discard its original purposes, and employ it as part of their own movement. By 1920 the process was complete, and the YWCA became a largely secular organisation in all but name, with ties to Social Gospel groups. [5]

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 Anglocentric 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).[ citation needed ]

World War II

In several countries, particularly in Eastern Europe, YWCAs were suppressed and disbanded. Throughout occupied Europe, however, women worked to construct support systems for their neighbors and refugees. [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.

Programs

YWCA Week Without Violence

Each year during the third week of October, YWCAs worldwide focus on raising awareness to end violence against women and girls.

YWCA Week of Prayer

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.

World YWCA Day

In 1948, 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. 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, the event name was changed to World YWCA Day, and the date of celebration for World YWCA Day became April 24.

YWCAs around the world

YWCA has a presence in over 100 countries, and includes national and regional entities in eight global regions. Many regional YWCAs operate as independent entities at the local level and belong to their country's national YWCA body as part of a federated, membership-based model. [7]

Europe

The European YWCA includes national YWCAs in Belarus, Belgium, 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. YWCA Scotland works under the name The Young Women's Movement. [8]

Middle East

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

Africa

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

Asia

YWCA has a presence in a number of countries in Asia, including Bangladesh, China, India, Korea, Nepal, Taiwan, Philippines and Thailand. Sophia Cooke established of the Young Women's Christian Association in Singapore in 1875. [9]

Pacific

National YWCAs in the Pacific region include New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Samoa. In 1878, Dunedin activists established the first YWCA in the southern hemisphere. [10] The YWCA branch in Christchurch was established in 1883 to support visitations to the sick; and, in 1885 Auckland's chapter started up with a strong focus on providing a clean and properly supervised living space for working girls. [11] YWCA Australia dates back to 1880, when the first YWCA in the country was established in Sydney to help migrant women.

North America

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. 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.

YWCA USA is headquartered in Washington, DC. [12] Previously its headquarters were in the Empire State Building in New York City. [13]

Caribbean

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

Middle and South America

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

Leadership since 1855

Past Presidents
NameCountryYear
Mrs. J. Herbert TrittonUnited Kingdom1898–1902
Mrs. George CampbellUnited Kingdom1902–1906
Miss Mary MorleyUnited Kingdom1906–1910
Mrs. J. Herbert TrittonUnited Kingdom1910–1914
The Hon. Mrs. Montague WeldgraveUnited Kingdom1914–1924
The Rt. Hon. The Baroness Parmoor United Kingdom1924–1928
The Hon. Mrs. Montague WeldgraveUnited Kingdom1928–1930
Miss C. M. Van Asch Van WijckNetherlands1930–1938
Miss Ruth RouseUnited Kingdom1938–1946
Miss C. M. Van Asch Van WijckNetherlands1946–1947
Miss Lilace Reid BarnesUSA1947–1955
The Hon. Isabel CattoUnited Kingdom1955–1963
Dr. Una B. PorterAustralia1963–1967
Mrs. Athena AthanassiouGreece1967–1975
Dame Nita Barrow Barbados1975–1983
Mrs. Ann NorthcoteCanada1983–1987
Dr. Jewel Freeman Graham USA1987–1991
Mrs. Razia Ismail AbbasiIndia1991–1995
Mrs. Anita AnderssonSweden1995–1999
Ms. Jane Lee WolfeUSA1999–2003
Ms Mónica Zetzsche Argentina2003–2007
Susan BrenanAustralia2007–2011
Deborah Thomas-AustinTrinidad and Tobago2011–2019
Mira RizeqPalestine2019–pres.
Past General Secretaries
NameCountryYear
Miss Annie ReynoldsUSA1894–1904
Miss Clarissa SpencerUSA1904–1920
Miss Charlotte T. NivenUSA1920–1935
Miss Ruth Woodsmall USA1935–1947
Miss Helen RobertsUnited Kingdom1947–1955
Miss Elizabeth Palmer USA1955–1978
Miss Erica BrodieNew Zealand1978–1982
Mrs. Ruth SovikUSA1982–1985
Miss Ellen Clark (acting)USA1985–1986
Mrs. Genevieve Jacques (acting)France1986–1987
Mrs. Elaine Hesse SteelNew Zealand1987–1997
Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro Kenya1998–2007
Mrs. Nyaradzai GumbonzvandaZimbabwe2007–2016
Ms. Malayah HarperCanada2016–2019
Mrs. Casey HardenUSA2019–pres.

Partners

The World YWCA is involved and is a part of the Big Six Alliance of Youth Organisations (World Alliance of Young Men's Christian Associations, World Young Women's Christian Association, World Organization of the Scout Movement, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation). It is also a member of Accountable Now, ACT Alliance, and has consultative status with United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). World YWCA works in partnership with a number of ecumenical players (World Council of Churches, Lutheran World Federation, etc.) and a number of international institutional and government donors.

Bibliography

Archives

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">YMCA</span> Worldwide youth organization founded by Sir George Williams in 1844

YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches worldwide. It was founded in London on 6 June 1844 by George Williams as the Young Men's Christian Association. The organization aims to put Christian values into practice by developing a healthy body, mind, and spirit.

The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international temperance organization. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program that "linked the religious and the secular through concerted and far-reaching reform strategies based on applied Christianity." It plays an influential role in the temperance movement. Originating among women in the United States Prohibition movement, the organization supported the 18th Amendment and was also influential in social reform issues that came to prominence in the progressive era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">YWCA USA</span> Nonprofit organization

YWCA USA is a nonprofit organization and the American division of the YWCA. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and focuses on women's empowerment. The organization additionally aims for the promotion of peace, justice, freedom, and dignity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts</span> International female-oriented youth organization

The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts is a global association supporting the female-oriented and female-only Guiding and Scouting organisations in 152 countries. It was established in 1928 in Parád, Hungary, and has its headquarters in London, United Kingdom. It is the counterpart of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM). WAGGGS is organised into five regions and operates five international Guiding centers. It holds full member status in the European Youth Forum (YFJ), which operates within the Council of Europe and European Union areas, and works closely with these bodies.

The history of youth work goes back to the birth of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, which was the first time that young men left their own homes and cottage industries to migrate to the big towns. The result of this migration was an emergent youth culture in urban areas, which was responded to by the efforts of local people.

The World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) is a federation of autonomous national Student Christian Movements (SCM) forming the youth and student arm of the global ecumenical movement. The Federation includes Orthodox, Protestant and Catholic students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Svenska Scoutrådet</span> Defunct council

Svenska Scoutrådet was, until 2012, the national Scouting and Guiding Federation of Sweden. The council was dissolved in September 2013 after a restructuring process creating the new single national Scout association, Scouterna.

The Scout and Guide movement in Denmark consists of about ten different associations. Most of them are members of two large federations, but there are also some independent organizations. Affiliated to Danish Scouting and Guiding are the organizations in Greenland, on the Faroe Islands and in Southern Schleswig.

Non-aligned Scouting organizations is a term used by the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and their member national organizations to refer to Scouting organizations that are not affiliated with them. See List of non-aligned Scouting organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girl Guides</span> Movement for girls and young women

Girl Guides is a worldwide movement, originally and largely still designed for girls and women only. The movement began in 1909, when girls requested to join the then-grassroots Boy Scout Movement.

Shattuck and Hussey was a Chicago-based architectural firm founded by Walter F. Shattuck (1871-1948) and Harry Hussey (1882-1967).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deng Yuzhi</span>

Deng Yuzhi also known as Cora Deng, was a Chinese social and Christian activist, and a feminist. Born in Hubei, she promoted women's education and rights, and defied the traditional woman's role in Chinese society. A Protestant by birth, she was an active and leading member of the Chinese Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA). She established night schools for the women workers of industrial establishments, and fought for their rights. At the age of 19, she participated in the May Fourth Movement, and, on the establishment of the People's Republic, held positions in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily Kinnaird</span> English missionary and writer

Hon. Emily Kinnaird CBE or Emily Cecilia Kinnaird was an English missionary and writer. She was active for the Young Women's Christian Association and she had a long association with India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">YMCA of the USA</span> US non-profit youth organization

The National Council of Young Men's Christian Associations of the United States of America is part of the worldwide youth organization YMCA.

Janet Lacey was an English charity director and philanthropist who led the British Council Inter-Church Aid and Refugee Department from 1952 to 1968. She began working for the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) in Kendal and later Dagenham from 1925 to 1945. After the Second World War, Lacey was YMCA education secretary for demobilising British Army of the Rhine soldiers in Germany and was later appointed field young secretary for the British Council of Churches in 1947. At Christian Aid, she helped the organisation refocus on global poverty and funded development projects in 40 countries. She oversaw the establishment of Christian Aid Week in 1957 and was a founder member of the Voluntary Service Overseas organisation in 1958. Lacey became the first woman to preach at St Paul's Cathedral in 1967 and later at Liverpool Cathedral and St George's Cathedral. She was director of the national Family Welfare Association charity from 1969 to 1973 and wrote the 1970 autobiographical book A Cup of Water.

Eliza Pottie was an Australian social reformer, and a leader in women's organizations in New South Wales. She was involved in the founding of the Young Women's Christian Association in Sydney, the Ladies' Sanitation Association, and the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). She served as president of the Ladies Sanitation Association for nine years.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA)". mrc-catalogue.warwick.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  2. ↑ Avery, Rachel. "Help us celebrate 140 years of the YWCA movement in Australia - YWCA". www.ywca.org.au. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  3. ↑ Mansfield, Joan, "Ann Alison Goodlet (1824–1903)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 14 October 2023
  4. ↑ Carole Seymour-Jones, Journey of Faith: The History of the World YWCA 1945-1994 (London: Allison & Busby 1994)
  5. ↑ Dorothea Browder, A Christian Solution of the Labor Situation: How Workingwomen Reshaped the YWCA's Religious Mission and Politics (Journal of Women's History, Vol 19, Summer 2007)
  6. 1 2 Karen Garner, Global Feminism and Postwar Reconstruction: The World YWCA Visitation to Occupied Japan, 1947 (Journal of World History, Vol. 15, June 2004)
  7. ↑ "Members Page". World YWCA. 16 September 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  8. ↑ "YWCA Scotland, SC034132". www.oscr.org.uk. OSCR:Scottish Charity Regulator. Retrieved 3 September 2023. The Name the Charity is Known By: The Young Women's Movement
  9. ↑ Lee, Gracie. "Sophia Cooke". Singapore Infopedia. National Library Board, Singapore. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  10. ↑ Wood, Marion (1993). "Young Women's Christian Association of Aotearoa/New Zealand 1878-". In Else, Anne (ed.). Women Together: A History of Women's Organisations in New Zealand. Wellington, NZ: Daphne Brasell Associates Press. pp. 125–128.
  11. ↑ "Our History". YWCA New Zealand. YWCA Auckland. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  12. ↑ "Contact Us". YWCA. Retrieved 25 April 2021. Connect With YWCA USA! 1400 I Street, Suite 325 Washington, DC 20005
  13. ↑ "Empire.html". YWCA of the USA. 1 July 1998. Archived from the original on 1 July 1998. Retrieved 25 April 2021. YWCA of the U.S.A. Empire State Building, Suite 301 350 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10118
  14. ↑ "Finding aid to Young Women's Christian Association of Canada fonds at Library and Archives Canada" (PDF).
  15. ↑ "Fonds description of the Young Women's Christian Association of Canada fonds".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.