"The care sector is an engine of the economy
and a major driver of the economic future.
Want a stronger middle class and better quality of life?
Make every job in the caring economy a good job."
~ Armine Yalnizyan
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LEADERSHIP MESSAGE
We are excited to share YWCA Toronto’s 2021-2024 Strategic Plan, A Bold Purpose.
YWCA Toronto has risen to the challenges of our time with a renewed commitment to social justice, intersectional feminism, and collaboration. Our new strategic plan outlines an ambitious vision: A radical transformation of society where all women, girls and gender diverse people can thrive.
We are incredibly proud of our work. As this pandemic has highlighted, gender inequities persist – and they are compounded by other forms of inequality. Intersectional feminism allows us to support the various communities of women who continue to face marginalization, violence and poverty due to colonialism, sexism, racism, ableism, and transphobia.
The resilience of women – the determination of women – drives our work. We continue to be inspired by the women leaders on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response and beyond.
YWCA Toronto’s role as a community leader and collaborator is clear. Every year, we serve over 13,000 community members across Toronto, helping people find safety, gain meaningful employment, and access affordable, supportive housing. Building youth leadership and the voices of young women is also of critical importance to us.
We are committed to not just helping women get back on their feet, but to pushing for a transformation of society in order to achieve genuine gender equality, racial justice and prosperity for all. Anything less is far too little for us. Our voices matter.
A Bold Purpose gives us the encouragement to tackle some of society’s biggest challenges with compassion and a strong sense of who we are: proud feminists.
We are so thrilled to share our new plan with you. Thank you for your continued service during these challenging times.
Sincerely,
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Heather McGregor
Chief Executive Officer
YWCA Toronto
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Barb Keenan
President, Board of Directors
YWCA Toronto
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Illustration | Unsplash_William Iven |
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The Provincial budget season recently wrapped up, and we at YWCA Toronto are proud to say we made the most of this period to advocate for women, girls and gender diverse people in our province.
And we tracked every dollar: Our joint analysis of the Ontario 2021 Budget published in partnership with nine other YWCAs across the province determined that the Province was long on rhetoric about women and short on meaningful investment. While there was some valuable funding for violence against women and housing initiatives, there was nothing for child care beyond individual breaks for qualifying parents.
We cannot expect to get women back to work on tax credits alone; we cannot expect an underfunded child care system to be there for generations to come. To learn more about our position, check out this op-ed by Ruby Latif at The Toronto Star.
We also recently hosted a conversation about equal pay and decent working conditions for women with Armine Yalnizyan, Fay Faraday and Robyn Doolittle.
You can access the recording of our great discussion here.
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We continue to prioritize the safety of our community members and uphold decent work conditions at YWCA Toronto. We have organized onsite vaccinations for participants at four of our programs, and many of our frontline staff have successfully accessed the COVID-19 vaccine.
We are ensuring staff receive paid time off to obtain the vaccine. In addition, we continue to provide a 10% wage enhancement to our frontline staff, as well as 20 extra paid sick days to all staff impacted by the pandemic.
Despite the challenges associated with the new COVID variants, staff well-being and community safety continue to be of primary importance to us
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Looking for a way to champion women during this global crisis?
Become a member of YWCA Toronto: For a yearly contribution of $20, you will have a voice and a vote at our Annual Members Meeting on May 18, 2021 to help shape our advocacy, improve our programs, and change lives. You will be part of a vibrant feminist community championing women everywhere. Join us today!
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Photo | Unsplash_Jerry Wang |
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Over the last week, the Ontario NDP, Ontario Liberals and Toronto’s Board of Health have joined child care advocates in calling on the Ontario government to prioritize ECEs and child care workers for vaccination. While child care for 0-4 years will remain open and emergency child care for school-age children will open shortly, ECEs and child care workers still do not have priority access to the COVID-19 vaccine, despite working on the frontlines.
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The federal budget was released yesterday, April 19th and contained some important announcements, including an historic $30 billion to build a national child care system.
Join Jasmine Ramze Rezaee, our Director of Advocacy and Communications, and colleagues at Policy Options for an analysis of the budget today, April 20th, at noon.
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2021 Women of Distinction Awards Gala 40th Anniversary
Join us on June 3rd, 2021 to celebrate the accomplishments of seven Toronto women who are driving change in their communities and around the globe.
This year’s event is dedicated to YWCA Toronto’s heroic frontline workers and will feature entertainment by Canadian jazz music icon Molly Johnson and DJ Lissa Monet.
The proceeds from this event will make it possible for YWCA Toronto to provide vital programs and services for over 13,000 women, girls and gender diverse people across the GTA.
For more information or to purchase tickets and tables, please contact Amy Rice, Manager, Events Corporate and Community Partnerships, arice@ywcatoronto.org.
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Photo | Unsplash_Jason Leung |
Standing Up to End
Anti-Asian Racism
Asian representation in pop culture has never been more prominent. And yet, Anti-Asian racism has simmered to a boiling point over the past year of life in a global pandemic. As guest writer June Ip puts it in her latest, personal piece for our YWCA Toronto Blog, “it’s a paradoxical time to be Asian.” It is also a crucial moment for us all to remember our power as bystanders to shut down racist comments and intervene when our help is needed the most.
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LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
YWCA Toronto operates in communities that stand on the traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat and Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. The territory was the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy and the Ojibwe and allied nations to share peacefully and care for the resources around the Great Lakes.
Today, the meeting place of Toronto is still the home to many Indigenous people and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this territory as we strive to build a more equitable and just city for all residents.
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