“Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right,
the right to dignity and a decent life.” 
~ Nelson Mandela
Photo | Courtesy of City’s Gender Equity Office
ADVOCACY CORNER
Toronto’s Gender Equity Strategy set to launch later
this month! 

As you may remember, YWCA Toronto played an important role in the creation of the City’s Gender Equity Office. This new office is tasked with developing the first-ever intersectional Gender Equity Strategy. 

Earlier this year, we hosted several consultations to inform the strategy along with many other sector partners. We have also served as an advisory member on the community consultation process led by Social Planning Toronto.

We are so excited the City is planning to launch the strategy soon! We look forward to a comprehensive and meaningful Strategy that will improve the conditions of women and gender diverse folks in our city – and expand city services to address poverty, homelessness and violence.
‌
PROGRAM UPDATE
Welcoming Inspirations Studio 

As of July 1, 2022, Inspirations Studio became a program of YWCA Toronto!

“We are overjoyed,” says YWCA Toronto’s Chief Executive Officer, Heather McGregor. “For decades, the Studio has helped hundreds of women by providing an opportunity to learn how to make pottery in a safe, supportive and transformative environment.” 

Inspiration Studio is located at 389 Church Street. The storefront and studio will continue to provide ceramic arts education for women and gender diverse individuals affected by poverty and housing instability. 

PHILANTHROPY HIGHLIGHT
Nominations Now Open for the 42nd YWCA Toronto Women of Distinction Awards. 

Our community is full of amazing women who are opening doors and challenging the status quo. 

Do you know a woman who is making a difference in the lives of women, girls and gender diverse people?

We want to celebrate her!

Every year, YWCA Toronto honours remarkable women who have advanced gender equality across a range of areas such as business, education, social justice, advocacy, arts, health, philanthropy and more. 

Nominate a woman who is driven to make the world a better place. 

Photo | Courtesy of Woman Abuse Council of Toronto (WomanACT)
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
New Report Supports Senior Immigrant Women

As part of their Supporting Senior Immigrant Women at Risk of Financial Abuse project, our friends at Woman Abuse Council of Toronto released a new report examining the unique and under-researched experiences of economic abuse among senior immigrant women. 

The report examines the intersecting identities of gender, age and immigration and the many barriers that leave senior immigrant women in vulnerable positions. Ultimately, the report indicates that more work needs to be done to identify senior immigrant women at risk of economic abuse and supports required to assist them. 
Mural | Courtesy of Earthsky Collective artists @shawnhowe_ and @mo_thunder
New Art at Davenport 

Recently, there has been much to celebrate at YWCA’s Davenport Shelter – notably the completion of a mural!
 
In partnership with the City of Toronto and Earthsky Collective, we were able to commission and produce a stunning mural in the Davenport Shelter entranceway. Through a series of community engagement activities with residents, we created a ten-metre-tall visual story that reflects the dreams and values of our community.

For years to come, the mural will welcome women and gender diverse individuals seeking shelter or fleeing violence with phrases like "Trans is Beautiful" and "Black is Beautiful.”  
Edgy
Abortion Rights are Human Rights

June 24 was a troubling day for reproductive freedoms. The decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in the United States has undermined nearly half a century of progress made by pro-choice advocates. 

We know that abortion rights are human rights. Access to free, safe and quality abortion care saves lives. 
Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) Amnesty Now! 

As the increase in the cost of living harms many Canadians, so do CERB repayments. For many, “CERB has been less of a financial benefit, and more of a long-term financial burden.”

Our colleagues at Campaign2000
and South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario recently wrote an excellent op-ed highlighting the impacts of CERB repayment on low-income communities. 

The stark reality is that people who live in poverty do not have the resources to repay CERB.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
YWCA Toronto operates on the traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat and Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. We are grateful to work on this territory as we strive to build a more equitable and just city for women, girls, and gender diverse people. For a full land acknowledgment, please visit our website.