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"As a woman, I know I can stand up for myself and for others.
We all have a voice."
~ Tanya Tagaq, Inuit Throat Singer, Polaris Music Prize
and JUNO Award winner
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LEADERSHIP MESSAGE
As we reflect on the milestones and challenges of the past year, we emerge with immense hope for the future of women, girls and gender diverse individuals in our community and beyond. Heather McGregor, Chief Executive Officer, offers her reflections on 2024 and hopes for the coming year in a special video message you can find below.
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Thank you for supporting YWCA Toronto. Together, we will continue to make lasting positive change in our communities while advocating for peace, justice and freedom.
As ever,
Heather M. McGregor
CEO
YWCA Toronto
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YWCA Toronto Launches Open Letter from 150+ Organizations Urging Ontario Legislature to Pass Bill 173, Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act, 2024
On December 6th, the 35th anniversary of the École Polytechnique Massacre, more than 150 gender-based violence (GBV) sector and advocacy organizations came together to issue an open letter urging Ontario's Premier and members of the legislature to prioritize and pass Bill 173: The Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act, 2024, without further delay. The bill, at an impasse at second reading, is a critical step toward addressing the growing epidemic of intimate partner violence (IPV) and femicide in Ontario. We can no longer wait.
Read the open letter here.
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Act Now and Save $275 on your Life Skills Coach Certification!
Register today for our Life Skills Coach Certificate Program and become an effective leader and facilitator of workshops that leave lasting impact on your clients and audiences.
Unlock your future as a Life Skills Coach! Sign up today for this career-transformative program by December 31st to lock in the 2024 rate of just $975!
Effective January 1st, prices will increase to $1250.
Secure your spot at this exclusive rate while you can!
Visit our Life Skills page here.
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Ways to Give
This holiday season, give a gift that can create lasting positive change in the lives of women, girls and gender diverse people through YWCA Toronto’s ways to give programs:
Tribute Giving allows you to honour your family and loved ones with a donation in their name to YWCA Toronto. Your gift will support those who need a little extra help this holiday season.
An Adopt-A-Family donation helps provide families with gift cards to use at their discretion over the holiday season, ensuring food, warm clothing, gifts for their children and more.
Learn more about Tribute Giving and Adopt-A-Family.
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Photo | Canadian Coalition for Gun Control | |
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Bill C-21: A Critical Step for Public Safety
The Canadian Coalition for Gun Control, shared an article in the Hill Times highlighting how Bill C-21, an Act to amend certain Acts, serves as a critical step toward ending gun violence and ensuring safer communities. YWCA Toronto is a proud member of the Coalition and knows that gun control is a feminist issue.
Read the article here.
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Photo | Courtesy of Daily Bread Food Bank | |
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Who’s Hungry 2024
The Daily Bread Food Bank Who's Hungry 2024 report reveals incomes are not keeping pace with the cost of living, meaning households are being pushed further into poverty. More than one in ten Torontonians now rely on food banks.
Join Daily Bread in sending a message to all levels of government demanding action on poverty and hunger.
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2023-2024 Annual Femicide List
On November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Gender-Based Violence, the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (OAITH) released their 2023-2024 Annual Femicide List, sharing that in the last year, 62 people have died by femicide in Ontario. They are more than just numbers – they are women and children. They are grandmothers, mothers, daughters, aunts and siblings and they should be here.
Read the full report here.
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Toronto Police Service Board Deputation
Sami Pritchard, Director of Advocacy and Communications, spoke at a Toronto Police Service (TPS) Board Meeting about the epidemic of Intimate Partner Violence and Gender-Based Violence in Toronto, particularly the 1.5% rise in IPV incident related calls to police. While we do not believe that the police should be the primary responders to intimate partner violence, for those who do seek police support, it is crucial that the response they receive is not re-traumatizing, criminalizing, or harmful. Sami shared this reflection and recommendations with the TPS Board.
Read our written deputation submission to the Toronto Police Service Board here.
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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.
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