[History of YWCA] [National Violence Prevention Conference]
The YWCA of the U.S.A. is dedicated to the empowerment of women and girls and the elimination of racism. The oldest organization owned and managed by women, the 374 member associations are headquartered in skyscrapers, community centers, classrooms, houses, campus centers, storefronts, and mobile vans. Four thousand locations nationwide provide safety, shelter, day care, physical fitness programs, counseling, and social, health, educational, and job-related services to millions of women and girls and their communities annually.
Last year, local YWCAs provided one million women and girls with rape and domestic violence counseling, 350,000 children participated in day care programs, 90,000 women enrolled in job training services, and more than 300,000 homeless women and children, many of whom were escaping violence, sought safety in transitional housing. A leader in violence prevention, some YWCAs offer 24-hour hotlines, emergency transportation, family and children's counseling, and programs for men who batter. Many associations offer bilingual services to reach cultrually, racially, and economically diverse members of the communities they serve.
The YWCA's multi-service approach enables millions of young women to find gainful employment and excel to their highest potential. Current national programs include the INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC LEADERSHIP designed to increase women's political voice, vision, and impace by instructing them in the basics of running for office, managing campaigns, and advocating for issues important to them. In partnership with AVON Products, Inc., the YWCA created ENCOREplus, a national breast and cervical cancer screening campaing. The YWCA's EDUCATION FOR GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITy program links grass-root community work in the U.S. with the development needs of women and girls worldwide.
Founded in 1858, the first YWCA was a boarding house for women and girls adjusting to the new urbanized lifestyle of the Industrial Revolution. As women's economic and social roles changed, other YWCAs sprang up around the country providing housing, job training, advocacy, health, physical education and community involvement aimed at developing leadership, self-confidence, and self-worth. The YWCA of the U.S.A. was one of the first U.S. national institutions to begin divestment in South Africa and is the only women's organization on the U.S. Olympic Committee's Multi-Sports Committee and the chair of the Olympic Youth Camps.
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