Since our inception, YWCA has been a movement driven by young women’s energy, skills, resources, intelligence and passion. We are an organization that engages young women at both the programming and leadership levels. Our girls’ programs serve over 25,000 across the country each year and each individual YWCA Member Association board is committed to being comprised of at least 25% young women aged 30 or younger when appointed.

At YWCA Canada we enhance young women’s leadership by providing a platform to stretch beyond comfort levels, practice leadership skills and to raise their voices on the issues they identify as important.

Are you a staff member or board volunteer in a local YWCA in Canada? Are you a woman or non-binary person aged 30 or under? Are you passionate about creating more spaces and meaningful leadership experiences for young women in the YWCA movement? If you answered yes to these questions, the YWLEC is the right place for you.

The Young Women’s Leadership & Engagement Committee, or YWLEC, is formed by staff members, board members, and allies from our member associations across the country. Its purpose is to prioritize and facilitate young women’s engagement and leadership opportunities at the local and national levels. The committee’s ultimate goal is to effectively share power with, engage, and support young women of diverse communities, backgrounds and identities to participate as leaders, decision-makers and equals at all levels of an inclusive movement.

The YWLEC also manages the Young Women’s Leadership Miles Fund, created to support young women’s attendance and leadership at regional, national and international events within the movement.

Young Women Leadership Miles applications are open for funding young folks up to 30 years old in all the YWCAs to attend the 23^rd session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in April 2024.

The applications are open from Thursday February 15th 2024, until Thursday March 7th 2024, at 11:59 AM EST.

For more information and for the application form, please view the Young Women’s Leadership Miles Application package.

Interested in learning more about the YWLEC or being part of it? Contact Ocroke-martin@ywcacanada.ca

YWCA 150: Look Back, Push Forward is a great way for young women to celebrate historic milestones achieved by Canadian women through coordinated events and activities. YWCA’s celebrations will reflect a full picture of Canadian history, giving young women tools and experiences that inform their ability to lead and think critically as they plan celebrations that honour women who were community leaders, trailblazers, door openers, artists, and activists.

Through this project, young women will explore the arts, culture, history, and heritage that is alive in their communities. They will be guided in their exploration of the history of Canadian feminist movement and its legacy through excursions to local arts, culture, history and heritage sites, and organizations. Key experts, historians, arts educators, artists, activists, and concerned community stakeholders will share their knowledge and experience through the delivery of workshops, information sessions, and more.

This project has been funded by the Government of Canada

Think Big Lead Now. Young Women’s National Leadership Program is a comprehensive bilingual leadership program that includes online learning sessions and talks, self-study, peer mentorship and support, and civic engagement activities along with a three-day immersive training and networking summit. The leadership program in for young women and non-binary youth between 18-25 years across Canada.

Grounded in intersectional feminism and social justice, this program has been designed to equip young women and non-binary youth living in Canada with the knowledge and skills to lead and be change-makers in their communities and beyond.

YWCA Canada works on the belief that the best method for strengthening young women’s leadership is to provide participants with new experiences that allow them to stretch beyond their comfort level, enhance their skills through practice and enable them to reflect on the experience. Young leaders will develop an understanding of the nature of social change and their capacity to effect change through their actions and work ahead to achieve through the program components described below.

Click here to learn more about the alumnae experience at the 3-day immersive summit.

The application for Young Women Leadership Miles bursaries is open.

Power of Being a Girl

Power of being a Girl is YWCA’s signature violence-prevention conference for girl’s ages 12-17.

GirlSpace

An affordable extra-curricular community program for girls and young women between the ages of 9-18

Blog:

• YWCA Summit 2020: Making Space for Young Leaders, Mickey Agnelli
• Testimonial: Alexandra Daignault – Founder and Owner of Sarjesa Inc, Alexandra Daignault
• YWCA Canada’s Leadership Stories, Brenda Okorogba, Arushana Sunderaeson and Andy Villanueva
• Youth Leadership and “The Art of the Clapback”, Ashleigh-Rae Thomas
• Beyond February: The necessity of continuing the spirit of BHM, Nahomi Amberber
• Congratulations to Akosua Tiwaah Bonsu, one of Canada’s Top 100 Accomplished Black Women, YWCA Canada
• Brenda Okorogba named one of Canada’s Top 25 Immigrants!, YWCA Canada

Resources

• Change the World. Youth Civic Engagement Resource
• YWCA Rights Guide for girls, young women and gender nonconforming youth
• Is your relationship healthy? 
• YWCA Rose Campaign Toolkit: End violence against women and girls