Who We Are
YWCA Canada is the country’s oldest and largest gender equity organization.
Since 1873, we have been a national leader in advocating for the rights of women and girls. A secular, registered charity, we drive systemic change through powerful advocacy, collaboration, and programs that address urgent needs and advance long-term gender equity.
YWCA is Canada’s:
- largest provider of gender-based violence shelters
- largest provider of employment and counseling programs for women
- second-largest childcare operator in Canada
As part of a national and international movement, the YWCA is a turning point in the lives of 25 million women, girls and gender diverse people worldwide. We welcome women and gender diverse people of all faiths, sexual orientations, races, cultural affiliations and creeds.
Land Acknowledgement
YWCA Canada acknowledges the privilege and responsibility of living and working on the traditional territory of Indigenous Nations. YWCA Canada’s
national office is located in Tkaronto, also known as Toronto, the traditional territory of the Wendat, the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee and Métis. We acknowledge the enduring presence of Indigenous peoples in this area and recognize the current treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, as contemporary stewards of the land.
The harm that settler-colonialism has perpetrated and continues to perpetrate on First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people extends beyond physical environments. Digital platforms are among the current sites of ongoing colonial discrimination and dispossession. As a legacy institution that benefited from and contributed to colonial policy, YWCA Canada is committed to centering decolonial efforts and supporting the work of Indigenous communities, Elders, and knowledge keepers. Through our work on gender equity, our objective is to advance the safety,
worldviews, and self-determination of Indigenous people in online and offline spaces.
Our Vision, Mission and Values
Vision
- Empowered women and girls in a safe and equitable society.
Mission
- Advance gender equity for all women through informed advocacy and strong Member Associations
Values
- A Women’s Perspective:
Women must take leadership in shaping society’s direction in order to achieve equity and equality for all women. - Difference and Diversity:
In order to achieve social and other forms of justice, we must embrace difference and diversity among peoples. - The Whole Person:
Strength, wisdom, and character come from the balanced development of the whole person in body, mind, and spirit. - Community Mindedness:
Healthy communities, free from violence, racism, and other abuses of power, nurture the whole person. Individuals committed to equity advance the growth of such communities. - Global Interdependence:
The world-wide struggle for equity and equality interconnects all women.
YWCA Canada’s informed advocacy aims to:
- End violence against women and girls
- Implement national child care
- Achieve economic equality
- End homelessness for women and girls
