economic empowerment

The YWCA Evanston/North Shore has as a focus of its work "empowering women" – without economic empowerment, women do not have the ability to live independent, self-sufficient, empowered lives. 

 Financial Literacy for Women in Transition is an eight week program designed to strengthen the financial literacy of low- to moderate-income women in transition by increasing awareness about fundamental financial matters, providing tools to help with budgeting, banking and credit issues, enabling participants to gain an understanding of the primary components of financial security, and providing access to financial opportunities. With this kind of support, those in the process of divorce and/or recently single, living in temporary housing or shelter, entering the workforce for the first time, victims of domestic violence, and/or young, single mothers will have the opportunity to live independent, self-sufficient lives. 

Completion of the Financial Literacy program enables participants to apply for an Individual Development Account (IDA) through Assets Illinois, a program of the Department of Human Services, which offers qualifying families throughout the state an opportunity to save money, build assets and improve their financial net worth.

Providing women with the financial information and tools they need in order to provide for themselves and their children, as well as opening the door to home ownership, education and employment is what Financial Literacy for Women in Transition is all about. To read about how this program has changed one woman’s life, click here.

To find out more about this program, contact Tina White at 847-864-8445, ext. 19 or email twhite@ywcae-ns.org.