by Margaret Pence Advocacy Fellow, YWCA USA This summer, I had the opportunity to be on fellowship with the YWCA USA. Not having a YWCA in my hometown, I had little idea what the mission of the YWCA was before accepting this fellowship. I come from a sheltered, Midwestern background. I was born and raised… Continue Reading A Whole New World: My Advocacy Fellowship with the YWCA USA
by Mary Reardon Johnson Executive Director, YWCA of Western Massachusetts Officer down! Around the city of Springfield, Mass., sirens blare, lights flash, emergency vehicles screech and news media are dispatched. Yellow tape goes up and the first accounts are sent out over the air and internet. The veteran police officer responded to a call requesting… Continue Reading Tragedy in Springfield, Mass.: When VAWA and Local Domestic Violence Intersect
by Gloria Lau, YWCA USA CEO “We’re not going backward.” So says Ellie Smeal, my friend and shero, publisher of Ms. Magazine, in their new cover story, “Fighting the War on Women.” These days, I repeat the same mantra every day, as do YWCA women, from ages 18 to 80-something+, around the country. We not… Continue Reading “We’re not going backward.”
by Andrea Grant Job Developer, YWCA Greater Milwaukee I am both grateful and honored to have been sponsored to participate in the 2012 YWCA National Conference and Capitol Hill Day, themed “Shaking It Up.” This event was my first engagement with the national YWCA movement. I have worked for the YWCA Greater Milwaukee in Wisconsin… Continue Reading Conference Take-Aways: Bonding Over YWCA’s National Movement
by Qudsia Jafree Field and Policy Coordinator, YWCA USA Today, the House of Representatives will vote on H.R. 4970 to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Enacted 18 years ago, VAWA has been nothing short of life-saving for millions of women and children across the nation, providing a comprehensive, streamlined and national response to… Continue Reading H.R. 4970 Provisions will Hurt the Most Vulnerable Women: Why the House of Representatives Needs to Reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act and Unite Against H.R. 4970 Today