On Saturday, November 7th, Kamala Harris became our nation’s first vice president-elect — a woman, woman of color, and the daughter of immigrants — after her running mate, President-elect Joe Biden, was declared the winner of the U.S. presidential election. Her election is one of many historic firsts in diversity and representation in election 2020.… Continue Reading History Making Moments from the 2020 Election

By Debbie Baldwin, Digital Media Specialist Today, we are proud to join in with organizations and individuals across the country to recognize Latina Equal Pay Day. All work is important, but not all work is compensated equally. We stand with our sisters across the YWCA network and beyond to raise awareness of the pay gap… Continue Reading Latina Workers Make Less Than… Well, Everyone

By Cara Mazzei, Director of Development and Community Relations, YWCA O‘ahu At YWCA, we imagine a world without violence. Unfortunately, that is not our current reality. Every 90 seconds a woman in the United States is sexually assaulted, and only half of domestic violence incidents are reported to the police. Research has shown that violence… Continue Reading Resilience and Strength In the Face of Adversity

During this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month, YWCA USA is thrilled to highlight these Latina trailblazers for their groundbreaking contributions in the fields of advocacy, civil rights, legal, media, science and sports. After learning more about them, make sure to follow them to stay up to date on how they continue to pave the way for… Continue Reading 20 Latina Trailblazers Who Are Reshaping U.S. History for All Womxn

By Andrea Monzón, Operations & Governance Coordinator, YWCA USA My father arrived as an asylum seeker from Cuba when he was 6 years old. My mother was 21 when she left Peru in pursuit of romance. Their first meeting happened in a south Florida office. I grew up with mixed feelings about speaking a language… Continue Reading The Power of My Latina Vote

By Cara Mazzei, CFRE, Director of Development & Community Relations, YWCA Oahu There is an important connection between census data and the ability of YWCA to advance its mission. Measuring a state’s demographic, social, economic and housing characteristics is vital. Not only does it determine each state’s political representation in Congress, it also affects the… Continue Reading Challenges and Opportunities: Census and Elections in the Aloha State

By Magdalena Verdugo, CEO, YWCA Southern Arizona This Hispanic Heritage Month, YWCA is committed to sharing the stories of members of this community within our YWCA sisterhood. We’re proud to elevate the words and story of Magdalena Verdugo, CEO of YWCA of Southern Arizona. Her impact within her community has been profound and for her… Continue Reading Shaping the Future, One Milestone at a Time with YWCA of Southern Arizona

By Liz Lopez Partnerships between YWCAs and community development financial institutions (CDFIs) bring needed resources to women, who are critically important economic drivers in some of our nation’s most vulnerable communities. Both YWCAs and CDFIs focus on social justice and empowerment. Both seek to build access to financial tools that support inclusion in the economic mainstream for rural, urban, and Native communities. Both seek to eliminate systemic racism and discrimination.… Continue Reading Catalysts for Change: Introducing the YWCA CDFI Map

By Yolanda Raine, Senior Director, Marketing and Communications Eliminating racism. Empowering women. Our mission lives in the soul of everyone at YWCA, because we demand a world of equity and human decency. We envision a world of opportunity and we commit ourselves to the work of justice. We’re not new to this, we’re true to… Continue Reading United we stand. Together we act. Until Justice Just Is.

This summer has challenged us when it comes to how we approach conversations about racism and the systemic racial injustices that permeate our society. From social media slide-show style infographics to restructuring diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives throughout corporate America, there has been a national “call-in” for discussions on race relations. It’s on the news, and it’s even been on Nickelodeon. At YWCA, we’ve been sounding the alarm… Continue Reading Talking to Kids About Racism