Our advocacy efforts span both locally and nationally through combined initiatives with YWCA members across Canada. Two main branches that we focus on include Global Interdependence and Difference and Diversity through equality.
Global Interdependence
We strive to support the world-wide struggle for equity and equality interconnects all women.
Difference and Diversity
We believe in order to achieve social and other forms of justice, we must embrace difference and diversity among peoples.
Private Member’s Bill 173: The Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act, 2024
April 26, 2024 – Letter to The Honourable Rob Flack, Associate Minister of Housing: We applaud the Ontario Government for backing Private Members’ Bill 173, The Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act, 2024. This Act requires the Government of Ontario to recognize that intimate partner violence (IPV) is an epidemic in Ontario.
Our YWCA colleagues tell us the public gallery in the Chamber was full that day – filled with families who have been impacted by IPV. This is not surprising based on what YWCA St.Thomas-Elgin sees each day in our own community.
We were also pleased to see the Ontario Government indicate its support by signing the Canada-Ontario bilateral agreement on the National Action Plan (NAP) to end Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and look forward to seeing the continued NAP rollout to ensure the $162 million commitment by the province supports survivors, the sector, and efforts to prevent further gender-based violence.
Ontario Budget 2024: YWCA Ontario Pre-Budget Submission
January 31, 2024 – Letter to The Honourable Peter Bethlenfalvy Minister of Finance:
YWCA Ontario is a provincial coalition of YWCA Member Associations that serves more than 40,000 people each year across Ontario. We offer a range of programs to meet the needs of women, girls and gender diverse people across the province. Our programming includes housing and shelter, employment and training, child care, and many other supportive and life-stabilizing services for the communities we serve. Through systemic advocacy, we also work to advance substantive gender and racial equity in our province.
A strong and vibrant nonprofit sector is the backbone of a thriving economy. Ontario must not lose sight of the hard lessons learned throughout the pandemic, nor the lasting, brutal impacts it continues to have on women, gender diverse people and their families – particularly those working in the nonprofit/care sector. Our policy recommendations in this pre-budget submission outline a course forward that will bring the nonprofit sector back from the brink of collapse and rebuild a healthy, sustainable, more equitable sector.
100+ Organizations Sign Open Letter Calling for a Provincial Declaration of Intimate Partner Violence & Gender-based Violence as an Epidemic
December 6, 2023 – In a letter shared to Premier Doug Ford…”Today, on the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, your government has the opportunity to acknowledge the severity of IPV, and commit to taking action to prevent further violence, including femicide, by declaring gender-based violence and intimate partner violence for what they are: an epidemic. Femicide, the killing of women, children, trans women, 2-Spirit People and gender diverse people, is most commonly perpetrated by current or former intimate partners (31%). In the past year, there have been 62 recorded femicides in Ontario. That is 62 people whose lives were taken by violence. One femicide is too many. 62 femicides is an epidemic.”
Week Without Violence
October 16, 2023 – During the third week of October, YWCAs observe the Week Without Violence to envision and advocate for a violence-free world. This year, join us in creating a movement to end gender-based violence in every space where it occurs. We know that there is a deep connection between online and offline hate speech and violence against women, girls and gender diverse people in all their diversity.
We all have the right to be our truest selves, to explore and express ourselves safely and free from violence, whether in digital spaces or in our neighbourhoods.
Together, we are standing in solidarity with survivors of technology facilitated and gender-based violence and taking action to end violence on our screens and on our streets!
YWCA Metro Vancouver & partners raise awareness for IPV related concussions
May 16, 2023 – When people think of concussion, they think sports. But intimate partner violence (IPV) is the cause of at least 290,000 concussions among women and girls in Canada each year. That’s more than 7,000 for every 1 NHL concussion.
Former Olympian and NHL player, Trevor Linden is helping bring attention to this staggering statistic as we call for increased research, better pathways for concussion treatment and more support for people who have experienced traumatic brain
injury as a result of intimate partner violence.
YWCA Ontario’s Reflections on the Canada-Wide Early Learning Child Care 2024 Child Care Funding Formula Discussion Paper
May 5, 2023 – (To Holly Moran, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education)
As a provincial coalition representing 10 YWCAs, which collectively operate more than 3,000 child care spaces in Ontario, the rollout of the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) plan will significantly impact our organizations and the people we serve.
We appreciate this opportunity to provide input on the province’s rollout plan of CWELCC in 2024 as laid out in the CWELCC Funding Formula Discussion Paper, particularly because we share a number of concerns with the province’s proposed plans, not least of which is the lack of clarity in the discussion paper in terms of real numbers, as well as the omission of critical considerations related to the administrative burden for operators, building in sustainability and providing culturally-responsive care.
YWCA Ontario Coalition Responds to 2023 Provincial Budget
March 2023 – One of the two themes of this year’s provincial budget, tabled by Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy on March 23, was “Working For You.” However, YWCA Ontario, a coalition of 10 YWCAs across the province, remains unclear about who the budget is actually working for – because unfortunately, it is not for women, girls and gender-diverse people.
YWCA Ontario Pre-Budget Submission
Feb 2023 – YWCA Ontario is a provincial coalition of YWCA Member Associations that serves more than 40,000 people each year across Ontario. We offer a range of programs focusing on housing, employment, child care, and gender-based violence, as well as services designed to address the needs of women, girls and gender diverse people and their families. We also work to advance substantive gender and racial equity in our province.
Read full letter to the Honourable Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance
The Child Care Sector is in Crisis and You Can Fix it
Nov 2022 – As experts in providing high quality nonprofit child care, YWCA Ontario would welcome the opportunity to discuss the future of child care, including in an official advisory capacity. We are hopeful that together, we can create a child care system that prioritizes decent work and a fiscally responsible funding model.
A Place Called Home
Completed in May 2022, this report outlines the research regarding family homelessness, current resources, and activities as well as evidence-informed recommendations to enhance family-centred approaches to preventing and reducing family homelessness in St. Thomas-Elgin. Presented by the Women & Family Housing Stability Advisory Group.