By YWCA Toronto volunteer Geneviève François-Kermode Street harassment: if you’re a woman, you’re probably well aware of it. In fact, you’ve probably experienced it more times than you can count. I know I have. Everything from the usual “Hey, beautiful” to men whistling at me from their cars, to the latest incident: a man in his […]

Guest post by Jessie Guo Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in a tour and information session at the YWCA Toronto Girls’ Centre. I hadn’t known about the Girls’ Centre before the session, but I immediately understood the need for it. Every day the news is filled with stories about the pressures and […]

As a feminist organization, we are often asked what feminism means right now, in the real world. Many of the issues that took our tenacious, demonstrating sisters of the ’70s and ’80s to the streets remain obstinately the same, but how we make ourselves heard has gone from megaphones to megabytes. Today’s young feminists don’t have […]

By Frances Cumberland & Tracy Chow, JUMP Etobicoke We work as Settlement and Employment Counsellors at the YWCA Toronto JUMP settlement support program in Etobicoke. Every day we work with newcomer women from all over the world who are permanent residents, convention refugees and live-in caregivers with work permits. Every woman who walks through our […]

Last week, YWCA Toronto and other Canadian women’s organizations sent a letter urging our federal government to support efforts to bring home Nigeria’s kidnapped school girls, and to develop a national strategy to address rampant violence against women in Canada and around the world. Read the letter below. May 29, 2014 Right Honourable Stephen Harper […]

Last week, we hosted the 34th annual YWCA Toronto Women of Distinction Awards (presented by Sun Life) to honour seven extraordinary women and raise essential funds for YWCA Toronto programs and services. In case you missed this remarkable event, check out our Storify recap of guests’ tweets and Instagrams throughout the evening. The ceremony was […]

A good movie doesn’t just divert our attention, it also builds a sense of community. That’s why an anonymous private donor is helping YWCA Toronto launch a weekly movie night for residents and tenants at YWCA Toronto’s 1st Stop Woodlawn. The event series, which YWCA Toronto has dubbed the Woodlawn Film Festival, launches on April […]

Guest blog by Nancy Coldham, YWCA Toronto 2014 Woman of Distinction A recent blog post by Steve Paikin, host of TVO debate program The Agenda, woke me up to the unbelievable reality that someone who hosts a publicly-funded program could struggle to find women experts to appear on his show. My career in public affairs […]

So, you are thinking about sending your daughter to camp this summer? Whether your daughter is a seasoned camper or experiencing overnight camp for the first time, all parents want to ensure their daughter is attending a camp that’s right for her interests and goals. To help you make up your mind, here are just […]

On March 6th, in anticipation of International Women’s Day, YWCA Toronto announced the recipients of the 34th YWCA Toronto Women of Distinction Awards at an alumnae reception hosted by TD Bank Group. The seven recipients are bold women whose vision and determination are significantly improving the lives of women and girls at home and abroad. […]