Let’s make 2019 the most empowering year yet! This list was inspired by https://www.theodysseyonline.com/12-resolutions-feminist-new-year.   Art by Hana Shafi Stop Shame Art by Natalia Vico I will not be ashamed to do what my body and mind requires to stay healthy and happy. I will not feel shame when I ask for help. Asking for help is […]

September 25, 2018 What does being on social assistance look like for women? This question is often left out of public discussions, even though women in Ontario have higher poverty rates than the general Ontario population. And, 37% of single-women led families in Toronto live in poverty. YWCA Toronto’s position on social assistance reform is […]

A lot can happen when women lace up steel-toed boots. For Sheila Martinez, a graduate of YWCA Toronto’s Pre-Apprenticeship Carpentry program for women, entering the skilled trades has been a life-changer. As a single mom who has always loved to do her own plumbing, work outdoors and solve problems with her hands, carpentry was a […]

In 2015, the Bang & Olufsen Yorkville Run raised $115,000 to support YWCA Toronto shelters. YWCA Toronto board member Alice Longhurst reflects on her experience as a multi-year B&O Yorkville Run participant and a long-time supporter of YWCA Toronto.  On September 11, 2016, donors and supporters will be lacing up to run for YWCA Toronto at […]

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 […]

Last night, YWCA Toronto hosted our 34th annual Women of Distinction Awards at the historic and elegant Carlu in downtown Toronto. The evening was a resounding success: inspiring women, charming host Anne-Marie Mediwake, a beautiful venue, delicious food, a silent auction, and fantastic live performances by Megan De Lima, graduate of The Honey Jam. None […]

Maria Sherry Tan is a mother of five and a Customer Support Representative with Scotiabank, one of YWCA Toronto’s annual donors. Maria has been an avid volunteer with YWCA Toronto for the past six years. We interviewed Maria about her experiences volunteering with YWCA Toronto. Learn more about volunteering with YWCA Toronto or organizing a […]