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Organisational Structure

The World YWCA Council is the quadrennial legislative meeting of the World YWCA, which brings together over 600 representatives from over 120 member associations affiliated to the global YWCA movement.

It has primary responsibility for determining the policy, constitution, strategic directions and budgets of the World YWCA. The Council also elects 20 women to the World Board that is representative of all regions and serves as the governing board of the World YWCA.

World YWCA Organisational Structure

World YWCA President  

 Susan Brennan , from Australia, is a barrister in administrative, town planning and

Susan Brennan President

environmental law. Former co-president of the YWCA of Australia, Brennan, began her life in the YWCA as a young woman leader on the board of her local association in Melbourne, Australia.She was recruited to the National Executive Committee at age 24 and was active in the development of a national policy framework to guide the advocacy of the YWCA of Australia, attended the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing as a young woman delegate for the YWCA of Australia and represented the YWCA in the drafting of an Optional Protocol to the Women’s Convention at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York.

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World YWCA General Secretary

 

Nyaradzai Gumbonzvanda

Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda , is Zimbabwean. She is a trained human rights lawyer with extensive experience in conflict resolution and mediation. For some twenty years, she has been working on issues of women and children's human rights, with a special focus on crisis countries. Active in the women's movement, she has more specifically focused on issues of violence against women, peace with justice, property rights, sexual and reproductive health and rights and HIV and AIDS.

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World YWCA Board

Officers
  • Susan Brennan, President (Australia)
  • Maureen Bell, Treasurer (Canada)
  • Comfort Nwadi Ani, Vice President (Nigeria)
  • Anna-Kaisa Ikonen, Vice President (Finland)
  • Ping Lee, Vice President (Taiwan)
  • Reem Najjar, Vice President (Jordan)
  • Jessica Notwell, Vice President (Canada)
  • Deborah Thomas, Vice President (Trinidad and Tobago)
World Board Members
  • Arda Aghazarian (Jerusalem)
  • Silvanna Ayaipoma (Peru)
  • Carolyn Flowers (USA)
  • Maria Morena Galvelo (Philippines)
  • Icilda Humes (Belize)
  • Alice Mirimo Kabetsi (DRC)
  • Kirsty Kelly (Great Britain)
  • Juliate Malakar (Bangladesh)
  • Valeria Arriaga (Honduras)
  • Constance Shumba (Zimbabwe)
  • Sepora Tagaloa (Samoa)
  • Geeske Zanen (Netherlands)

World YWCA Staff

There are currently 17 staff members representing 14 different nationalities based at the World YWCA headquarters and supporting YWCA work around the world.