World YWCA Day 2011 - Inspiring Stories from Across the Globe!
Each year on April 24, the YWCA movement celebrates World YWCA Day and this year, once again, Member Associations from all over the world held their traditional YWCA “Round-the-World Breakfast” with members and friends. Here are some of the highlights:
The YWCA of Argentina celebrated World YWCA Day on April 27 through numerous activities. After participants enjoyed the melodious voices of singers singing a number of traditional songs, the President of the YWCA of Argentina, Ana Maria Castro de Doll, welcomed all participants to the breakfast, and honoured a member, Dra. Marcela Pastore, President of the Women’s Council of Plata. Monica Zetzsche, former World YWCA President, also attended the celebration and gave an inspiring speech. In Chile, members of the YWCA of Valparaiso participated with enthusiasm in the World YWCA Day Breakfast at the YWCA house in Viña del Mar.
YWCAs in Australia stretched their programme over a period of two weeks. A number of activities on this year’s theme, “Women Creating a Safe World,” took place to facilitate discussion and to fundraise for the Power to Change Fund. On May 3, 2011, a unique online discussion for participants nationwide was hosted . Topics ranged from the role of quotas to male-female solidarity and intergenerational leadership, covering both the experience of the YWCA and the broader societal context. In addition, on May 6, 2011, Susan Brennan, World YWCA President, will lead a panel of prominent women on the theme “Women leading Change”.
World YWCA Day at the YWCA of Wellington involved sharing important research findings on young women’s needs in the region. As they explained, “We have a history of responding to the needs of our young women for over 100 years. As the needs of the generations have changed, so has the delivery of our services.”
The YWCA of Solomon Islands commemorated the day by honouring one of its pioneers, Kuria Hughes. The honouree was the first General Secretary of the YWCA of Solomon Islands since the Association’s establishment in 1975, and has served for nine years.
In Trinidad and Tobago , the YWCA promoted the movement and its work in the well-known publication The Sunday Woman Wise Magazine.
Marking the day in another special way, young women from the YWCA of Taiwan interviewed people who explained the meaning of safety through their personal experience. Based on their answers, the YWCA of Taiwan plans to develop more practical programmes for the community. Francesca Chen the Young Women Coordinator of the YWCA of Taiwan said that "young women are creative and innovative, and need to be more concerned about the issues related to women and girls."
Joyful and colourful celebrations were also held at many other YWCAs including the Bahamas and India.
