World YWCA welcomes new Programme Director for Asia and Pacific
Juli Dugdale has joined the World YWCA as the Programme Director for Asia and the Pacific. Dugdale arrives from Australia and has an impressive background with the YWCA including the roles of being the first elected young woman to a position of National YWCA of Australia Vice President, National YWCA of Australia staff team member, host country Co-ordinator for the Brisbane World Council. Dugdale recently volunteered as a member of the World YWCA Staff team at the Nairobi World YWCA Council meeting in 2007.
“The vision of the YWCA to engage young women in decision making is why I started my involvement in the movement. I was the first National YWCA of Australia elected Vice -President under 30. Actually I was terrified of the task, but soon found support and mentoring from my fellow executive members and staff.”
Dugdale’s involvement with the YWCA led her to a professional life working for NGOs in Scotland and Australia that focused on project management, advocacy, training and developing cross sector partnerships. “I regard having worked for other small and large NGOs as a door that opened up a new world of opportunities. I could see how the power and strength in working together collaboratively, with other organisations, institutions and businesses where appropriate, and sharing leadership, capabilities and capacity can have enormous impact that not one organisation or sector can have alone, “ says Dugdale. She has an academic background in Community Development, Child Protection and is presently completing her MA in International Development.
As the Programme Director for Asia and the Pacific, Dugdale is excited about the opportunities the region holds. “ It is such a diverse and special region where there is a strong legacy of supporting sister YWCAs.I hope this can develop further into more partnerships and ways of working that are respectful, practical and enduring, build capacity and share capabilities, “ says Dugdale.
Creating a space for the voices of the voiceless to be heard is important to Dugdale and the new position will give her the opportunity to work with women who are marglinised and bring women's voices to the table.” The joy in my work will be in connecting our grass roots, local work, telling the stories, sharing information through our Member Associations with our global advocacy agenda. The richness of the relationship with Member Associations will be in respecting and embracing the diversity of our members and work - living our vision of empowering women.”
As the next quadrennium in the YWCA movement unfolds, Dugdale could not think of a better place to be. “I am delighted to be working for the World YWCA an organisation that is both passionate and practical in the way it brings women together, from so many different walks of life, with so many strengths and for so many different reasons. I look forward to working with my Member Association sisters, friends and advocates for women's human rights.”
