World YWCA reflects on movement building at AWID Forum
“The power of movements is the power to use the power we have but don’t always know that we have”, said Geetanjali Misra, a leading Indian women ’s rights activists to 2000 women’s rights advocates who gathered in Cape Town for the opening of the 11th AWID International Forum on Women’s Rights and Development.
A World YWCA delegation is attending the AWID Forum to share the YWCA history and experience of movement building with women from over 144 countries.
“Multi-generational work has sustained the YWCA movement,” said World YWCA General Secretary Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda at an interactive panel session hosted by the World YWCA. Facilitated by Gumbonzvanda, panelists included Juliate Malakar; World YWCA Board member, Darlene Bessy; Former President and Chief Executive YWCA Canada, Esther Twiske; General Secretary of the YWCA of South Africa , Bonnie Fatio; World YWCA Ambassador and Age Esteem author and Sarah Davies, World YWCA Communications Assistant.
Panelists all shared their views on what had sustained the World YWCA for over 150 years and the heart of the discussion was the importance of grassroots women and young women.
“Young women’s leadership is critical to the YWCA and the World YWCA Board is represented by 55% of young women,’’ said Malakar.
Audience applauded this achievement but also posed challenging questions on faith based issues and volunteerism in the YWCA movement. “Individual giving is so important and volunteers are the backbone of the YWCA movement. I donate my time, skills and money towards the YWCA as I really believe in the power of this movement,’’ said Fatio.
Bessy addressed the history of the YWCA movement and explained that the Christian foundations of the YWCA movement ‘can work as a strength’ in the broader women’s movement while Twiske shared the particular challenges that face national associations in terms of funding and mobilising membership.
Misconceptions of the YWCA were also addressed on the panel. “A lot of people can’t understand how I can be a feminist and work for the YWCA,’’ said Davies as she reflected on young women’s activism in the YWCA movement.
“The panel was an excellent opportunity to reflect on the YWCA movement from a critical view point and share with other women’s networks the issues we all struggle with in the women’s movement,’’ said Malakar.
The World YWCA delegation at AWID has been involved in a range of panel sessions, book receptions and took part in a mass march through the streets of Cape Town that called for an end to violence against women.
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