Forward, Together
This World YWCA Day, 24 April 2026, we come back together.
Across the world, thousands of women have been part of the YWCA at different moments in their lives as volunteers, leaders, participants, staff, or supporters. Many have carried that experience with them, even as life moved on.
And yet, over time, those connections often fade.
What once felt close becomes more distant.
Why this moment matters
Today, millions of women are living through conflict, displacement, and deep uncertainty. For our movement, these are not distant realities: they are lived every day.
In moments like these, connection is not just valuable.
It is necessary.
Introducing the World YWCA Community
This World YWCA Day, we are introducing the World YWCA Community.
A global space for women connected to the movement, across countries, generations, and experiences, to find each other again, stay connected, and continue contributing to our shared mission.
This includes not only those who have been directly part of the YWCA but also those who have stood alongside the movement, supporting, enabling, and making its work possible over time.
Built on what has always made the YWCA strong
Intergenerational leadership has always been at the heart of the YWCA: women sharing power, responsibility, and experience across generations.
This Community builds on that strength.
It also carries forward the legacy of the World Service Council, which for over a century has brought women together in support of the movement through leadership, solidarity, and generosity.
Through the WSC renaissance, that legacy is opening to more women, in more places.
Alongside this, a new Foundation for the Global YWCA Movement is being established to support our mission and help sustain this work over time.
Together, this creates a new way to stay connected and to strengthen the future of the movement.
Halfway to Goal 2035
We are now halfway to Goal 2035. Since 2015, the YWCA movement has engaged more than 73 million people globally, including over 33 million young women.
What we achieve in the ten years ahead will depend on how we strengthen connections, deepen participation, and support one another across our global movement.
Start by (re)connecting
This World YWCA Day, we invite you to connect or reconnect.
Bring together a few people you know through the YWCA: those you volunteered or worked with, learned from, or would simply like to be back in touch with. Meet in whatever way feels right for you, in person or virtually, and take a little time to talk about what staying connected to a global YWCA community could mean.
Start the conversation
You can begin with a few simple questions:
- Would you want to stay connected to a global YWCA community?
- What would make that meaningful for you?
- How would you want to take part?
Join the Community and help shape its future
Invite everyone to stay connected by joining the World YWCA Community.
By joining, you’ll be invited to share your ideas, experiences, and reflections on what meaningful connection should look like across the movement.
Your voice will help shape the Community in real time, influencing what it offers, how it connects, and how it grows.
Be part of a global moment
Across the world, women will be reconnecting in their own ways.
Share a photo on social media from your gathering using the hashtag #WorldYWCADay26, and connect your moment with others happening around the world.
What happens when you join?
You’ll be invited to help shape what this Community becomes.
This includes sharing your ideas, participating in conversations, and helping define what meaningful connection looks like across the movement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the World YWCA Community?
A global space for women and people connected to the YWCA to stay in touch, exchange, and contribute to the movement over time.
Who can join the World YWCA Community?
Anyone who has been part of, worked with, or feels connected to the YWCA and its mission.
Do I need to be part of a local/national YWCA today to join?
No. The Community is open to those currently involved and those who have been connected to the YWCA in the past.
Is this a membership?
No. It is a way to stay connected beyond formal roles or structures. The connection can happen in person or virtually, using the best traditional community structures, and also the best of our digital world in the 21st century.
What happens when I join?
You will be invited to help shape what the World YWCA Community becomes by sharing your ideas, experiences, and what meaningful connection looks like to you. Initial engagement will be via email, with other opportunities presented to you for expanded engagement.
Is there a cost to join?
No. Joining the Community is free.
How is this different from being part of a local or national YWCA?
The Community connects women globally. It does not replace local or national YWCA engagement, but complements it.
What is the World Service Council and why is it changing?
The World Service Council has, for over a century, connected women in the USA only to support of the YWCA through leadership, solidarity, and giving. Today, it is evolving through the WSC Renaissance to open this opportunity to a broader, and more global group of women.
How is this connected to the World Service Council and the Foundation?
The Community builds on the legacy of the World Service Council and is part of its renaissance. The Foundation for the Global YWCA Movement is a newly established entity that provides the backbone for the Community, enabling it to support the movement in a more sustained and collective way. This change is a reflection of the grassroots-driven YWCA global movement.
What will the Community offer over time?
This will be shaped by those who join. It may include in-person and virtual opportunities to connect, learn, contribute, support the movement, and collaborate across countries. Many ideas from the movement are reflected in preliminary plans, and those will be refined by people like you.