March 8th is International Women’s Day, the day we honour the contributions women have made to our communities, and the day we take stock of our progress towards gender equality. When women thrive, our communities thrive. Here are a few considerations to achieve this vision. Ensure women have personal security. Everyone has a right to live [...]

The YWCA of Calgary welcomed Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Minister of Veterans Affairs and MP for Calgary-Centre Kent Hehr, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, and MP for Calgary-Skyview, Darshan Kang this week highlighting the important role of the nonprofit sector as a voice for community needs. “In the midst of this economic crisis in [...]

YWCA of Calgary’s Visitation Services provides an opportunity for children to have conflict-free visits with their non-custodial parent in a safe and comfortable setting. The program assisted 66 parents and 42 children in Calgary in 2014. The program adheres to the standards initiated the Supervised Visitation Network to ensure consistent and safe service. Staff in the program [...]

In recent years, yoga has become part of the cultural mainstream for adults young and old, but did you know there are yoga classes specifically for parents and their toddlers? At the YWCA, we have such a program for women and their children staying in our emergency shelter. Staff have observed the benefits of this [...]

By: Elsbeth Mehrer, Director External Relations, YWCA of Calgary We applaud this week’s announcement of a national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women. At last, we believe, this government of Canada recognizes the depth of the traumatic experiences of Aboriginal women and their families. This is Canada’s national tragedy. According to Statistics Canada, aboriginal [...]

Led by the Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services (AASAS) and funded by the Government of Alberta, #IBelieveYou was a public awareness campaign aimed at educating the public on how to better respond to survivors of sexual assault. Through Leger Research, AASAS polled 1001 Albertans before and after the campaign, asking two questions: If someone [...]

On December 6, 1989, 14 women students at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal were killed in an act of gender-based violence. In 1991, the Parliament of Canada declared December 6th to be the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. It has been 26 year since this tragedy and the issue of gender-based [...]

There are many reasons why a woman might stay in an abusive relationship, and it often comes down to the fact that she does not have the power to leave. These reasons often include lack of financial means, concern for her children, and lack of support. There is another reason why she might stay - her [...]

Largely lost amidst last week’s pundit analysis of Provincial Budget 2015 was recognition of commitments that indicate the needs of marginalized women and their families will - at last - be seen and addressed. Budget 2015 Supporting jobs, Supporting Families. The Alberta Way included a number of positive changes in government-funded programs measures that will [...]

This morning saw a headline about a woman viciously assaulted in her home, in front of her young child, in our city. The only thing surprising is why this particular attack warranted a headline, social media post, police statement or broadcast on the evening news. Certainly other women were beaten and hospitalized at the hands [...]