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With our mission and communities in mind, YWCA advocates at the federal, state, and local levels for practical solutions that meet the needs of women, girls, and marginalized communities that bring us closer to eliminating racism, empowering women, and ensuring peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.
Every day, YWCA Central Massachusetts serves as a lifeline for women, families, and children. But, these essential services are still in jeopardy as federal funding is threatened. Now is the time to take action and keep our communities safe.
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Contact your local members of Congress and U.S. Senators.
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Reach out to your Governor’s office.
- Mobilize your community to do the same.
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Donate to help our programs thrive
Stand with us. Make your voice heard.
Domestic Violence Bills
Victims of a Crime Act, also known as VOCA: We encourage our community to act today. Together, we can close the funding gap for victim service organizations across the state of Massachusetts.
Learn more about Victims of Crime Act
Contact your Senator this week and next week and ask them to support $20M for survivor services – under line item 0840-0100 MOVA Victim and Witness Assistance Board. Act Now
S2934, Ensuring domestic violence victims' protections for all employees in the Commonwealth Learn more
Bill H.1399 An Act relative to controlling and abusive litigation. Learn more.
Bill H.1795 An Act establishing a jail and prison construction moratorium. Learn more.
Bill H.1587/S.1256: An Act relative to justice for survivors
The Massachusetts Survivors Act creates alternative and resentencing avenues for survivors of family violence, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking whose transgressions were connected to their abuse. It also allows for the expungement and sealing of a survivor’s record so they face fewer barriers to re-entry. This bill recognizes that incarcerating survivors only fuels cycles of harm and that we need to push for decarceration to allow for survivors to heal.
Bill H.2031/S.1281: An Act Relative to Domestic Violence Police Reports and Confidentiality
This bill establishes a task force to study and create recommendations around updating MA’s secrecy law around sexual assault and domestic violence-related police reports. The goal of the task force is to address the gaps and shortcomings of the law and balance survivor privacy and access to information.
Women Empowerment Bills
#ReproductiveJustice Abortion Justice Act (AJA): The bill would protect patients, including providers, from criminalization; address systemic barriers to care; ensure abortion care is covered by insurance; and call for necessary federal investments in abortion care, including training, research, outreach, doula care, innovation, and access. Take action.
Child Care
Healthy Families Act: The HFA (S.1664/HR 3409) would create a national standard so that people at workplaces with 15 or more employees are able to earn up to seven, job-protected paid sick or safe days per year, and job-protected unpaid leave for workers in smaller settings. Learn more and take action
Child Tax Credit (CTC)
The CTC supports the basic needs of families with children – from food to utilities to childcare and more; this policy has proven to be one of the most effective ways to reduce poverty. Take Action
Voting Rights
The SAVE Act (H.R. 22/S.128) would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and mandate stricter voter roll maintenance to remove noncitizens. Critics argue it’s based on the myth of widespread voter fraud, which is already rare due to existing laws. If enacted, it would disproportionately impact historically marginalized groups—including women, people of color, immigrants, disabled individuals, survivors of violence, low-income voters, those who’ve changed their names, and rural residents—by creating new barriers to voter registration.
Tell your senators to oppose the SAVE Act: Take Action
Stay tuned for more opportunities to take action for your community.
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