"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."~ Anaïs Nin
Photo | Courtesy of Joel Muniz on Unsplash
ADVOCACY CORNER
As we enter stage three of reopening Ontario, we are reflecting on the still-precarious economic security of many women and gender diverse people in our communities.

The pandemic has taken away reliable, paid work or thrust individuals into dangerous frontline jobs. The Ontario 2021’s Budget documented how workforce recovery for women has not kept pace with men. It is time to change the game: We see women as the key to economic recovery province-wide, so their interests need to be foundational in our economy’s return to health.

We are preparing submissions to the Ontario Workforce Recovery Advisory Committee and the Task Force on Women and the Economy. This is a good chance to share with the Province our ideas for how we can build back better while prioritizing gender equity.

Refer back to our social media for pertinent updates! We look forward to sharing our submissions with you.
 
Photo | Courtesy of Lise Watier Foundation
PROGRAM UPDATE
We are thrilled to announce that starting in the fall of 2021, YWCA Toronto will expand on services by collaborating with the Lise Watier Foundation and launching the Let’s Start Up program. This program will enable the Association to provide training and individual coaching to participants interested in learning how to establish their own business.
 
Visit our website to learn more.

PHILANTHROPY HIGHLIGHT
Our 40th YWCA Toronto Women of Distinction Awards Gala celebrated women from all walks of life who continue to change the lives of women, girls and gender diverse people.

Nominations are now open for next year’s awards! This is a great opportunity to nominate a woman who is driving change in her community in fields such as business, education, social justice, arts, health and philanthropy.

Recognize an inspiring woman by accessing the application on our website.

Photo | Courtesy of Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
Please join us in celebrating and supporting the release of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care’s Roadmap to Recovery – a comprehensive plan for universal child care province-wide. The federal government’s $30 billion investment in affordable, accessible child care depends on a deal with the Ontario government. Recently, Ottawa inked agreements with the governments of British Columbia and Nova Scotia.
This Roadmap is a great way to educate and empower yourself to advocate for what is possible if we truly invest in universal child care province-wide that invests in nonprofits.



Photo | Courtesy of ONN
The Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN) released a new report with Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario (AFO), on the state of the nonprofit sector one year after the pandemic began. With more than 3,000 respondents from across Ontario’s nonprofit sector, ONN has offered some helpful findings on the impact of the pandemic – and robust policy recommendations on where to go from here.




Edgy
Photo | Courtesy of the City of Toronto
We are so pleased with the City of Toronto’s 10-year safety and well-being plan, SafeTO, which was approved by City Council on July 14th. To learn more about this important strategy, click here to access all the relevant files.

We will be working with our city and community partners to ensure this important plan is adequately funded in the 2022 City Budget!
Photo | Courtesy of the Toronto Star
In a recent article published by the Toronto Star, our Director of Shelters and Clinical Services, Nina Gorka, shares key insights on the spike in housing applications resulting from a rise in gender-based violence during the pandemic.

This article highlights the urgent need of affordable housing solutions, particularly for survivors of violence.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
YWCA Toronto operates on the traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat and Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. We are grateful to work on this territory as we strive to build a more equitable and just city for women, girls, and gender diverse people.