The YWCA Montreal has had an integral role in Montreal life, supporting and encouraging women of all ages, cultures and religions since 1875.
Our mission is to empower women to achieve. It is rooted in our historical promotion of the rights, needs and roles of women in society and in the fundamental values of respect, integrity, equity and community spirit.
History
135 years of history
The YWCA of Montreal was founded in 1875 by eight remarkable women whose mission was to help immigrant women and those newly arrived in Montreal. The Founders’ immediate concern was to improve women’s quality of life by advocating for better working conditions and equal wages.
Some Important Milestones
1875: The first residence for women in difficulty
1885: The first job placement program
1893: The first free nursery
1902: The first fitness centre for women
1920: Camp Oolahwan begins its activities
1921: The first training course for auxiliary nurses in Canada
1972: The first women’s centre in Montreal
1975: Opening of Auberge Transition for victims of conjugal violence
1985: Legal Information Clinic opens
1992: Creation of the Literacy Centre
1993: Creation of Orientation and Services for Employment OSE
1995: Creation of Jump Start program and the Women’s Y Foundation
1998: Creation of a workforce integration enterprise for women, Fringue & Cie;
the first and only of its kind in Canada
2000: Creation of Leadership in Action and Movement and Change
2001: Rejuvenation project begins
2002: Creation of Dishes from Near and Far and At the Top of their Voices
2002: Modernization and renovation of infrastructure begins.
2003: Women and Municipal Participation and Women Decide
2004: After a proud 87 years of history, Camp Oolahwan closes its doors
2004-2005: Phase 4 of the renovations begin
2005: The renovation work is completed
2006: YWCA Montreal celebrates its 130th Birthday!
2007: The Health and Fitness Centre closes
2007: Entrepreneurship Centre opens
Mission and Vision
Mission
Empower women to achieve
Vision
To be recognized as an indispensable resource for Montreal women in the domain of personal, professional and social development.
Board of Directors
Sylvie Mercier, President
President
Masia développement stratégique
Jocelyne Boivin, Vice President
Business Development Consultant
Brigitte Simard, Vice President
Client Partner
KORN/FERRY INTERNATIONAL
Miriam Pozza, CA, CBV, MBA, Treasurer
Partner, Transaction Services
PricewatherhouseCoopers
LLP
Sacha Haque, Secretary
Legal Counsel
Power Corporation of Canada
Rachel Auger, Member
Lecturer, corporate finance
Françoise Boucher, Member
Executive Director
Service bénévole de L’Est de Montréal
Suzanne Deschamps, Member
Vice President, Development & Legal Affairs
GROUPE PACIFIC
Claude Gaudreault, Member
President
PERSPECTIVE psychologie organisationnelle
Anna Mainella, Member
Architect
ATELIER MZ ARCHITECTES
Christine Marchildon, Member
Senior Vice President, Quebec Region
TD Canada Trust
non-voting ex officio
Marie-Josée Neveu, Member
Partner
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
2009 Management Team
Geneviève Grégoire
Executive Director
Isabelle Baril
Director of Women’s Y Foundation
France-Line Carbonneau
Head of Community Services
Linda D’Angelo
Director of Hotel and Housing Services
Lilia Goldfarb
Head of Leadership Services
Elaine Desjardins
Interim Coordinator Fringues & Cie
Diana Pizzuti
Head of Housing Services
Josiane Sauvé
Coordinator of Communications
Esther Youte
Director of Employability and Entrepreneurship Programs
THE WORLD YWCA MOVEMENT
In 2005, the YWCA movement boasted 100 national associations with a worldwide membership of 25 million women.
History
The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) was founded in 1855 by two London women, Emma Robarts and Mary Kinnaird. The two founders strongly believed that women should support each other, and that with God’s help anything was possible. While not being the first organization dedicated to women, the YWCA distinguished itself by including all women in its mission. A pamphlet from 1897 specifically attests: "This is not an association of Christian women but a Christian association of young women. No young woman whatever her point of view or interests is outside this domain".
Emma Robarts began by organizing a network of women throughout Great Britain to pray for young women and to offer them assistance. Initially, there were 23 members; 20 years later more than 10,000 women from the four corners of the world had joined the movement.
Of principal concern to YWCA members were the difficult working conditions endured by women in factories and shops. As the YWCA’s popularity grew so did the services they provided; including vacation camps which gave respite from the city for those who could afford the cost, and convalescent hospitals funded by donations. Exercise courses were also offered to encourage women in urban centres to lead healthier lives.
In 1890, there were more than 100,000 members in Great Britain alone. At the turn of the century all existing YWCA's were brought under the World YWCA banner headquartered in London. Geneva, Switzerland is the modern day home of the World YWCA movement.
A Vital and Honoured Presence
In 1995, Joyce Mungherera, Executive Director of the Uganda YWCA and Vice President of the World YWCA, received the United Nations Africa Prize for Leadership for the Sustainable End of Hunger. Ms. Mungherera was honoured for a project launched by the YWCA, which gave milk cows to women as a source of food and sustainable revenue for their families. Each woman gave her cow’s first female calf to another woman in the community, thus spreading nourishment and hope to a maximum number of families.
In 1960, the YWCA Atlanta in the United States opened its cafeteria doors to African Americans, becoming the city’s first public restaurant to end the practice of segregation.
In the same year, the YWCA of India was awarded the International Literacy Prize by UNCESCO for having organized literacy classes for adults and children in 55 centres located in villages throughout India.
YWCA Canada: www.ywcacanada.ca
World YWCA: www.worldywca.org