News

Enrol and Vote!

Enrol to vote NOW is the message the YWCA is sending to young women.

YWCA has, with our partner Avant Card, flooded cafes and cinemas with an Enrol and Vote postcard, encouraging young women to enrol or update their details with the Australian Election Commission (www.aec.gov.au) before the election is called.

YWCA has also put forward ten questions for young women to ask themselves when deciding who to vote for.

Updates on the campaign will be made at http://www.myspace.com/ywcaenrolandvote

View with the campaign launch media release

Time to deliver: paid maternity leave

Did you know that in Australia today, fewer than half of women workers are eligible for a paid break after having a baby?

The YWCA Australia strongly supports the introduction of a government-funded 14 weeks paid maternity leave scheme. Write to your politicians today to encourage them to support the new bill, introduced by Senator Stott Despoja, which would mandate 14 weeks paid maternity leave for women in Australia.

View the media release on paid maternity leave

Pledge your support for paid maternity leave at http://nfaw.org/social/maternity/signup.php

Australian elected as World President

Susan Brennan, a former Co-President of the YWCA Australia, has been elected to lead the World YWCA as President. Susan was elected at the World Council meeting, held in Nairobi from 1 - 11 July.

Young women and leadership on HIV priorities at World Council

The YWCA World Council meeting adopted a new Constitution mandating 25% participation by young women in leadership roles in national YWCAs. The International Women's Summit: Women's Leadership on HIV and AIDS, convened by the YWCA as part of the World Council, adopted a Call to Action which proposes individual and collective steps that can be taken to address the experiences of women living with HIV.