YWCA USA

Today, YWCA and its Local Associations combine programming and advocacy to generate institutional change in three key areas: ● Racial justice and civil rights ● Empowerment and economic advancement of women and girls ● Health and safety of women and girls YWCA is a national organization (incorporated in NY) with nearly 200 Local Associations around the United States in a federated model.

The Impact Shares YWCA Women’s Empowerment ETF, trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker WOMN, is designed to promote gender diversity and empower women in the workforce by holding shares of companies who score highest in their sector on 19 gender equity criteria as determined by Equileap, an independent, specialized data provider with a broad scope of diversity & inclusion and gender equality metrics.

The criteria include a company’s: ● Gender balance in leadership and the workforce which includes an examination of a company’s non-executive board, executives, senior management, overall workforce and its promotion and career development opportunities; ● Equal compensation & work life balance which includes an examination of whether a company has fair remuneration, equal pay, parental leave and flexible work options; ● Policies promoting gender equality including its training and career development and recruitment strategy; whether employees have freedom from violence, abuse and sexual harassment; whether employees are safe at work and enjoy basic human rights; its social supply chain and supplier diversity; and overall employee protection; and ● Commitment, transparency, and accountability including its overall commitment to women’s empowerment and whether it has undertaken a gender audit from a recognized entity.

Additionally, the WOMN ETF provides YWCA with a platform to engage and educate investors, corporate America and the general public on the policies and procedures that can empower women in the workplace.

By shining a light on companies that champion these values, it encourages others to follow suit and, as more investors allocate their funds to socially responsible investments like the WOMN ETF, companies are incentivized to improve their gender diversity and equality initiatives, driving positive change within corporate cultures.

It is unique[citation needed] in that the organization is guided purely by human service-oriented programs rather than physical services.

The YWCA of The City of New York produces several fundraising events annually including the Salute to Women Leaders Luncheon, the YWCA-NYC Theatre Benefit (featuring the Broadway hit The Color Purple in 2005 and the revival of Michael Bennett's A Chorus Line in 2006).

At that time seven women led by video maker Eleanor Boyer went to work setting the equipment up, creating tapes, and providing support to other YWCA members.

[6] As technology shifted, the Women's Video Project at the YWCA started to seek out newer equipment that was lighter, was easier to use, and recorded in color.