YWCA USA is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, stand up for social justice, help families, and strengthen communities. We are one of the oldest and largest women’s organizations in the nation, serving approximately 2 million women, girls, and their families.

YWCA has been at the forefront of the most pressing social movements for more than 160 years — from voting rights to civil rights, from affordable housing to pay equity, from violence prevention to health care reform. Today, we combine programming and advocacy in order to generate institutional change in three key areas: racial justice and civil rights, empowerment and economic advancement of women and girls, and health and safety of women and girls.

Mission Statement

YWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.

This YWCA mission statement was adopted by the General Assembly in 2009.

YWCA is excited to announce the launch of YWCA Racial Justice Challenge, to begin on April 17, 2023. The Racial Justice Challenge is the action component for the Until Justice Just Is campaign, which will run throughout the month of April to raise awareness of systemic racism and how each of us can take action to advance justice.

Previously known as the Stand Against Racism Challenge or 21-Day Racial Equity and Social Justice Challenge, the YWCA Racial Justice Challenge was developed by YWCA Greater Cleveland in 2019. YWCA USA is excited to be partnering again with YWCAs across the country to offer this unique virtual learning community to participants across the country.

YWCA USA has a long and proud history of advancing justice within and outside the organization, from modeling a more diverse leadership representation to striving for fair housing where all people can live harmoniously in the same neighborhood. We will continue to build on our momentum for advancing justice, and the YWCA Racial Justice Challenge is a critical component in realizing this vision.

The YWCA Racial Justice Challenge is designed to create dedicated time and space to build more effective social justice habits, particularly those dealing with issues of race, power, privilege, and leadership. The Challenge works to foster personal reflection, encourage social responsibility, and motivate participants to identify and act on ways to dismantle racism and other forms of discrimination.

For four weeks, daily challenge activities (reading an article, listening to a podcast, reflecting on personal experience, etc.) are posted in the Challenge app and website, allowing participants to connect with one another, discover how racial and social injustice impact our community, and identify ways to dismantle racism and other forms of discrimination. Each week covers a different topic related to equity and social justice. Daily activities are not posted on the weekends.