Young Women's Christian Association St. Thomas Elgin

Published purpose

This 30-month project will support a feminist response and recovery from the current impacts of COVID-19, through system change. YWCA of St. Thomas Elgin will achieve this by scaling up and expanding a previously WAGE funded project “Crack the ceiling; keep the roof”, increasing awareness and advocacy on women led family homelessness and conducting local and global research to inform decision making to advance an intersectional community action plan endorsing systemic change to decrease women led family homelessness applying Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) framework throughout the project. At the end of the project, the organization will have contributed to addressing systemic barriers by increasing networks and collaboration to accelerate systemic change, supporting positive distribution of authority, voices, and decision-making power and advancing inclusive policies and practices to support women’s equality. This project will work with partners, including the Fresh Start Support Services, CMHA Elgin, Second Stage Housing, Family & Children’s Services of St. Thomas and Elgin, Central Community Health Centre, West Elgin Community Health Centre, Local Shelters, and St. Thomas-Elgin Social Services to improve collaboration amongst likeminded organizations in the region to lead dissemination and increase uptake of system transformation policy and programs recommendations.