"I Am Jane Doe" Screening and Panel Offered Local Insight into Human Trafficking

by Emily Ostrowski

Last month 75 people gathered at Kiggins Theater in Vancouver to watch a free screening of the critically acclaimed documentary “I Am Jane Doe” put on by YWCA Clark County, in partnership with the National Women’s Coalition Against Violence and Exploitation (NWCAVE), and the Clark County Human Trafficking Task Force.

The film, narrated and produced by Academy Award nominee Jessica Chastain examines the crisis of human sex trafficking through the lens of young women who are survivors, as well as their mothers who work to seek justice for their daughters, and the thousands of other families that have been hurt, and left unprotected against human trafficking.

The film is a powerful, sobering, and sometimes graphic look at the horrors young women who are trafficked are forced to endure. It was also frustrating to see the many ways in which our government and our communities are failing to adequately address the issue.

Specifically “I Am Jane Doe” examines how the advertising website Backpage was featuring escort ads with underage girls on their site, and how, through Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act meant to protect internet freedom, they were allowed to do so without facing any liability.

Several viewers left comment cards after the screening with the common refrain of finding the film “eye-opening,” “thought-provoking,” and “informative.” One viewer wrote that the documentary was, “the most current and local film I’ve seen in a long time.”

“I Am Jane Doe” does indeed have local relevance. Not only because Seattle serves as a location for one of the survivors’ stories, but also because the I-5 corridor remains a popular route for human traffickers.

In the past several years, law enforcement has worked with community partners in the area to try and end sexual exploitation and trafficking in Clark County. Five women from several of those organizations came to speak on a panel after the film, and answer questions about the challenges of protecting our community’s children, as well as the difficulties survivors of human trafficking can face, and how best to help them.

Each panelist stressed the idea that it’s never too early to talk with children about issues like consent, and about the potential dangers of meeting strangers on the internet. They also encouraged parents to be as aware as possible of their children’s social media habits. YWCA Clark County has several prevention programs that help both parents and children with exactly these types of concerns.

When it came to discussing how to help those who had been trafficked, the panel noted the limited resources available, including the fact that currently there are no shelters designed specifically for human trafficking victims in the area.

However, a spot of bright news was that Janus Youth Services was recently awarded a grant for $206,101 from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Crime Victims Advocacy to launch a program to address sex trafficking in Clark County. According to an article in The Columbian, the grant will fund two outreach specialists and a case manager to work at Janus’ drop-in center in downtown Vancouver, The Perch.

Increases in funding, along with the advocacy of the Clark County Human Trafficking Task Force and similar organizations will help to continue to shed light on the epidemic of human trafficking in our community, and offer help to those most vulnerable.

YWCA Clark County would like to thank NWCAVE, the Clark County Human Trafficking Task Force, Kiggins Theater, the panelists, and everyone who took part in this event. To learn more about how you can get involved, and what you can do to protect your children, view the links and resources at the bottom of this article.

“I Am Jane Doe” is available now on iTunes, and Netflix. It is also still showing in select theaters. 50% of all proceeds the film makes will be donated back to non-profit organizations which serve Jane Doe children.

Panelists:

• Michelle Bart: President and Co-founder of National Women’s Coalition Against Violence and Exploitation
• Alaire de Salvo: Administrative Coordinator for Janus Youth Program’s Washington Services with Youth.
• Amanda Workman: Community Coordinator for the Pathways to Healing Program at the Cowlitz Indian Tribe
• De Stewart: Sexual Assault Advocacy Specialist for YWCA Clark County
• Kay Vail: Co-chair of the Clark County Human Trafficking Task Force 

Learn more about YWCA Clark County’s Prevention Programs here, as well as read our recent post about two of the programs Where We Grow and Where We Thrive here.

Find additional resources on human trafficking in Clark County here.

Legislation on Firearms

By Susan LaLone, VP Public Policy at YWCA

Are you aware of the two state initiatives on the November ballot regarding firearms ownership, and the difference between the two? Why does it matter if you vote on these initiatives? A recent poll in Washington State showed those who responded were in favor of both. Yet these two initiatives are opposed to each other. Please take a few moments to read further and learn of the differences.

Born in a family of hunters, I was raised with firearms in the house. An early education on firearms taught me the need to be responsible with them. My experience as a former U.S. Marine, Vietnam veteran and retired federal police officer further enhanced this. As a police firearms instructor for 17 years, I both instructed and observed firearms safety. This showed me the need for constant training in both the physical use and knowledge of when to legally use firearms in our society. Unfortunately, not everyone has had the same opportunity to understand the consequences of using a firearm.

Since 1968, various municipalities, states and the Federal government have passed laws restricting firearms purchases to those able to pass a background check. Individuals with serious violent convictions are prohibited from purchasing guns. These laws work well with licensed firearm dealers, with only 1 % of these types of sales being refused. A serious hole in the system is with private sales, including those who sell from the numerous gun shows. These types of “dealers” have no requirement to initiate background checks when they sell guns. As a result, firearms may be obtained in these types of sales by virtually anyone. This is where state initiative 594 comes to play.

State Initiative 594 will require background checks for all sales of firearms in Washington State. This initiative plugs a serious hole in gun sales, and ensures all legal sales in Washington meet the current legal requirements and intents. However, there are those who believe this will restrict average citizens’ rights to obtain firearms. This type of thinking has put initiative 591 on the Washington State ballot.

If adopted, State Initiative 591will prevent the State Legislature from implementing background checks for firearms sales, unless the Federal government adopts a uniform standard for these sales. In effect, this checks the State Legislature from moving to a higher standard on firearms sales. By passing this initiative we will continue to allow a means for violent individuals to obtain firearms in Washington.

Please join YWCA Clark County and myself in supporting Initiative 594 and opposing Initiative 591. When dealing with firearms, there is only room for responsible and safe sales.

Advocacy in Olympia Pays Off

Good news from our state legislature. For those of you who believe little good comes from Olympia, here are two examples to the contrary. YWCA’s Public Policy Committee tracks various bills as they wend their way through the legislature. Below is the fate of two bills that affect community members obtaining services through YWCA’s CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and Sexual Assault programs.

Passage of House Bill (HB) 1298 / Senate Bill (SB) 5169 would have allowed distribution of CASA or GAL (Guardian Ad Litem) caseworkers background checks to all parties involved in a CASA or GAL appointment. Potential confidential or personal information about caseworkers would have been in the hands of individuals that were adversely affected by court decisions. In turn this could have prolonged cases needlessly or potentially been hazardous to caseworkers.

Traci, De and Laurie visited Olympia to advocate for survivors .

YWCA Clark County staff were among those testifying against this bill in Olympia. As a result of both this testimony and concerned lawmakers the bill died in committee, never reaching the floor.

Another Senate Bill, sponsored by local Senator Ann Rivers, works to assist survivors of sexual assault to live their lives without fear of contact from their convicted sexual offenders. SB 6069 authorizes the Department of Corrections to prohibit convicted sexual offenders from direct or indirect contact with the victim of the crime or specified classes of individuals. Additionally, other agencies are required to impose similar conditions of these offenders.

The Indeterminate Sentence Review Board shall impose a condition requiring the offender to refrain from contact with the victim or the victims’ immediate family members. When providing notice of a sexual offender’s residence, the Department of Corrections is required to include notice that the victim or immediate family member may request a non contact order as a stipulation of release, if this is not already provided for by court order. This bill passed the legislature and was signed into law by the Governor on March 17, 2014.

Our legislature really does work to help state residents. Become familiar with the issues and cast your vote in a manner that is right for you. Remember, every vote counts.

Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Report from the YWCA USA National Conference and Lobby Day Event

By Dena Horton, VP Public Policy Committee

YWCAs from across the country recently joined forces in Washington, DC from June 5 – 8, 2013 to lobby Congress and key staff to pass comprehensive immigration reform and participate in the YWCA USA national conference. YWCA Clark County Executive Director Sherri Bennett and I attended the national conference and lobby day events.  The primary issue focus of the lobby day was comprehensive immigration reform. YWCA was highly visible at the Capitol as all 281 YWCA participants wore persimmon scarves during their legislative visits. Our mission was to get Members of Congress to view comprehensive immigration reform as an issue affecting women, children and families and not simply as a border protection, amnesty, or economic issue.

The YWCAs of Washington State met to collaborate on the presentation and messaging for our meetings with Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) and staff from Senators Patty Murray (D) and Maria Cantwell (D). We encouraged our congressional delegation to pass comprehensive immigration reform with the following caveats:

1. Include a path to citizenship for the 11 million aspiring Americans already living in the US as reunification of families is a high priority.
2. Include access to health care and other financial supports with no waiting periods.
3. Support the DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act) allowing children of undocumented parents to begin the process for obtaining citizenship and access to education and higher education.
4. Include siblings and older married children as categories in the family visa program as many families rely on these extended family members for financial support, day care and caring for elderly family members.
5. Include U-Visas so women and young girls brought to our country to be trafficked can use this path to separate themselves from their abuser (who may also be their sponsor) and protect the women from deportation and retaliation by their abuser in the immigration process.

In keeping with YWCA’s mission to eliminate racism, we also encouraged the Members of Congress to:

1. Eliminate racial profiling.
2. Leave US Immigration policy enforcement to federal agencies rather than local law enforcement.

All of our congressional delegation meetings went well. Representative Herrera Beutler stated she is following the work of a task force formed in the US House to review immigration reform and is not sure if a comprehensive package will be put forward or if the House will tackle each piece as a separate issue.  She also indicated the costs of the provisions (as yet undetermined) could be too high for some Members to vote for it.  Key staff from Senators Murray and Cantwell stated the senators were largely supportive of all the positions taken by YWCA USA and encouraged YWCAs to submit real-life stories and data to help them encourage other Members to support these provisions. We encourage people to reach out to their congressional delegation to voice your support and provide examples for them to use in their efforts to push comprehensive immigration forward.

Following lobby day, Sherri and I enjoyed meeting with YWCAs from many other states and our counterparts in Oregon.  At the national conference, we heard from experts on immigration policy, participated in workshops, met with other YWCAs in our network, heard reports from YWCA USA and YWCA International organizations, and voted to elect thirteen new YWCA USA board members. To save money, Sherri and I did not participate in the YWCA USA Women of Distinction Awards Gala and dinner. However, actress/Latino community activist, Eva Longoria, was in attendance and won the Dorothy Height Racial Justice Award. YWCA USA CEO Dr. Dara Richardson-Heron vowed to increase YWCA USA visibility and media relations, training opportunities for local YWCAs, and fundraising and development efforts. Although we did not hear more information about YWCA USA Strong Foundation Fearless Future (SFFF) initiative and did not cover recent hot button issues, such as sexual assault in the military, we look forward to seeing YWCA USA deliver on the vision outlined at the conference.

The Immigration Debate: Focus on Protecting Families

By Natalie Wood

The United States is a nation of immigrants. Immigrants have been an essential part of American society since our country’s inception. According to the Census Bureau’s 2011 American Community Survey, there are currently more than 40.3 million immigrants in the United States, representing 13% of the total population. This number includes those who are considered citizens (approximately 18 million) and those who are not (approximately 22 million).

An estimated one-in-five children in the United States is the child of an immigrant. These immigrants and their children enrich our culture and contribute to our economic growth, making the United States one of the most diverse nations on the planet.

The current immigration debate covers a range of issues from border security to the economy, but does not always focus on how immigration policies and practices impact immigrant families, women, and children in terms of their social and economic status. Immigrant women may face unique situations, including domestic violence and being trafficked into the United States. These women are also more likely to experience poverty. In Washington State, female immigrant workers earned approximately $9,000 dollars less than male immigrant workers in 2011. In the same year, more than 19% of all immigrant families with children under eighteen lived below the poverty level in Washington State, compared to 12% of native families with children under eighteen.

While border security and the economic needs of our country are important aspects of the immigration debate, the discussion should not be limited to these two issues. Any discussion on immigration reform should include how to best protect the welfare of both documented and undocumented immigrant women, children and their families, including those who are victims of violence and trafficking.

YWCA’s history, both locally and nationally, is one of empowering and strengthening our communities. This includes every individual, regardless of documentation or citizenship status. We will continue to strive for the elimination of racism, the empowerment of women, and peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. YWCA Clark County and YWCA USA both have policy statements on immigration.

“Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.”
― Franklin D. Roosevelt

Thank You Washington Legislators

By Natalie Wood

Visiting our legislators.

January was a busy time for many, but few  were as tightly scheduled as our state legislators as they prepared to head to Olympia for the legislative session. That did not deter our local representatives from taking time out of their day to come to YWCA Clark County and learn about our programs. Senator Cleveland and Representatives Harris, Moeller, Pike, Stonier, Vick and Wylie all joined us for a tour of YWCA to learn about services we provide to Clark County.

Without the support of our legislators, the work that we do would be difficult. On average, nearly half of our revenue is from government funding. It is our state legislators who create policies that directly impact our work. From confidentiality rights to mandated reporting, our services are often defined by the policies and allocations put into place by these individuals. As an organization, we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to each of the legislators who made time to meet with us. Their recognition of the work that we do is greatly appreciated.

We encourage you to reach out to your representatives and share your gratitude as well. They have a tough job, and we appreciate their efforts to keep our community safe and thriving!

YWCA Supports Ref 74

By Dena Horton, Public Policy Committee Chair

As a 501(c)3, YWCA Clark County is prohibited from supporting political candidates.  However, the law does permit for the support or opposition of issues. As you know, on February 13, 2012, Governor Chris Gregoire signed legislation legalizing marriage for all families in the State of Washington.  The elected officials of Washington chose to make our state the 7th state to legalize marriage for all of its citizens.  Almost immediately, several groups began gathering signatures and filed to have the issue brought before the citizens of Washington State via the initiative and referendum process.  As a result, the people of Washington State, not just the elected officials, will have the opportunity to vote this November on Referendum 74 to uphold the same sex marriage law or overturn it.

YWCA’s mission is to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. This mission and the core values it represents easily lends itself to support marriage for all people. YWCA Clark County’s public policy statement on oppression is simply, “Oppression is the dominance of one group over another, resulting in hardship and injustice.”

When government structures are formed and operated in a manner that institutionalizes discrimination against a segment of its citizens, that government system becomes a form of institutionalized oppression.  Action must be taken to correct the system and allow all citizens to be treated fairly.  That is the main reason Governor Gregoire signed the bill into law – to require Washington State government to treat all of its citizens equally.

If a person resides in Washington State, abides by the law and pays taxes, that person is accorded certain rights and benefits as a citizen of Washington including the right to marry and have that marriage recognized by the state government and its agencies. However, if a person resides in Washington State, abides by the law, pays taxes, and that person is LGBTQ, the State of Washington and its agencies should not be allowed to discriminate against this citizen based on their sexual orientation and deny that person the rights and benefits the state accords to other citizens.  It is about justice, equality, dignity, and eliminating a form of institutional oppression.

In addition to YWCA Clark County, there are other organizations such as Washington United for Marriage and Equal Rights Washington that are mobilizing at the grass roots level across the entire to support Referendum 74 in the November election. Ty Stober, the Board Chair of Equal Rights Washington, lives in Vancouver and stated, “The LGBT community in Southwest Washington is so grateful to YWCA Clark County for their courageous leadership in the fight for human dignity. It is such an honor to be partner with them in the campaign to Approve Referendum 74 and guarantee the freedom to marry for all of our families.”  Over the next few weeks, YWCA Clark County will be implementing an action plan to more visibly demonstrate support for Referendum 74. Be on the look out for ways you can help  support Referendum 74 and if you have any questions, contact Natalie Wood at 360 906 9137 or nwood@ywcaclarkcounty.org.

What is VAWA and Why Does it Matter?

By Sharon Svec

The Violence Against Women Act (or VAWA) was initially first signed into law on September 13, 1994 by President Clinton.  This milestone marked the increased acknowledgement of domestic violence as a public health and human rights concern both in the U.S. and internationally, and at last, a federal response to national grassroots efforts urging legislation to specifically address domestic violence and sexual assault.  The good news is that VAWA has been reauthorized twice since ’94: once in 2000 and again in 2005.

The 1994 law accomplished many things – it established the U.S. Office on Violence Against Women;  established mechanisms for a coordinated community response to domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking crimes; strengthened federal penalties for repeat sex offenders, and included a federal law to prevent offenders from using a victim’s past sexual conduct against them during a rape trial. The law also required states and territories to enforce protection orders issued by other states, tribes and territories; created legal relief for battered immigrants and allowed victims to seek civil rights remedies for gender-related crimes. Finally, VAWA provided grants for law enforcement training, battered women shelters and assistance for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault amounting to $1.6 billion.

The 2000 reauthorization emphasized assistance to victims identified as immigrant, elderly, disabled and those affected through dating violence. It also expanded interstate stalking laws to include cyber stalking. President Bush signed the 2005 reauthorization, which instituted at least six new government programs, and included an increased emphasis on abetting violence against Native Americans.

After all of this progress, now, in 2012, we find that VAWA reauthorization has been held up in Congress since April of this year when the Senate and House passed different versions of the bill.  While each version contains many similarities, the one proposed by the U.S. Senate makes additional efforts to ensure services to same-sex couples, American Indians and immigrants.

Groups like the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) and representatives like U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) believe that Congress must work together, as they have previously on VAWA, to agree on a funding bill to be signed by the President this year. On August 15, Senator Patty Murray held a roundtable discussion with local agencies and domestic violence survivors at YWCA Clark County Vancouver, Washington.  Senator Murray has been traveling the country collecting input from survivors, and advocacy agencies like the YWCA – those at the front lines who will be impacted the most by a continued delay in reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

Looking back, much has improved since the passing of the first VAWA in 1994. All states now have laws making stalking a crime and have strengthened rape laws. The number of people killed by an intimate partner has decreased 34% for women and 57% for men. Also research from the National Task Force to End Sexual Violence Against Women shows that VAWA saved $12.6 billion in net averted social costs over a six-year period.

The reauthorization of VAWA would build upon successes like these, and continue to break the cycle of violence within our culture. Senator Murray, along with other Democrats, is focused on improving protection for immigrants, the LGBTQ community and tribal community members. Other components that have been proposed are:  streamlining programs, increasing accountability, supporting community-based response and direct service, enhancing criminal justice responses to sexual assault, strengthening housing protection for victims and providing services and prevention programs for young people.

While VAWA has significantly improved protection and service for victims/survivors, agencies like YWCA Clark County are experiencing considerable gaps in funding. This is particularly challenging because domestic violence has been reported by 51% more people since prior to the Act. Funding has not kept up with this increase in reporting by courageous victims and survivors. In 2010, an NNEDV survey found that while more than 70,000 victims are served daily by domestic violence programs, there are over 9,500 daily unmet requests for services nationwide. In addition, a 2009 survey by the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence shows that 25% of rape crisis centers have a waiting list for crisis services, 61% have 3 or fewer staff, and 56% have had to reduce staff due to funding cuts.

YWCA Clark County’s Sexual Assault and SafeChoice Programs rely on funding from VAWA. As VAWA awaits agreement in Congress, an average of 6,300 people are raped and/or physically assaulted daily by a current or former partner, and an average of more than 42,000 children per day  are exposed to domestic violence.

YWCA's Join Forces and Become Fearless Together

“Strong alone, fearless together” is a phrase that you will often hear from Executive Director, Sherri Bennett. She, like many executives and staff throughout the region recognized a need for regional YWCAs to come together and become fearless with our work in public policy.

Over the past several months, the Public Policy Committee has begun collaborating with YWCAs throughout the state of Washington. This collaborative is called Firesteel – an online endeavor to join the voices of YWCAs across the state in our policy efforts. Together with YWCAs across the country, we are dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.

The Washington State partnership team consists of liaisons from eight YWCAs in different areas throughout the state – Clark County, Wenatchee, Walla Walla, Yakima, Kitsap County, Pierce County, Bellingham, and Seattle-King-Snohomish.

On the Firesteel website each organization maintains an association page that focuses on local activity. You can see our page highlighting our ILS Program here.

This year, the overarching goal of statewide policy efforts is focused on housing and homelessness. The YWCAs of Washington State not only provide direct service to those vulnerable or experiencing homelessness, but proactively engage in policy advocacy through Firesteel to address the policies that can either limit or improve our services and resources for those that are vulnerable to homelessness. Similarly, we maintain programming, like the Family Unification Program highlighted on our association page, which works to prevent homelessness locally.

In our work with Firesteel, we aim to connect the policy dots. We will share the complexity and humanity behind institutional barriers and show the impact of these institutional barriers on our community.

Empowering Choice

Over the past several years, YWCA Clark County has adopted core values that guide the way we do things. Our core values of empowerment, diversity, teamwork, commitment, service and respect are built into our job descriptions, policies, procedures and overall structure.

Looking at one value in particular – empowerment – the Board of Directors has recently approved a few revisions to the reproductive rights policy statement for YWCA Clark County.

As an organization, we strive to model empowerment in many ways. Our SafeChoice domestic violence advocates work with individuals to identify whether or not they will choose to leave an abusive relationship. Our ILS advocates work with foster care alumni to create a future for themselves that they choose, whether that be through education, employment, or another path. The advocates in the Sexual Assault Program help victim-survivors and their families identify whether legal action is the right choice for their family. By acknowledging that each individual has the right to make choices that impact their own lives – the staff at YWCA work daily to embody the value of empowerment.

The issue of reproductive rights is truly about empowerment. One way we strive to empower women is by insisting on every woman’s individual right to make her own choices about hOer own body and reproductive health. The full policy statement approved by the board is below.

reproductive rights

introduction

YWCA Clark County is a pro-choice organization.

The issue of reproductive rights is about empowering women to be able to make decisions
about their own bodies and lives. The YWCA position on reproductive rights is based on the
following principles:

freedom

• Reproductive choice means that every woman has the freedom to make decisions about her body that best suit her physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and economic needs, making her own health care decisions privately.
• Women must have the freedom to decide whether or not to have sex, become pregnant, and have children to be truly empowered.
• They have the right to be informed about and have access to all legal contraceptive and reproductive options.
• These decisions must be each woman’s without government interference or pressure from other individuals or groups.

education

• In order to make reproductive decisions, women need education about the full range of reproductive health options.
• This means age-appropriate, comprehensive sex education that teaches young people about all of their reproductive health choices, including information about abstinence, contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, abortion, adoption and parenthood.
• This also means that women seeking health services should not be refused information about their health options based on a health care provider’s religious or moral beliefs.

access

• All women must have access to quality health care, including reproductive health services, regardless of their race or ethnic background, socioeconomic status, age or where they live.
• It is especially important that women and girls who have been raped or sexually assaulted have access to a full range of reproductive health care options, that they receive sensitive and 
• understanding medical treatment and advocacy, and that they are supported in whatever personal decisions they may make.

YWCA Clark County supports policies that affirm these principles, and it opposes efforts to reduce or deny reproductive choices.

policy statement on reproductive rights

YWCA Clark County defines pro choice as every woman and girl having the following rights:

• access to comprehensive quality care,
• the education to make informed decisions about her reproductive health,
• the freedom to make decisions about her reproductive health care based on her own beliefs and values.

YWCA Hallmark Initiatives

There are hundreds of YWCA’s throughout the United States and even more internationally. All YWCA’s are social service organizations, yet we differ in the services we provide. Each YWCA focuses on services that best meet the needs of their respective communities. To that end, ywca clark county serves those in our community experiencing domestic violence, homelessness, sexual assault, child abuse and neglect, and oppression, as well as youth in foster care and incarcerated women.

So what is it that ties all YWCA’s, nationally and internationally, together under one umbrella? Every YWCA is dedicated to the mission of eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. Additionally, every YWCA has two hallmark initiatives: Racial Justice and Women’s Economic Advancement. These initiatives are what distinguish YWCA from other socially conscious organizations..

Every YWCA has pledged to incorporate the hallmark initiatives into the daily operations and structure of the organization. The hallmark initiatives are implemented with the intention of influencing racial justice and women’s economic advancement with demonstrable, direct impact within the local community and measurable results.

Here at ywca clark county, we focus on racial justice and women’s economic advancement in many ways.

Most clearly aligned with the hallmark of racial justice, is our Social Change Program. This program is dedicated to preventing racism and other forms of oppression in our community through education and support. By encouraging dialogue through our Steps to Eliminating Racism and White Privilege trainings, we work to create a respectful, inclusive community. Similarly, while we aim to support our community in the journey towards diversity and inclusion, we also prioritize that work internally – with the board, staff, and volunteers. These groups engage in monthly discussions regarding incidents of oppression and attend regular trainings that address cultural competency and being an effective ally.

In looking at the hallmark of women’s economic advancement, the work of many of our programs is truly highlighted. We work to empower women to make their own choices in life, whether they have been a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault, have been incarcerated, or have found themselves homeless.

Locally, both hallmark programs have been represented in our Public Policy Committee’s subcommittees:  Women’s Economic Justice and Hate Incidents and Hate Crimes – both comprised of staff, volunteers, and community members. Our Women’s Economic Justice group has hosted workshops regarding equal pay and women’s equality, while strategically addressing generational poverty. The Hate Incidents and Hate Crimes group focused on assessing community needs, engaging targeted communities, encouraging law enforcement to record hate incidents, and responding to specific incidents and crimes.

Currently, ywca clark county is working to assess as an organization how to capture all racial justice and women’s economic advancement work occurring currently, while maintaining separate focused programming on the hallmarks themselves. We look forward to clearly defining all of the great work occurring here on a daily basis while also laying out the groundwork for continued, future success with our hallmark initiatives.