The Idea behind Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) | National Girl Child Day 2022

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National Girl Child Day was started back in 2008 by the Ministry of Women and Child with the aim of highlighting the inequalities faced by girls at many levels in our society. The purpose behind celebrating this day is to create awareness on a number of topics like the rights of a girl child, the importance of education, proper nutrition and health. The day demands that people must acknowledge the problems which prevent the girl child from exercising her basic rights and find ways to contribute as much as they can to the solution. Though the theme for National Girl Day is yet to be announced, the theme for the Girl Child Day 2021 was ‘Digital Generation, Our Generation, and the theme of Girl’s Day in the year 2020 was ‘My voice, our common future.’ On this occasion, let us look at a century-old, all-woman apex institution for vocational studies.

Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) is an inspirational movement for women empowerment and gender equality with an emphasis on social justice and skill development and vocational education. This movement seeks to bring about a paradigm shift in the societal structure with women being equal contributors to the socio-economic structure of the country.

The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) started its journey in 1855 by coming together of two like-minded women- Lady Mary Jane Kinnard and Christian Emma Robarts who laid the foundation of a strong and inspirational movement for women empowerment and skill development by giving hope and dignity to thousands of women all over the world.

YWCA of Delhi, near Bangla Sahib, was initiated in order to cater to the needs of the society which needed immediate and diligent attention to those strata of the society which are often ignored and those who undergo the most suffering. The strategic goal and inherent value of YWCA are to provide a helping hand to women who need support and seek care. After suffering from years of abuse and in search of hope to fulfil their aspirations as well as live a safe life, YWCA acts as a beacon of hope for thousands of women irrespective of caste or creed, religion or race.

YWCA of Delhi was established more than a century ago in the year 1912 and is currently running for over a century of its journey. This organization is affiliated to World YWCA through the National body YWCA of India. It has been actively engaged in working towards women empowerment through the various departments and many projects which contribute towards the wellbeing of women. The various departments provide affordable education and vocational training to the students with great emphasis on skill development. The organization’s functions also lend a helping hand to the underprivileged women of the society by running in shelter homes, working towards environmental change to protect as well as preserve the environment, fighting towards women’s safety and bringing them justice while generating awareness about their individual rights. YWCA of Delhi is also teaching society about religious tolerance through our various forums on Interfaith dialogue.

WOMEN’S TRAINING INSTITUTE AT A GLANCE

The Women’s Training Institute (WTI) was established by the YWCA of Delhi in 1973. For the past 42 years, the WTI has worked for imparting high-quality vocational education. It has been constantly aiming at the empowerment of women by providing them with the necessary skills and motivation to become self-reliant.

The WTI has risen through academic standards and excelled in leadership to produce an array of creative genius and technically competent professionals. It provides a platform for vocational education and training through various job-oriented courses. It offers various vocational courses in online, hybrid and on-campus mode. YWCA popular courses include certification, UG diploma and PG diploma in Office Management, IT, Fashion Technology, Foreign Language, Teacher Training, Healthcare Courses and Skill Training. YWCA Women Training Institute provides a platform for vocational education and training through various job-oriented courses. YWCA being a 109-year-old body has developed collaboration and relations with many NGOs, embassies, government organizations, hospitals, private companies and work in government projects. Thus they provide decent opportunities for internship, projects and placement.