Sous-fonds SF2 - YWCA

The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) was founded in London, England by Lady Kinnaird in 1855. In London, Ontario, the need for a female equivalent to the YMCA was felt, and they began a Women’s Auxiliary branch in 1882. In 1889, Miss Tilley, the daughter of the Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, inspired the foundation of the Young Women’s Christian Temperance Union (Y.W.C.T.U) in the city. The YWCA began as a branch within the Y.W.C.T.U, but they quickly developed into a separate organization as member’s realized that a more diverse set of roles could be accomplished if they separated.

The aim of the association was the ‘salvation of the whole woman…by developing and enriching her social, physical, mental and spiritual life.’ They provided programming and aid such as: educational classes in the domestic sciences, stenography, performed missionary work in Europe, Asia, and Africa; and provided boarding houses for young women.
The London YWCA was connected to a wider community through the YWCA of Canada. The organization would meet annually, with members sent from all over Canada to discuss issues surrounding women. In 1895, the YWCA of Canada became the fifth national association to join the World YWCA.

In 1951, the YWCA of London amalgamated with the YMCA to form the YM-YWCA, an organization that still operates under many of the same principles as its predecessors, with a mandate to provide spiritual, physical, and personal growth to its members.

The YWCA still exists today as an independent organization, as not all of the branches underwent amalgamation with the YMCA. They continue to take a leading role in the development and protection of young women around the world.
Note: Information for the administrative sketch came from The Young Women's Christian Association of London, Ontario, Canada: a century of faith, hope, and good works by Mark Greenberg and Edward Phelps.