April 25, 2018
When I was studying at the University of Winnipeg, in Manitoba, Canada, and writing for The Uniter, the student newspaper, I wrote many articles, not only about what was going on inside the university’s walls, but also about what was happening the surrounding inner-city area.
One of the reasons I got a lot of satisfaction doing this was particularly when it came to women’s and other social issues, the mainstream press and media was not doing a lot of these types of stories in the late 1970s.
The following is one such piece. It is about the YWCA and its changing focus on women’s issues:
The Uniter
1978?
You and the YWCA
by Tanya Lester
The YWCA was founded a century ago in England as a Christian prayer union. It was a place where a young woman could be prepared for her life’s work — cooking, knitting, and sewing. Today, the YWCA’s main concern is still with women, but it helps modern women deal with their different needs in the 1970’s.
Now, the YWCA offers a wide range of courses which include assertativeness training, contraceptive options, how to start a business, living without marriage, and car repairs. The courses are geared toward the young working woman.
The YWCA women’s resource centre has a good library containing books on subjects particularly concerning women. A person can go to the centre for information on rape, family law, the sufferage movement and other related topics. A non-member can charge out a book with a dollar deposit which is reimbursed when the book is returned.
There are areas, in the centre, where a person can sit and read, do research work, talk, or receive feminist counselling. Speakers talk on women’s problems.
An important new aspect of the women’s resource centre is the social action committee. The committee members include women from varying walks of life so it is able to deal with women’s problems in many areas. The committee members keep in touch with other women’s groups for information and suggestions.
The committee grew from lobbying, the YWCA took part in, to try and prevent the negative change the Lyon government made in family law. The committee is now monitoring the law to make sure judges deal fairly with people tried under the changed law.
They are, also, looking at sexism in education.
“We notice,” said Dyck, “there’re not that many options for boys and girls in junior high other than home economics and shops.”
The committee has sent letters to help persuade the band “Battered Wives” to change their name and attitudes toward women. “Battered Wives” have changed their name for the remainder of their tour but intend to use their original name on any albums they cut. The social actions committee will continue to pressure the group will continue to pressure the group until they discontinue their ‘violence towards women’ gimmick.
For working mothers, the YWCA operates a daycare centre. It becomes especially busy in the summer when most daycare centres are closed. The committee is investigating these summer closures.
Considering the number of YWCA programs offered, Dyck is “surprised more women from the university haven’t discovered the Y.” Dyck is “surprised more women from the university haven’t discovered the Y.” Maybe it’s time they did.
–END–
Tanya Lester does psychic readings and specializes in tea leaf reading, tarot, psychic channelling, mediumship and gypsy readings. She is also a Reiki master and a fulltime housesitter. For more go to her web: teareading.wordpress.com or her pages on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Goggle. To book a reading or to arrange a housesit with her, text/call 250-538-0086 or email: tealeaf.56@gmail.com
Tanya’s books are: Confessions of a Tea Leaf Reader, Friends I Never Knew, Dreams and Tricksters as well as Women Rights/Writes. The first two titles can be purchased from the author or from amazon.ca All of the titles are available in some library systems.
To read more of Tanya’s writing on a variety of topics and in several different genres, go to writingsmall.wordpress.com and tealeaf56.wordpresss.com
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