Category: News

STATEMENT BY YWCA USA CEO ALEJANDRA Y. CASTILLO

“Domestic violence continues to be an epidemic impacting one in four women in the United States. One of the primary reasons domestic violence continues at this pace is because abusers face little to no accountability for their actions. Often, they are protected by other people in power, like White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and his colleagues.”

“While Mr. Kelly may feign shock over this news, I know firsthand the rigorous vetting process potential White House staff go through – no stone is left unturned. This case is yet another example of powerful men denigrating women’s experiences in order to protect and promote one another. This is a further indictment of the values of this White House, especially as it relates to victims of gender-based violence.”

“With an estimated 1,600 women killed by men each year, we cannot afford to tolerate abuse, the men who perpetrate it or those who protect them. At YWCA we help over 530,000 women and their families in gender-based violence programming each year. Programs like ours are critically important for survivors, but so are the actions of decision makers, community members, and bystanders. Each person has a role to play in ending domestic violence, and we can start with accountability in one of the most powerful offices in our country – the White House.”

Statement by YWCA USA CEO, Alejandra Y. Castillo

“In last night’s State of the Union address, President Trump doubled down on his standard dog-whistle of divisive rhetoric and scapegoating our most underserved communities. Last night’s litany of policies focused on building a border wall, separating immigrant families and ramping up penalties for drug offenders. He also touted alleged successes by his administration for working families and communities of color. While speaking in platitudes is easy, staying safe and healthy while trying to make ends meet is a real challenge for the women and families we help every day at YWCA. The fact remains that the President’s vision for a “New American Moment” is in direct conflict with YWCA’s vision of a world free from racism and sexism, where every woman and girl can realize her full potential.

“In the same breath that he spoke about his regard for our children and forgotten communities, President Trump made clear that his primary strategy is leveraging White America’s most troubling and racialized fears to achieve political and economic goals that benefit his wealthy friends. We urge our fellow Americans not to be fooled by niceties and manipulated figures. The low African American and Hispanic unemployment rates cited as a Trump success actually began long before his 2016 election. He celebrated minor wins for the average family from a tax bill passed last month that primarily benefits wealthier people and corporations without addressing the real economic challenges struggling families face as they work to put food on the table, pay the bills, and care for sick family members.

“In YWCAs across the country, 2.3 million women, girls and their families are getting the support they truly need to survive in spite of the policies, histories and injustices that work against them. We are proud to continue standing up for ourselves and our communities – and we won’t stop now.”

STATEMENT BY YWCA USA CEO ALEJANDRA Y. CASTILLO

“We are deeply disappointed in Congress’ failure to do their jobs and fund programs that support women, families, and our communities.

“The impacts of this shutdown are broad and diverse, from the expiration of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) blatantly putting children’s health at risk, to leaving the fate of 800,000 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program recipients up in the air, to shutting off Head Start and other grants and programs that infuse resources into communities where they need it most. At YWCA, we are especially concerned about the impact this will have on the communities we serve.

“Immigrants deserve immediate action on the Dream Act and women, families, and communities deserve access to the federally funded services supported by taxpayers. The reverberations of this mistake will harm millions of Americans for months after a resolution is made – but we already know that women, children and communities of color stand to lose the most.

“We call on Congress to provide permanent protections to Dreamers, reauthorize CHIP, and fund the federal government now.”

About YWCA USA

YWCA USA is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, stand up for social justice, help families, and strengthen communities. We are one of the oldest and largest women’s organizations in the nation, serving over 2 million women, girls, and their families.

YWCA has been at the forefront of the most pressing social movements for more than 150 years — from voting rights to civil rights, from affordable housing to pay equity, from violence prevention to health care reform. Today, we combine programming and advocacy in order to generate institutional change in three key areas: racial justice and civil rights, empowerment and economic advancement of women and girls, and health and safety of women and girls. Learn more: www.ywca.org.

STATEMENT BY YWCA USA CEO ALEJANDRA Y. CASTILLO

“Recently, new stories of sexual assault and harassment dominate the news cycle. But women, survivors and advocates confront these issues every day, whether or not they make the press. From the White House to the halls of Congress, from Hollywood to main street, men use their positions of relative authority and power to intimidate women and survivors of violence into silence. Whether through Twitter, nondisclosure clauses, slander, career sabotage or physical violence, the act of silencing women and survivors is oppressive and morally bankrupt.

“The fact that voters are consistently faced with viable candidates who have committed violence against women and children underscores the severity and gravity of this problem. However, we are heartened that perseverance and civic engagement continues in spite of significant voter suppression. Black women in particular have continued to raise their voices and organize their communities against injustice.

“Together, we must keep working to address our country’s pervasive and insidious culture of gender-based violence, as YWCAs are doing daily in communities across the country.  We know that accountability for abusers is imperative in order to eradicate gender-based violence. Until that day comes, YWCA will continue to support survivors, call for justice, and work to empower women.”

About YWCA USA

YWCA USA is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, stand up for social justice, help families, and strengthen communities. We are one of the oldest and largest women’s organizations in the nation, serving over 2 million women, girls, and their families.

YWCA has been at the forefront of the most pressing social movements for more than 150 years — from voting rights to civil rights, from affordable housing to pay equity, from violence prevention to health care reform. Today, we combine programming and advocacy in order to generate institutional change in three key areas: racial justice and civil rights, empowerment and economic advancement of women and girls, and health and safety of women and girls. Learn more: www.ywca.org.

STATEMENT BY YWCA USA CEO ALEJANDRA Y. CASTILLO

“Today the Supreme Court lifted the restraining order on the Muslim travel ban, leaving immigrants, refugees and families exposed to further racial profiling by the federal government. The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the constitutionality of the ban, but we know the ban will further institutionalize racism through public policy. YWCA USA stands firmly against policies that target people based on race, religion or ethnicity. Everyone deserves equal protection under the law.”

About YWCA USA

YWCA USA is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, stand up for social justice, help families, and strengthen communities. We are one of the oldest and largest women’s organizations in the nation, serving over 2 million women, girls, and their families.

YWCA has been at the forefront of the most pressing social movements for more than 150 years — from voting rights to civil rights, from affordable housing to pay equity, from violence prevention to health care reform. Today, we combine programming and advocacy in order to generate institutional change in three key areas: racial justice and civil rights, empowerment and economic advancement of women and girls, and health and safety of women and girls. Learn more: www.ywca.org.