together we stand...

YWCA's legislative priorities address the core social and economic issues that reflect our values and mission of eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedome and dignity for
all.

Our seven legislative priorities are:
 

1. Elimination of Racism
YWCA supports policies that help us achieve our mission of eliminating racism. These policies include those that eliminate racial profiling, increase immigrant rights, retain and strengthen affirmative action, reduce hate crimes and educate the public about eliminating racism.

2. Affirmative Action
We support maintaining and strengthening affirmative action laws that protect people from discrimination on the basis of race or gender. [Fact Sheet]

3. Hate Crimes
The YWCA supports the passage of hate crimes legislation that protects people from harassment, violence and other crimes on the basis of race, sex, gender, religion, ethnicity, age, disability or sexual orientation. [Fact Sheet]

4. Violence Against Women
We advocate anti-violence policies that protect victims, hold perpetrators accountable and work to eradicate sexual assault and domestic violence, trafficking of women and dating violence. We support legislation that ensures employment stability and economic security for victims of violence against women. [Fact Sheet]

5. Equal Pay
The YWCA supports initiatives to increase the income of women, including policies that raise the minimum wage, protect overtime, strengthen equal pay, maintain the earned income tax credit, oppose the privatization of social security and expand non-traditional training for women from all socioeconomic and racial backgrounds. [Fact Sheet]

6. Poverty and Welfare Reform
We support an anti-poverty approach to welfare reform that increases education and training opportunities, opposes marriage promotion/incentives, opposes religious discrimination in hiring, restores benefits to legal immigrants, addresses barriers to self-sufficiency, such as domestic violence and substance abuse, and provides affordable and accessible childcare. [Fact Sheet]

7. Child Care Early Childhood Education
The YWCA supports quality, affordable and accessible early childhood education that assists adults in moving toward economic independence and provides children with culturally sensitive, developmentally appropriate activities that enable children to succeed in school. [Fact Sheet]

 Click here for YWCA Hartford Region's 2011 Public Policy