World Alliance of YMCAs Statement to the CSW, 2006AL

The World Alliance of YMCAs is a youth organisation with over 40 million members worldwide, of which half are women. YMCAs working in 125 countries are advocating for and promoting the rights of women.

As the YMCA seeks to empower all, especially young women and men, it is deeply concerned about women’s continued under-representation in decision making processes at all levels and the urgent need to create an enabling environment for the enhanced participation of women in development.
Through its work with communities around the world to engage women in development, the YMCA recognises that urgent action is needed to ensure that:

- Public policy recognises the close links between the areas of women’s health, education and work, and integrates these areas more effectively.
- Mechanisms are established to put an end to stereotypical attitudes and discriminatory practices that undermine important gains in the fields of health, education and work by restricting women’s mobility, property rights, participation in decision making and access to economic and other livelihood opportunities.
- Government entities and civil society organizations provide training for women to develop the necessary skills for social, economic and political empowerment, including income generation.
- Mechanisms are established to produce a process of serious socio-cultural change.
- There is a gender-awareness monitoring and evaluation system of existing development programmes.

Through working with communities around the world to engage women and girls in decision making at all levels, the YMCA recognises that urgent action is needed to ensure that:

- Men and boys are engaged in initiatives designed to promote gender equality in decision making and that there is an end to the discriminatory practices which engage women to fill quotas but give them no real influence in decision-making and outcomes. If boys are engaged in such initiatives from an early age, this will help to break such practices.
- Education and sensibilization mechanisms are established to provide increased awareness that gender equality is good for men and boys as well as for women and girls.
- Girls and young women are equipped with the skills and confidence to participate effectively in decision-making, for example through youth advocacy and civic empowerment programmes.

The YMCA is mobilising both men and women members, young and adults, at grassroots, national and international levels to address these issues and welcomes further efforts to develop practical strategies and tools for meaningful and lasting implementation.