Advocacy

YWCA San Francisco and Marin
Advocacy Program

Check out our quick, easy-to-read 2016 Ballot Guide! Vote informed with our 2-page summary, boiling each proposition in CA down to a few sentences.

The YWCA recognizes that lasting change requires changing the system in addition to changing the lives of individuals. To that end we advocate for policies and educate our communities on matters that advance our mission of eliminating racism and empowering women and have a direct impact on the clients we serve here locally.

ADVOCACY ALERTS TO KEEP YOU IN THE KNOW: SIGN UP HERE

YWCA San Francisco & Marin: Local Priorities

We believe that – working together – we can create a community where:

• No one who works full time should have to live in poverty or choose between her health, her family, and her paycheck. We advocate for strong family-friendly workplace policies that benefit our whole economy, including living wages, paid sick days, paid family and medical leave, and fair scheduling. These workplace protections are all key components of making jobs work for women, people of color, and the families and communities they support. Click here to learn more about three key pieces of federal legislation that will advance these interconnected goals: the FAMILY Act for paid leave, Healthy Families Act for paid sick days, and SAFE Act to protect victims of domestic violence.
  • UPDATE: VICTORY! We were proud to join the Lift Up California coalition in support of raising the minimum wage for its clear, immediate impact on our clients, many of whom work for less than a living wage. Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation that will California's minimum wage to $15! Read more here. Raising the wage is both a women’s issue and a racial justice issue, as women and people of color bear a disproportionate number of low-wage jobs, making this issue even more important to our work.
• All individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin or gender identity are ensured justice and equal protections under the law. That’s why we support the federal End Racial Profiling Act (HR1933 and S1056), which prohibits any law enforcement agency or agent from engaging in racial profiling. Racial profiling is a manifestation of prejudice that materializes on an institutional level, and we supported the passage of California’s AB953 in 2015. Click here to learn more about the Act and why we need to pass this on a federal level today.
• Our whole community can find safe and affordable housing. Housing in the San Francisco Bay Area is scarce and growing more expensive by the second, so we have to come up with creative solutions to house our community safely and affordably. That’s why we support AB 2406, the bill for Junior Accessory Dwelling Units, which provides an immediate and creative solution within our communities through a simple, inexpensive permitting process for junior and second units. Click here to learn more about the Act and click here to take action.

YWCA San Francisco & Marin also partners with our sister YWCAs on our national priorities, which are led by YWCA USA. To learn more about our national priorities Click Here.

To get involved, sign up for our Advocacy Action Alerts at advocacy@ywcasf-marin.org or SIGN UP HERE.