YWCA Kalamazoo is a recognized advocate for social justice by advancing racial and gender equity, advocating for public policy changes, providing education that promotes equal protection and safety for families and equal opportunities for people of color, women and girls, and the most vulnerable in our community.
By educating the public and policymakers on a local, state, and federal levels regarding women’s health and safety, women’s economic empowerment, and racial justice and civil rights, YWCA Kalamazoo ensures that the voices of underrepresented communities are heard. We work to raise awareness and foster systematic change around racial and gender equity as they relate to YWCA’s policy initiatives.
YWCA Kalamazoo provides education and awareness on the impact of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and more to increase community awareness. Using videos, open and honest dialogue, and interactive learning experiences, the YWCA Presentation Series aims to raise awareness, build personal and collective responsibility, and provide skills to challenge violence throughout our lives and community.
YWCA Kalamazoo promotes systems change through community engagement to promote racial and gender inclusiveness culture and environment activities to foster participation and engagement of community partnerships to advance the mission and movement of the YWCA.
YWCA Kalamazoo works through community engagement and health equity strategies around the reduction of maternal and infant health disparities within Kalamazoo. Infant mortality affects all of us because we are all part of this community and this rate is often used as an indicator to measure the health and well-being of a community. The reason: factors affecting the health of entire populations can also impact the death of infants. Kalamazoo has an alarmingly high infant mortality rate for babies of color. This statistic negatively reflects who we are as a community because we have a great capacity to improve the lives of all Kalamazoo babies.
Access to reproductive health services is crucial to living a full and authentic life. We know that many barriers exist that make it difficult to access these services, such as lack of finances and transportation. YWCA Kalamazoo’s Reproductive Health Fund is here for you! This health fund works with community partners to provide doula services, abortions, gender-affirming name changes, hormone replacement medications, PEP for HIV prevention, emergency contraception and transportation — all at no cost to you. Read to learn more about eligibility and services.
This pivotal election year, YWCA Kalamazoo has a unique opportunity to show up and continue the bold and historic work of advancing Reproductive Rights across Kalamazoo County! Right now, our Get Out The Vote (GOTV) effort is focused on increasing awareness around the state of reproductive health care access here in Kalamazoo County. We are also prioritizing educating our elected officials and holding them accountable to addressing the barriers communities of color face in accessing comprehensive reproductive health care.
