• Women and Development Fund

The Women and Development Fund (WDF) is a programme administered by the World YWCA to fund small projects submitted by national YWCAs on their own account, on behalf of their local branches and/or in partnership with other relevant organizations. The general objective of this Fund is to empower women; that means to support activities which will address in a realistic and concrete way women’s problems and needs. Applications can be received at any time. More information and forms...

• Resource Sharing Programme

The World YWCA Resource Sharing Programme (RSP) provides a vehicle for YWCAs throughout the world to share their resources of all kinds: financial, knowledge, skills, technology and experience. The programme has been in existence within the movement since 1904.

The detailed description of the programme together with the required forms for contributions, skills and requests can be downloaded from this site. More information and forms...

The 2008-2009 Contribution and Financial Requests are to be received by the World Office by 31 October 2007.

• Skills Bank

The SKILLS BANK is a compilation of training offers from national associations for staff and volunteers in leadership roles in national and local YWCAs in skills to enhance their working knowledge and to enable them to upgrade and develop their professional skills. Such training opportunities offered by YWCAs include: administration and finance management, hostel management, vocational training skills, childcare, rural programme development and leadership development from national associations. These pages contain the current Skills Bank listings as well as forms so that additional skills may be offered. More information ...

• World YWCA Internship Programmes

The World YWCA young women’s internship programmes are intended to increase the number of globally experienced and trained leaders. These young women return to their associations to share their experiences and knowledge of issues and strategies and how different YWCAs work together on issues.

The World YWCA welcomes 27 year old Carina Söderlund, left, from Sweden and 28 year old Yuriko Fukushima from Japan who have been selected to spend one year working at the World Office in Geneva, Switzerland. During this time, they will be exposed to a variety of leadership and skills trainings, and represent the World YWCA at UN and NGO events, working groups and meetings. The interns’ work includes programme development, leadership development, advocacy, communications, and financial development.

In addition, four young women have been selected for UN advocacy internships, which are a hands-on opportunity to learn about the workings of the United Nations and develop skills in international advocacy. Representing the World YWCA at the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland will be 29 year old Rachel Dietkus from the USA and 29 year old Mayambo Ipu Peipul from Papua New Guinea. In addition, 24 year old Chih-Yang Liu from Taiwan and 25 year old Valeria Arriaga Mejias from Honduras will represent the movement at the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York, USA.

Young women candidates from all national and local YWCA associations are invited to apply for the World YWCA Short-term Advocacy Internship and the One-Year World YWCA Internship Programme.

The deadline for applications for 2008 internships is September 4, 2007 .

More information and application forms.