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Ywu believes the voices and leadership of young women of color carries the power to create better communities for ALL PEOPLE!!! Because we have not been given the opportunities to make critical decisions around our health and well-being, all our communities are negatively impacted. We see the need to amplify the voice and experience of teenage women, young adult women and older women of color at each decision making table that impacts us and or our communities. YWU believes in the strength we hold as women, to survive, surpass, overcome and evolve. To challenge all that degrades and oppresses us and our families. YWU believes that positive and revolutionary motherhood is essential to raising healthy communities, so we look to renew motherhood as respected and supported no matter the age, marital status, immigration status, sexual orientation or socio economic class of the mother/parents. We support women’s right to create the families they want to create, if, when and how they choose, and respect a woman’s choice to not be a mom. We know that the use of traditional medicines and practices as well as connecting with our spiritual selves needs to be at the center of our work toward healthy women, families and communities. Ywu wants to build a diverse core of Young Women of Color leaders that can, organize, represent, demonstrate true sisterhood and be accountable to a larger constituency of Women of Color. In order to develop women of color voice and leadership we provide a non-judgmental “safe space” exclusively for women of color in ‘Burque to grow, learn, share, and be ourselves. A community where women leave feeling empowered to challenge their own personal struggles, and work collectively for change. Women diverse in age, ethnicity, background, education, class and sexual orientation have a meaningful face, name, outlet and resource to pursue their passions and interest. We demand youth rights and ensure a meaningful place at the decision making table where all youth voice is encouraged, heard and respected. We want to see sex Ed in our schools. We want to see language, practices and policies that support and increase the rights of women of color, young Women of Color, our bodies and Women of Color mothers, before during and after their births. We want to increase the number of conscious Women of Color in leadership at the local and state decision making levels including, public schools, city and state government. We want to increase public knowledge of women of color experiences, realities, needs and our rights to be supported and respected. To sustain this Ywu will need confidence, commitment and discipline. We need to build a concrete shared vision and collective strategies to get us there. To keep it real, to be balanced. To overcome fear of change/evolution. To build core leaders and provide opportunity for those leaders to organize and take action to create the change we see collectively. We need to raise money to support our current efforts and those we envision for YWU’s future as well as training Young Women of Color on how to effectively fundraise. To build our grassroots fundraising efforts, including finding innovative ways to sustain our work, pay our women and have all that we need to foster creativity, love and change. We need to build a solid internal structure and our capacity to work as an effective collective. We are contributing to the overall heath and well being of women of color and people of color communities. We are contributing to the survival of our people in preparation for revolution that will reclaim the lives of all communities by producing a positive and self-determined perspective of Women of Color and our place in society that is inclusive of all genders, sexuality, identities, traditions, and beliefs based in humanity. We have succeeded when:
We build our base and mobilize: through art, organizing and spirit. We are Young Women of Color and Mothers of Color who are in relationship with each other, actively involved in self-love/healing, and are ready to be mobilized around local issues, especially those effecting Young Women of Color, Mothers of Color, and low-income mothers, families, and our communities. What Ywu does to accomplish this:
Young Women United | P.O. Box 8490, Albuquerque, NM 87198 | 505.831.8930
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