YWCA Utah is a leading voice for advocacy and empowerment. Our public policy work recognizes the need to make systemic changes to improve the lives of all marginalized people. Our public policy agenda centers racial and gender equity in affordable housing, childcare, domestic and sexual violence, mental health, and reproductive justice.
The Well-Being of Women in Utah in 2019 Fact Sheet presented at the second annual Utah Women’s Policy Conference on August 15, 2019, follows up on last year’s report and the YWCA’s 2014 briefing, also published in conjunction with Institute for Women’s Policy Research in Washington, DC.
Many of the survivors who arrive at YWCA Utah’s doors are often facing several issues that have become barriers in their lives, and the lives of their children. One of the most prominent issues being access to, and barriers created by, housing. Utah’s Domestic Violence Lease Termination Statute has made attempts to remove some of… Continue Reading Utah’s Domestic Violence Lease Termination Statute
In the past couple of years, awareness around the significance on maternal mental health has increased in ways that has shifted people’s understanding of what healthcare looks like for mothers and all parents. In the state of Utah in particular, we have seen the introduction of two amendments covering maternal mental health. These amendments… Continue Reading Maternal Mental Health in Utah
Our Director of Public Policy, Gabe Archuleta, joined the Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah, and other leaders, in a Daffodil planting event; 444 Daffodils were planted to honor the 444 lives lost to gun violence in Utah in 2021. Gun violence is a widespread issue that impacts all of us, especially women facing domestic… Continue Reading Speech: YWCA Utah’s Director of Public Policy on gun violence
Click the hyperlinks within the bill tracker below to learn more about bills on our policy priorities, our process of tracking them, and the current status of each.
Advocate for policies that increase access to quality and affordable child care, and that provide a living wage for child care workers.
Advocate for policies that increase the safety and empowerment for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, increase funding for services, address the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit, as well as strengthen education and prevention services.
Advocate for policies that remove barriers and increase access to affordable housing for women and their families, including for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Advocate for policies that address maternal mental health and increase access to quality and affordable mental health services for women, children, and families.
Advocate for and analyze policies to ensure they promote racial and gender equity and advance the empowerment and economic advancement of women, femmes, non-binary, and persons of color including advocating for a living wage.
Advocate for policies that eliminate disparities in outcomes and promote reproductive justice for women, femmes, non-binary, and persons of color.
