Dear partners and friends, we are delighted to announce an important milestone in the history of our organization — we are now called YMCA-YWCA Lviv!
🌍 Why we changed our name:
YMCA is a globally recognized organization, known as the Young Men’s Christian Association. We have added another important component: YWCA — the Young Women’s Christian Association.
This name change symbolizes our commitment to inclusivity, gender equality, and more active engagement with women and girls.
We believe that the new name better reflects our modern approach to working with youth and volunteers, aligns with our core values, and emphasizes our focus on equal partnership between men and women.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to UN Women for their support and inspiration. Through our collaboration, we gained a deeper understanding of our identity and recognized the importance of addressing the needs of women in our work.
We came to realize that our historical name no longer fully reflected the present day, and so we decided to include the female component. For us, this is more than just a name change — it marks a new stage of growth and a renewed awareness of the needs of our community.
A name is both a powerful symbol and the core foundation of an organization’s entire life cycle. At YMCA Lviv, we’ve been working side by side with women and men, girls and boys for over 20 years. Including Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) in our name reflects our recognition and respect for female identity within the organization’s activities.
Men and women, boys and girls should feel safe and know that their contributions matter. Safety means not having to explain that this movement is yours too. Respect and dignity mean that decisions about you are not made above you, but are developed and taken with you and for you.
We wholeheartedly congratulate ourselves — YMCA Lviv — on this important milestone in our identity as YMCA-YWCA. I am truly pleased and proud to share this meaningful news with our friends and partners.
Alina Kylynych
Leader of the Youth Council, cultural manager, member of the “Circle of Heaven” formation
For me, this is an important and symbolic step that highlights equality, inclusivity, and the recognition of women’s roles in our organization. This change sends a clear message: we see and value the contributions of women, we acknowledge their needs, and we are committed to creating a space where every person — regardless of gender — can grow, fulfill their potential, and feel heard and supported.
Anastasiia Luzhna
Youth Engagement Manager
To me, the name YMCA-YWCA is about ensuring that everyone feels they belong. As a young volunteer, I’m glad that our community now openly recognizes the contributions of girls and women. This isn’t just a new acronym — it’s a step toward a more equal and inclusive future.