ABOUT YOUNG WOMEN EMPOWERED (Y-WE): Young Women Empowered (Y-WE) delivers creative, innovative, and transformative empowerment programs for young women* in the greater Seattle region. We envision a society rooted in social justice, where all young women live their truth, achieve their dreams, and change our world. Founded in 2010, we have grown from serving 50 young people annually to over 2,000 through ongoing programs, community events, mutual aid resources, and mental health and wellness programs. Y-WE centers BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) young women and is majority BIPOC-led, including our Co-Executive Directors, Staff, Board, Mentor community, and Youth Leadership Council. Recognizing that our liberation is interconnected, we are a collaborative organization rooted in intersectional and intergenerational partnership. Y-WE is a place for all of us to be ourselves, learn together, and grow together.
*those who identify as girls or women, nonbinary, trans, gender expansive, and gender diverse.
WHOM WE SERVE: Y-WE’s core programs serve diverse groups of young people who identify as girls or women, nonbinary, trans, gender expansive, and gender diverse. Most core programs are open to participants ages 13-19, with additional programs and offerings for young adults and the broader community. We center BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ youth in our programs, though we welcome participants from a wide variety of identities and backgrounds. We also offer multiple affinity-based programs. Many participants are first or second generation immigrants, and many are low income. Adult women from the community also participate in programs alongside young people using an intergenerational, shared mentorship model. Please visit Y-WE’s website for more information about its current programs: www.youngwomenempowered.org.
