Young-hee Won, the President of the National YWCA of Korea, begins her day with an early morning prayer. Since she took the office as the 47th President of the National YWCA of Korea(hereafter Korea YWCA) on the 30th of July 2020, her prayers went much deeper and precise.
She prays by calling the names of the each President, Secretary General and all YWCA activists and Staffs of 53 YWCA regional branch offices across the country. “The day starting with prayer is markedly different from the days without it. I feel that if I pray, God helps me. If I don’t, I have to bear everything on my own,”said President Won. “I will serve as the leader who does not go ahead of God’s will,” she continued.
“YWCA invites all the young women out there to engage and participate to make changes in your life and to make it a better one,” Won said. Photograph by Shin. S : See the Citation below
Won began her career at YWCA as the member of University-YWCA(Uni-Y) in 1973. Over the past 47 years, Won shared both joyful and sorrowful times with YWCA. “It wasn’t always easy to participate YWCA’s numerous activities all at once, but I always felt this special calling to do so.”
The open floor event called the “Green Frog Concert” hosted by Seoul YWCA was one of the most interesting event Won had attended with her highschool friend which fascinated her. “In the early 1970s, Korea was going through the dark ages. But in my 20’s through the YWCA activities, I have realized that YWCA activities are important movement that raises important social awareness.
President Won said that she will do her best to continue the YWCA’s Justice, Peace, and Integrity Movement throughout her tenure until February 2022. “Due to the current inter-Korean relations between the North and the South and the on going UN sanctions, sending the humanitarian aid to North Korea are blocked completely. I hope that the power of women’s peace movement can make change and bring the peace era on the Korean Peninsula,” she said.
Finally, she called for the active social participation of young women. YWCA activities, which has its base on the Christian values, can find solutions in to solve the current social problems. Won said, “YWCA invites all the young women out there to engage and participate to make changes in your life and to make it a better one.”
Won emphasized that “youth participation” and young women’s voice are paramount in achieving the better society as well as the substantiality of the YWCA, the oldest women’s organization in Korea. YWCA is also pursuing various projects to revitalize youth YWCA movement preparing for its 100th anniversary in 2022. Hence, the YWCA projects and movement protocols are based on empowering young YWCA members of 53 regional YWCAs nationwide.
Newly renovated Korea YWCA Office Building: Page Myeongdong
‘Page Myeongdong,‘ a newly designed Korea YWCA office building can be a good example of the youth empowerment protocols. Korea YWCA dedicated entire open space called the ‘Y Space.’ The ’Y-Space’ is a safe space for the young people to feel comfortable where safety and privacy are assured. It is a space for the young people to explore their potentials and reach out for their dreams.
President Won stressed, “In order for youth to participate, they need their own space where they can come and stay, communicate, and work anytime.”
Korea YWCA has been supporting the YWCA youth members with their new social-entrepreneur project in Gunsan region where young people can have direct influence revitalize the region and the communities that suffers from the shortage of young people. The youth members of Korea YWCA began to operate their own guesthouse called “Who’s Dare” using local community spaces.
Also in Cheongju region, an exclusive Youth space was created by the youth members of Cheongju YWCA. ‘Il-Chamcheong’ means ‘ a ’house where young people work and anticipate.’
Korea YWCA also plans online activities and meetings through various online channels such as YouTube live broadcasting or Zoom video conference channel to provide platforms for the young people to discuss the social issues including gender equality, peace policy, inter-generational issues, tight youth labor market reality and etc.
President Won stressed, “I will focus all my energy to make YWCA reliable, viable and supporting place for young women, just as how it supported for me when was a young women.”
Written and Translated by Grace Eun Young Kim(eykim@ywca.or.kr)
Program Officer, International Relations Department
National YWCA of Korea
Original Interview Article Source: Kim.A &(2020).’남녀 동일임금 문제 등에 여성이 나서야’, Kukminilbo, 14 August. Available at: https://n.news.naver.com/article/005/0001351966 (Accessed: 15 January 2021)
Photo Source: Shin.S(2020).’남녀 동일임금 문제 등에 여성이 나서야’, Kukminilbo, 14 August. Available at: https://n.news.naver.com/article/005/0001351966 (Accessed: 15 January 2021)
