ABOUT US
YWITT is a community-led non-profit society based in Whitehorse, Yukon.
Our partnerships and programs facilitate awareness, education, and action toward equity and inclusion in the trades and technology sectors. Since August 2000 when YWITT was incorporated by a small, determined group of visionary women, we have been working on responding to equity issues.
“As a feminist, gender-equity organization, YWITT believes that the best people positioned to champion and lead social change in the skilled trades are tradeswomen and gender diverse tradespeople themselves.”
— Doing it Right Report, 2024
MISSION & VISION
YWITT’s vision is to build a “vibrant hub with community partnerships and programs that increase awareness, provide support and advocate for inclusion and equity in trades and technology careers.”
The journey towards this vision is shaped by the complex web of factors and actors that define the trades and technology landscape.
OUR VALUES
🌱 Being treated with respect
Working toward an industry that sees trades and tech work and the people within it as important. That looks like: people being paid well and treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve.
⚖️ Equitable access
We want everyone to have access to training, promotion, and success in their job regardless of who they are or what their gender is.
🧑🏫 Positive learning environment
We want to be a space where people can learn new skills, ask questions, and be supported by mentors and instructors who are excited to teach.
If you support these values, we’d love to have you join our community.
COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS
YWITT is committed to community spaces where all employees, volunteers, and community members are treated with respect. We recognize that trades and technology workspaces are not often spaces where people can be themselves. We strive for our meet-ups, programs, and events to be places where people can show up as themselves without fear of judgment.
We ask people showing up to our events to be aware of the following:
Working long hard days means that you sometimes need to decompress and share or vent about a long day. Don’t pass on someone’s vent session without their consent.
We believe the goal of an organization that supports equity (us) is to create more understanding for all people, rather than to highlight what drives us apart.
There are some events that we hold that might be specifically for some groups of people to come together and some events that are open to everyone. If this feels confusing, just ask us.
We recognize that women, men, and non-binary people all face different and unique issues when it comes to work and equity.
We are learning, and so is our community, so be patient when you come to events. If you’ve never heard some of the stories or experiences being shared, listen — people want to be heard.
When we open up our spaces to others, in no way are we abandoning the causes that we have historically supported, or continue to fight for. Still, there is more to do.
We acknowledge that we have more to learn and that no space is completely “safe”. We know that we have work to do and ask our community to join us in this growth and learning journey.
YWITT has been a women’s organization for the past 20 years. We recognize how far we have come and that there is still work to do for women in the trades.