Carolina Together: YWCA Central Carolinas Helping Empower, Educate Women About Voting

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Next week, millions of Americans will cast their votes in the November 3rd election.

“If you don’t vote, your voice is not heard,” explains YWCA Central Carolinas CEO Kirsten Sikkelee.

The non-profit organization is working to educate and empower women before they go to the polls.

Click here to see the results of the YWCA “YWomenVote” survey

“It’s really important that we provide them with really sound information about issues that matter to women and girls especially, like safety, health, economic security, so that they go into the voting booth as an educated voter,” Sikkelee says.

YWCA Central Carolinas is doing that with partnerships with groups like the League of Women Voters.

And by distributing material to those in YWCA housing programs and the parents of youth served in YWCA education programs.

“So we were able to give them registration forms, voter guides,” explains Brittenay Causieestko-Lee.

Causieestko-Lee is Community Engagement Manager at YWCA Central Carolinas.

“We want people to research. We don’t people to go in and just say, ‘I’m a Democrat,’ or ‘I’m just a Republican,’ give me that, but to make sure they align with your morals and your values and what you want to see,” she says.

The national YWCA conducted a survey that found women across all demographics share core values they want elected leaders paying attention to… including:

• Healthcare and coverage for pre-existing conditions
• Fairness in the workplace
• Equal Pay
• Paid Family and Medical Leave
• Safety, including concerns about gun violence and mass shootings

“It’s not about left or right, it’s about right or wrong, so we want to make sure that we are empowering women to make sure that we voting for things that they are needing for themselves,” Causieestko-Lee says.