TimelineTimeline

Ms. Harriette M. Butt arrived in India as a missionary of the Indian Female Normal School and Instruction Society.

A YWCA branch was formed in Poona under Ms. Mary Vitters and Mrs. Small.

The YWCA of Poona began working toward a permanent building for its growing association.

Work began in Madras through the Madras Christian Women's Association.

A small boarding institution for five women was established in Bombay, marking an early beginning of YWCA residential work for women.

The foundations of the YWCA of Simla were laid on 29 December; activities began the following year.

The Poona YWCA completed its first purpose-built association building, officially opened by Lady Harris in July.

The Hon. Emily Kinnaird and the Hon. Gertrude Kinnaird began an extended visit to India, Burma and Ceylon to encourage and organise YWCA work.

YWCA work continued to expand through visits, correspondence and the organisation of new branches and smaller groups across India.

On 9 March, the Christian Woman's Association and the 'King's Daughters' merged to form the YWCA of Madras.

The 'Appeal of 1892' was drawn up in Madras and sent to Great Britain and America, requesting trained full-time secretaries for the growing movement.

On 4 November, Ms. Maude Orlebar arrived in Calcutta as the first whole-time Association Secretary sent from abroad.

Ms. Agnes Hill arrived from the United States to begin YWCA work in Madras.

On 14 May, Ms. Maude Orlebar opened a small YWCA Institute in Darjeeling, which also served as a Rest Home and later as a place of preparation for workers coming to India.

Ms. Agnes Hill returned to India in October after spending six months in England consulting with the World's Committee and began the work of organising and systematising the Associations.

The YWCA of India, Burma and Ceylon became affiliated with the World YWCA.

A delegation of 19 from India and Ceylon attended the first World's YWCA Conference in London.

Local YWCA newsletters were consolidated into 'Our Indian Magazine', which later became 'The Young Women of India'.

The first YWCA Student Camp was conducted at Ambala at Christmas.

A National Student Department was established to coordinate student work across schools and colleges.

The Yengherries at Simla opened in May as the first permanent YWCA Holiday Home for women in India.

Camp Goodwill was held on the banks of the Adyar River in Madras from 29 September to 5 October, introducing an annual general-membership camp.

At the Third National Conference in Madras, the formation of a Vernacular Department was recommended.

The YWCA of Madras opened a Student Hostel for young Indian women pursuing university education.

The National Headquarters moved from Calcutta to Bombay.

The YWCA's international connections continued to expand; Nallemma Williams, a medical student from Ceylon, was selected as a delegate to the YWCA World Conference in Paris.

Agnes Hall was dedicated for the Jubbulpore Branch.

The Jubilee Fund was launched to support the training of workers from India and strengthen the development of local leadership.

The Association expanded its residential and institutional work, securing or developing new premises in places including Madras, Coonoor, Secunderabad and Nagpur.

The Calcutta YWCA Institute at Corporation Street was formally dedicated on 18 December.

Constantia at Simla was opened as a YWCA Home and Boarding House on 22 October.

Dora Mohini Maya Das was appointed Travelling Secretary for Northern India, becoming the first Indian Travelling Secretary.

Queen Mary visited the Calcutta YWCA Institute on 6 January and donated Rs. 5,000 toward the building debt.

Girl Guide work was introduced into YWCA programmes in India.

Lahore, Colombo and Mandalay dedicated new YWCA premises.

Woodbine Lodge at Naini Tal was established as a new YWCA Holiday Home.

Doon View at Mussoorie was established as a new YWCA Holiday Home.

The magazine 'Woman's Outlook in India' replaced 'The Young Women of India', broadening the publication's coverage of women's social, civic and educational concerns.

The Lady Willingdon Club for Army Nurses opened in Bombay to provide accommodation, food and recreation during the First World War.

An Institute for Vocational Training and Hobby Classes was established at Simla.

On 16 August, an extraordinary meeting in Trivandrum considered measures for establishing a YWCA there.

The YWCA of Travancore had developed a Student Branch alongside its main Association.

The National Headquarters returned to Calcutta.

The National YWCA Training School opened at Calcutta Headquarters on 1 November to prepare women for Association service.

St. Margaret's Hostel in Madras was dedicated on 13 December for young women.

Weaving classes were introduced in Calcutta in cooperation with the Bengal Department of Industries.

The weaving school moved to Vena Bank, Serampore, adjoining the Government Weaving Institute.

The YWCA began systematic investigation into the conditions of business and professional women in Calcutta in cooperation with the Calcutta League of Women Workers.

Fairhavens was built at Nainital as a YWCA property providing accommodation and a place of rest for women.

The YWCA of India, Burma and Ceylon marked its Golden Jubilee, commemorating fifty years of work since the Bombay beginning of 1875.

Anandagiri, Ootacamund was gifted to the National YWCA by friends from the YWCA of the USA to mark the first fifty years of the movement's work in India, Burma and Ceylon.

Anandagiri opened as a training centre under Ms. Elizabeth Wilson, then National General Secretary of the YWCA of India, Burma and Ceylon.

Local YWCAs took on quotas to help finance the work of the National YWCA.

A summer school was opened in Mussoorie.

The movement had grown to 131 associations.

The National YWCA headquarters moved to Lucknow.

The YWCA associations in Burma were cut off from the National YWCA because of the Second World War.

In response to the Bengal famine, the YWCA of Calcutta opened a rural welfare centre at Khareberia, with a weaving centre that trained widowed, deserted and destitute women, and a free nursery school for children of the village.

The National YWCA School of Social Work was founded at Isabella Thoburn College, Lucknow, under the direction of Ms. Nora Ventura. It was the second school of social work in India and the first in Asia to offer a Master's degree in the subject.

The YWCA of India began its food services at Christian Medical College, Vellore.

Spread Acres, Dehradun was bequeathed to the National YWCA by Ms. Spread.

The YWCA School of Social Work was affiliated with the University of Delhi and became known as the Delhi School of Social Work.

The Quadrennial National Conference resolved that India should continue as a separate National Association.

At the World Council in Beirut, the four independent National Associations became directly affiliated to the World YWCA.

The National YWCA headquarters moved to New Delhi.

The YWCA International Guest House began operating in Delhi.

The CMC canteen project started an activity club offering training in cookery, dressmaking and flower decoration.

The YWCA of Nainital resolved to hand Fairhavens to the National YWCA, and it became a national project.

Ownership of Wyoming, Coonoor was transferred to the YWCA of India, which has run it as a holiday home ever since.

The YWCA movement in India completed a hundred years, and the centenary was marked nationally with a commemorative postage stamp.

YWCA of India expanded its work in Trilokpuri, providing relief, counselling, shelter and skills development for women and children in relocated communities.

Work began with 300 rehabilitated families at Dadu Majra, Chandigarh, through a tailoring and sewing centre, literacy classes, and child care and nutrition programmes.

A hostel for women and girls was built in Sector 11B, Chandigarh.

The Trilokpuri project, later named Pipal Chhaya, began the vocational training, remedial schooling and rights awareness work it continues today.

The National YWCA of India completed 100 years of service since its establishment in 1896.

After the Supreme Court issued the Vishaka guidelines on sexual harassment at the workplace, the YWCA of India was invited by ministries, banks and public sector undertakings to serve as the NGO representative on their complaints committees.

Burns House, Kolkata was declared a heritage building.

The 'We Can' programme was launched with Oxfam at Trilokpuri to address domestic violence, leading to civil defence trainings with the Government of Delhi and the Crime Against Women Cell that built a base of 150 volunteers.

RiseUp!, the World YWCA's young women's leadership programme, entered its third phase in India. More than 5,000 young women have since been trained as advocates on violence against women, sexual and reproductive health rights, and gender equality.

The Sarhaah project began in Aizawl, working with women and children living with HIV.

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act was passed. The YWCA of India had contributed to the drafting group convened by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and presented its views to the Parliamentary Standing Committee before the Bill was tabled.

A geriatric care providers' training course was launched in Chandigarh, a three-month programme preparing school dropouts for work in hospitals, homes for senior citizens and home nursing.

With the Society for Participatory Research in Asia, the YWCA of India studied child, early and forced marriage in Sonipat and Panipat, Haryana. The findings shaped the #MoreThanJustBrides programme for married adolescent girls and girls at risk.

Young women's action plans on violence against women were adopted as a resolution at the General Body Meeting, under the motto 'Educate, Intervene, Advocate'.

The YWCA of India was invited to the International Human Rights Conclave of the National Human Rights Commission for a session on women, children and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The COVID-19 crisis response moved the movement's work online, with virtual safe spaces, webinars and podcasts on mental health, and women in Trilokpuri organised to make masks, sanitisers and soap.

The YWCA of India completed 125 years of service.