No name change for YWCA India

1992
YWCA logo
What's in a name, did you ask?

YWCA logo
What’s in a name, did you ask?

THE Indian arm of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) has no plans to go in for a name change although the charity organization in the UK recently rechristened itself as ‘Platform 51’.

Speaking to the Daily News & Analysis newspaper in Mumbai, Gulobi Fernandes, president of the YWCA in the city, said: “Our name in India is intact. Not just India, the world YWCA has not changed its name. It is only the UK group that has been renamed.”

Reema Daniel, president of the national board of YWCA in India, sought to justify the UK arm’s name change.

“In England, they feel that if you have the word ‘Christian’ in the name, you are like any other charity group,” she said.

YWCA was formed in 1875 in India. The charity was founded by two Englishwomen, who were inspired by Christian principles to the cause of women in particular and society in general.

In a controversial name change, the England and Wales branch of the institution that was formed 155 years ago, has renamed itself as ‘Platform 51’ claiming that its original name “no longer stands for who we are.”

Explaining the reason behind the rebranding the charity said: “During the 155 years since we were founded, we’ve had to evolve to reflect changes in society and the needs and expectations of women. This is true not only of the work we do, but also of our name. Our original name no longer stood for who we are or what we do and people often confused us with another charity.”

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