YWCA Wall for Women Mural

In partnership with renowned artist Ola Volo, YWCA Metro Vancouver has unveiled a 42-foot mural, Wall for Women, at the corner of Burrard St and Melville Ave in Downtown Vancouver.

YWCA Wall for Women Mural

The Wall for Women is a permanent gift to the community that depicts the strength of women and shines light on the “shadow pandemic” of intimate partner violence. During the COVID-19 pandemic, domestic violence against self-identifying women has increased as much as 20-30% in parts of the country and kills a woman every six days. 

The mural draws upon Ola’s Kazakh heritage and is full of symbols: the woman rises with newfound strength, a bird of hope rests on her shoulder and her gaze is fixed on the horizon to remind us all of the resilience of women.  

“I have painted a lot of murals, but this was the first time integrating QR codes within my art, said Ola. “I loved the challenge and the message is so powerful. I was honoured to help the YWCA bring the idea to life and to be able to directly help the cause with my work.” 

The YWCA hopes that this striking mural raises awareness across the region and inspires people to support their services that directly serve women leaving violence. They also hope that anyone who faces violence in their lives finds a sense of hope and strength in this stunning piece of art. 

The mural also has QR codes embedded in the design. When you take a photo with your phone, you’ll see statistics about intimate partner violence, and have the option to donate to the YWCA’s newest housing project supporting women who have experienced violence. 

The next time you are downtown, please stop to take in the mural, and snap a picture of it! Any gift you give through the Wall for Women goes toward supporting and housing women leaving violence.