GGE’s after-school and youth organizing programs provide education, resources, and information intended to support youth in their schools and communities.
Sisters in Strength
Sisters in Strength (SIS) is a two-year social justice education program for Black girls between the ages of 15 and 18 years old who are survivors of gender-based violence.[3] SIS is a paid internship, in which each member works with a student in a Master of Social Work degree program.
In one project, SIS participants learned about Title IX’s interdiction of gender-based discrimination and the requirement for New York schools to have a Title IX coordinator to ensure compliance. They conducted a project in which members called 200 New York City schools, asking if the schools had a Title IX coordinator. They then presented the results of their study to the New York City Department of Education.[4]
On April 28, 2016, Joanne N. Smith, founder and executive director of Girls for Gender Equity, presented the Black Girl Bill of Rights to the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls during its first symposium at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C..[citation needed]
The Coalition for Gender Equity in Schools
The mission of the Coalition for Gender Equity in Schools (CGES) is to end sexual harassment and violence in schools by empowering young people to speak up and fight against negative, normalized behavior, including offensive or harmful comments, LGBTQ discrimination, and unwanted or non-consensual touches. GGE is the lead organizer of this alliance of students, teachers, parents, and other school community members who are focused on changing the culture of schools and creating a sense of community that is rooted in mutual respect.[5]
Urban Leaders Academy
Urban Leaders Academy (ULA) is a holistic after-school program dedicated to advancing the values, ethics, determination, and leadership skills of junior high school students.[citation needed]
Young Women’s Initiative
In 2015, Girls for Gender Equity played a role in helping the New York City Council create the Young Women's Initiative as a counterpart to the Young Men's Initiative. Mayor Michael Bloomberg started this initiative in 2011 to offer equal opportunities to Black and Latino men and boys in southeast Queens, northern Manhattan, the South Bronx, and Staten Island’s North Shore.[6] In a press release, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito called YWI "the first coalition in the United States to tackle the systemic gender-based inequality."[7]
GGE in the media
Anita documentary
GGE's Sisters in Strength appeared in Oscar-winning director Freida Mock’s documentary Anita in a segment that featured their efforts on gender issues.[8] The film tells the story of Anita Hill’s fight against sexual harassment in the workplace and her heroic testimony against U.S. Supreme Court Nominee Clarence Thomas.[9]
NY1
On October 22, 2015, Joanne Smith of Girls for Gender Equity discussed a new City Council initiative to help young women with a special panel, including Errol Louis, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Ana Oliveira from the New York Women’s Foundation, and Danielle Moss Lee from the YWCA of New York City.[10]
Melissa Harris-Perry
On May 20, 2012, several of GGE's youth organizers joined Melissa Harris-Perry on a panel to discuss the different forms of feminism.[11] On August 19, 2012, Girls for Gender Equity’s Natasha Adams joined Melissa Harris-Perry to discuss negative campaigning during the 2012 election cycle and the ways young people were reacting.[12] On November 24, 2012, GGE Youth Organizer Emily Carpenter, of Girls For Gender Equity, joined Melissa Harris-Perry to discuss what President Obama’s second term meant to her as a young Black woman.[13]
On May 20, 2016, Melissa Harris-Perry was a guest on the 2016 Power Players week of Jeopardy! and played in support of Girls for Gender Equity.[14]
On February 26, 2016, Joanne Smith was recognized by Black Women's Blueprint at their annual Mother Tongue Monologue: A Praise Song for Black Girls Reclaiming Our Mother's Bones for her work at GGE.[16]
Amtrak Pioneer Award
In 2016, Joanne Smith was one of the winners of The Amtrak Pioneer Award, which honors African Americans who have made positive contributions to communities in Brooklyn.[17]
1804 Haitian-American Change Maker
On March 21, 2015, Joanne Smith was recognized by the Haitian Round Table 1804 as a Haitian American Changemaker for making influential changes in her community.[18]
In 2013, GGE's Community Organizer Nefertiti Martin and Youth Organizer Emily Carpenter were included in the 4th annual Grio Top 100 African American History Makers list for “embodying the notable traits of their generation: creativity, fearlessness, and a powerful belief that each individual can change the world.”[21]
The New York Women’s Foundation Neighborhood Leadership Award
On October 16, 2012, the New York Women’s Foundation recognized Joanne Smith with a Neighborhood Leadership Award.[22]
The French-American Foundation Young Leaders Program
In 2012, Joanne Smith was recognized by the French American Foundation's Young Leaders Program for her work.[23]
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