Girls for Gender Equity

"Girls for Gender Equity, Inc. (GGE) is an intergenerational organization committed to the physical, psychological, social and economic development of girls and women. Through education, organizing and physical fitness, GGE encourages communities to remove barriers and create opportunities for girls and women to live self-determined lives.

Founded in 2000, by Executive Director Joanne Smith, GGE responds to community needs confirmed when a coalition of 80 low-income residents of color from Central Brooklyn petitioned the Open Society Institute (OSI) to help change the negative societal stereotypes of girls and women. Smith used the OSI fellowship to launch GGE as a comprehensive, equitable after-school program that provides education, information, and critical resources to help ensure safety for NYC youth in their schools and communities. To accomplish this, GGE utilizes a dual approach of community organizing and service provision. Our youth-led initiatives mobilize girls, youth, adults, activists and educators under Title IX of the Education amendment and its ten points to work collaboratively toward sustained, systemic change by developing innovative opportunities that nurture the optimal development of girls and women. Now celebrating our 10-year anniversary, GGE is a powerful presence in our communities, serving over 600 participants annually. Over the past decade, GGE has mobilized and supported over 5,000 young people from underserved communities of color in NYC, who regularly experience sexual harassment and gender violence with no idea of their rights or who to turn to at school."