Girls for Gender Equity (GGE)
Joanne Smith, Founder
Through advocacy, leadership and self-esteem development, community organizing, and programs, Girls for Gender Equity (GGE) encourages communities to remove barriers and create opportunities for girls and women to live self-determining lives. GGE educates parents, school personnel and community members about Title IX of the Education Amendment, which prohibits sex discrimination against students and employees of educational institutions and requires that males and females receive fair and equal treatment in all arenas of public schooling.
Established in 2001 in Central Brooklyn, GGE serves girls and young woman, 6 to 18 years old. Basketball, soccer, and boxing programs, free of the harassment that girls may experience elsewhere, provide opportunities to dispel gender myths. In health workshops, girls learn about their bodies and reduce the likelihood of risky behaviors. GGE also provides self-defense trainings and connects with organizations that advocate for the rights and protections of girls and women.
GGE believes that the widespread violence against woman and girls point to deeply rooted discrimination that must be tackled as a peace-building and human rights priority. Through its “World against Sexual Harassment” campaign, a task force of parents, teachers and students working to ensure that schools are a safer place for all children.