WONFIFTY

Brooklyn, NY - Joanne Smith is the founder of Girls for Gender Equity (GGE), an organization dedicated to changing the negative way girls and women are seen and treated by others and themselves; establishing a safe environment for young women to learn, gain confidence, and grow; and providing opportunities and tools to live self-determined lives.

GGE serves girls from age 8 to 18 throughout New York City. The organization provides a safe space for girls to be empowered through after-school sports leagues, self-defense and violence prevention workshops, technology classes, economic development workshops, leadership and community organizing programs.

For her dedication to helping girls and women succeed in the face of degradation, poverty, violence and oppression, the New York City Hall of Fame inducted Ms. Smith into its first class of honorees. Her photo and a brief bio are on the nychalloffame.org website along with the other inductees. The purpose of the NYC Hall of Fame is to honor remarkable New Yorkers who have contributed to the betterment of our City and will, in turn, serve as role models for our children.

Since her induction into the NYC Hall of Fame, Ms. Smith continues to work towards putting an end to segregation and discrimination based on sex, using a dual approach of community organizing and service provision. GGE mobilizes girls, boys, women and men to work together toward systemic change in all of the support networks that shape the development and achievement of girls and women, and also creates opportunities through programs and projects that nurture the optimal development of girls, women and, ultimately, the entire community.

NYC HALL OF FAME BACKGROUND:
The New York City Hall of Fame honors New Yorkers who have proven themselves exceptional. The Hall is not only a place where people - ordinary people as well as celebrities - are honored for their service to New York City, but also offers children's programs to instill good principles and self-esteem in the young people of our City.