The Book

Hey, Shorty!: A Guide to Combating Sexual Harassment and Violence in Schools and on the Streets is a narrative account of ten years of community organizing led by young women at Girls for Gender Equity to end gender-based violence against girls, women, and LGBTQ folks. Hey, Shorty! is a tool for young people and adults to use to spark conversations in their communities about street harassment, sexual harassment in schools, and strategies to increase the safety of girls, women, and LGBTQ individuals in public spaces.

The Tour

When the teen women of color at Girls for Gender Equity conducted participatory action research on the state of sexual harassment in NYC public schools, they found that 1 in 4 students is sexually harassed daily. The acts of violence range from verbal (71%) to physical (63%) to sexual assault (10%). Forty years after the U.S. federal government passed Title IX to end to sex discrimination in schools, sexual harassment continues to plague the lives of young women and LGBTQ youth.

Research shows the effects daily harassment has on youth can range from social alienation to poor grades to destructive behaviors, such as dropping out of school and suicide. Still, many dismiss this form of gender-based violence as a rite of passage for adolescents, as a “normal” part of school. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. Girls for Gender Equity is taking Hey, Shorty! on the road — making stops at bookstores, schools, and community centers to lead conversations with youth and adults and build connections among the many organizations and individuals doing anti-violence work nationwide. The goal is to encourage young people to become agents of social change and provide them with the model we use in New York City, so that they may learn from our successes and setbacks while replicating the model in a way that makes sense for their communities.

The tour is the collaborative effort of co-authors Joanne N. Smith, Mandy Van Deven, and Meghan Huppuch; GGE’s Sisters in Strength interns; and numerous community groups who sign on as co-presenters, hosts, and/or supporters. The experiences we have on the tour will be documented and shared on this blog, which will be frequently updated with notes from the road, stories from allies we meet along the way, a map of the tour stops, and press coverage. Your partnership is critical to this tour’s success. Please reach out to set up an event, support, or connect.

The Authors

JOANNE N. SMITH, founder and executive director of Girls for Gender Equity (GGE), is responsible for moving the organization closer to its mission through strategic planning, development, and leadership cultivation. Ms. Smith is a Haitian American Social Worker born in New York City. She founded GGE in 2001 with the support of the Open Society Foundation to end gender-based violence and promote gender, race, and class equality. Recognized by her peers as a representative of the next generation of those who promote social justice and gender equality, Smith is part of the first Move to End Violence cohort, a 10-year initiative designed by NoVo Foundation to strengthen the collective capacity to end violence against girls and women in the United States.

MANDY VAN DEVEN is a writer, activist, and public speaker. She writes for a variety of publications — including AlterNet, ColorLines, Curve, The Huffington Post, Marie Claire, RH Reality Check, and Salon — about contemporary feminist activisms, gender-based violence, sexuality, and pop culture. Mandy has spoken on topics such as street harassment, feminism, youth organizing, and gender-based violence to audiences at American University, Hunter College, Sarah Lawrence College, Pratt Institute, University of Maryland, and New School University.

MEGHAN HUPPUCH comes from a family of bold feminists and adventurers. Currently the director of community organizing at Girls for Gender Equity, she has also worked with the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network and the Center for Multicultural Education and Programming at New York University.

The Mission

GIRLS FOR GENDER EQUITY (GGE) is an intergenerational, grassroots, nonprofit 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. Despite minimal resources, GGE fights for urban girls and makes extraordinary contributions to the community and to the educational, economic, and cultural life of New York City.

Contact us at mandyvandeven@gmail.com.