Our Story
Frustrated by gender-based oppression and the silence surrounding it, in 2007, four Indo-Caribbean women came together to create a space for dialogue among women in their community. They began organizing the first ever Indo-Caribbean Women’s Empowerment Summit. During planning for the Summit, in March 2007, 20 year old Natasha Ramen, a Guyanese woman from Hollis Queens, was slashed to death by her alleged rapist, also Guyanese. There was no outcry from the community, and it seemed like violence against women had become so widely accepted that a crime as heinous as Natasha’s murder did not warrant dialogue or action. Enraged, organizers of the summit grew even more determined. On March 31, 2007, the first Indo-Caribbean Women’s Empowerment Summit was held, where more than thirty women discussed domestic violence and cultural perpetuation of patriarchy. Such a gathering was unprecedented, and every attendee expressed interest in monthly or quarterly gatherings in their evaluation survey.
After the Summit, on May 10, 2007, 22 year old Guiatree Hardat, Guyanese, was shot in the head by her fianceé, an Indo-Caribbean New York Police Department officer. After the death of a second Indo-Caribbean sister, it became clear to organizers that continued programming addressing gender-based violence in our community was crucial. As a result, we formed the “Indo-Caribbean Women’s Empowerment Group”, Later, joined by activists engaged in anti-domestic violence work, we organized the second annual Indo-Caribbean Women’s Empowerment Summit, held in April 2008 in partnership with Sakhi for South Asian Women.
Following the 2008 Summit, the group was renamed “Jahajee Sisters” to honor the strength of our female ancestors. In 2009, Jahajee Sisters received our first grant from the Asian Women’s Giving Circle, and expanded our partnership with Sakhi for South Asian Women to develop and offer a ten-week Arts & Empowerment (A&E) Program. The A&E program engaged an inter-generational group of women in dialogue, writing and theatre exercises as a way of empowering themselves and expressing their thoughts, emotions, and visions for change within their community. Poetry written by participants was compiled into the first-ever anthology written by South Asian and Indo-Caribbean women, entitled “Bolo Bahen! Speak Sister!”. The anthology was introduced to the community through a dynamic Spoken Word Showcase and Book Launch Event at the Queens Museum of Art on June 19, 2009. It was the first time women in our community stepped up to collectively speak out against gender based oppression in a public forum, and it was well-received with strong community support and media coverage. The entire event was later broadcast on ITV (the leading community television network) and articles were written in India Abroad, The South Asian Times, Caribbean Impact, and more.
In June 2009, we held our third Indo-Caribbean Women’s Empowerment Summit, partnering with the Rajkumari Center for Indo-Caribbean Arts & Culture. Also in 2009, Jahajee Sisters formally created a diverse, inter-generational Advisory Committee of eight members and held our first strategic planning retreat.
After the Summit, on May 10, 2007, 22 year old Guiatree Hardat, Guyanese, was shot in the head by her fianceé, an Indo-Caribbean New York Police Department officer. After the death of a second Indo-Caribbean sister, it became clear to organizers that continued programming addressing gender-based violence in our community was crucial. As a result, we formed the “Indo-Caribbean Women’s Empowerment Group”, Later, joined by activists engaged in anti-domestic violence work, we organized the second annual Indo-Caribbean Women’s Empowerment Summit, held in April 2008 in partnership with Sakhi for South Asian Women.
Following the 2008 Summit, the group was renamed “Jahajee Sisters” to honor the strength of our female ancestors. In 2009, Jahajee Sisters received our first grant from the Asian Women’s Giving Circle, and expanded our partnership with Sakhi for South Asian Women to develop and offer a ten-week Arts & Empowerment (A&E) Program. The A&E program engaged an inter-generational group of women in dialogue, writing and theatre exercises as a way of empowering themselves and expressing their thoughts, emotions, and visions for change within their community. Poetry written by participants was compiled into the first-ever anthology written by South Asian and Indo-Caribbean women, entitled “Bolo Bahen! Speak Sister!”. The anthology was introduced to the community through a dynamic Spoken Word Showcase and Book Launch Event at the Queens Museum of Art on June 19, 2009. It was the first time women in our community stepped up to collectively speak out against gender based oppression in a public forum, and it was well-received with strong community support and media coverage. The entire event was later broadcast on ITV (the leading community television network) and articles were written in India Abroad, The South Asian Times, Caribbean Impact, and more.
In June 2009, we held our third Indo-Caribbean Women’s Empowerment Summit, partnering with the Rajkumari Center for Indo-Caribbean Arts & Culture. Also in 2009, Jahajee Sisters formally created a diverse, inter-generational Advisory Committee of eight members and held our first strategic planning retreat.
