FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ashley C. Sawyer | 718-857-1393 ext. 124 | media@ggenyc.org
GIRLS FOR GENDER EQUITY’S Response to The Resignation of Governor Andrew Cuomo
Survivors of gender-based violence must be heard and believed.
BROOKLYN, NY: Today, Girls for Gender Equity (GGE), an organization dedicated to fostering a world free from gender-based violence, is contending with the weight of all that has come before the resignation of New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo. We well know that this resignation follows tremendous pain experienced by survivors, and we must remain vigilant over the next fourteen days
GGE is an intergenerational, racial and gender justice organization that for close to two decades has worked alongside survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. We know that abuse is about power, and today can be a momentous recognition for survivors, demonstrating that consequences can be possible, even when coming forward against powerful people.
In his prepared response today, the Governor leveraged arguments that we know perpetuate harmful misunderstandings of gender-based violence. By centering his alleged intent, cultural and generational misunderstandings, and his relationship to his daughters, he attempted to minimize and delegitimize the allegations of his accusers. By giving this narrative a platform and audience of millions, the Governor belittled the pain of survivors reaching far beyond the state of New York.
There is still so much more work to be done in New York and within broader society. As an organization working at the intersections of policy advocacy and direct service with youth survivors of gender-based violence, this moment carries great weight. At GGE we continue to hold onto our anti-carceral feminist commitments, knowing the way forward requires a radical reshaping of our culture. We continue to focus on the work ahead which requires building cultures of consent, where everyone, especially people with power, recognizes and respects the bodily autonomy and humanity of girls, women, non-binary, and gender-expansive people – interpersonally and through governance.
Until we address the way our political system perpetuates harm and protects those in power, these individual reckonings will not change the culture of gender-based violence in our society. GGE remains committed to survivors, their well-being, and working towards an equitable future that believes survivors and centers racial and gender justice.
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