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Our People — Our Fight

Jahajee envisions a world where all people across the gender spectrum are safe and thriving.
Jahajee is a gender justice organization that activates Indo-Caribbeans in New York to put an end to intimate partner, family, and sexual violence.
Our community of support guides women, girls, and gender-nonconforming people to heal and use their voices to make lasting change. Through arts activism, leadership development, and grassroots organizing, we amplify survivor voices and visions to transform culture.
After 16 years, we are aligning our name with our belief that LGBTQ+ liberation is gender justice. “Sisters” felt appropriate when we were founded. However, in 2024, with more and more gender-nonconforming people joining our network, the word no longer feels needed. We want everyone we serve to know they belong here, and this change is a move toward that.

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, the group was renamed “Jahajee Sisters” to honor the strength of our ancestors. In 2024, we changed our name to “Jahajee” to reflect and respect the trans and gender-nonconforming people in our leadership and base.

WHAT DOES ‘JAHAJEE’ MEAN?