cial ▁inequality , ▁hom oph ob ia , ▁trans ph ob ia , ▁and ▁sexual ▁har ass ment . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁year ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁G GE ▁was ▁founded ▁by ▁Jo anne ▁N . ▁Smith , ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁a ▁coal ition ▁of ▁ 8 0 ▁low - in come ▁Central ▁Brook lyn ▁residents ▁of ▁color ▁pet ition ing ▁the ▁Open ▁Society ▁Institute ▁( OS I ) ▁to ▁help ▁in ▁the ▁fight ▁to ▁change ▁the ▁negative ▁per ception s ▁society ▁has ▁of ▁women ▁and ▁girls . ▁In sp ired ▁by ▁their ▁cause , ▁Smith ▁used ▁the ▁O SI ▁fellow ship ▁to ▁launch ▁Girls ▁for ▁G ender ▁Equ ity . ▁Through ▁educational , ▁physical , ▁and ▁social ▁programs , ▁G GE ▁provides ▁young ▁women ▁and ▁girls ▁with ▁the ▁tools ▁that ▁necessary ▁for ▁them ▁to ▁acknow ledge ▁their ▁strength s , ▁develop ▁their ▁skills , ▁and ▁ultimately ▁live ▁self - su fficient ▁lives . ▁ ▁Program s ▁Girls ▁for ▁G ender ▁Equ ity ’ s ▁after - school ▁and ▁youth ▁organ izing ▁programs ▁provide ▁the ▁education , ▁information , ▁and ▁resources ▁necessary ▁to ▁help ▁ensure ▁the ▁safety ▁of ▁youth ▁in ▁their ▁schools ▁and ▁communities . ▁ ▁Sister s ▁in ▁Str ength ▁Sister s ▁in ▁Str ength ▁( S IS ) ▁is ▁a ▁youth ▁organ izing ▁program ▁for ▁fifteen ▁young ▁women ▁of ▁color ▁who ▁are ▁entering ▁either ▁the ▁ 1 0 th ▁or ▁ 1 1 th ▁grade , ▁and ▁takes ▁place ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁two ▁years . ▁G GE ’