As we enter the final months of 2020, we take heart in the words of Aimee Allison, Founder of She the People, who reminds us that, “As a movement, we have a long and rocky road ahead of us. We have to be whole. And the only way we can do that is to practice love – love of self and love of others. That is the fulcrum with which a powerful justice-based politics is possible.”
At NewMexicoWomen.Org (NMW.O), we know that gender justice and healing become possible only when we embody a love-based politics. Our values and our current work stand firm in this knowing.
Facing the layered crises of our time, we do not underestimate the ways our current systems—based in fear, rather than rooted in love—cause harm to communities, here in New Mexico and nationwide. From the global pandemic to the escalating climate crisis to our democracy under threat, we see how deeply entrenched racial, gender and social inequities affect our communities, amplifying disparities and limiting access to a healthy and just future.
Your generous support, coupled with the power of love and creativity, enables NMW.O to continue to stand up for justice. Here are some of the ways we have done this in 2020:
- We started the Gender Equity Emergency Fund (GEEF) to address the impact of COVID-19 on self-identifying women and girls from around the state. As in all our work, we prioritized women and girls of color, from low income, rural, tribal, immigrant and LGBTQIA communities. We could not have been as responsive without your contributions! To date, NMW.O has distributed over $174,000 to organizing efforts through the GEEF. And, over $258,000 through our multi-year Gender Justice and Healing and Adolescent Girls of Color grantmaking programs.
- We published, Gender Justice at the Heart of New Mexico’s Pandemic Recovery, a report which shares the experiences of our partners. This report drew attention to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on women, and especially on women of color. It sparked dialogue and argued for an intersectional gender and racial justice approach to New Mexico’s recovery efforts.
- We continue to work on Healthy Masculinities as part of a statewide collaborative, exploring the ways in which patriarchy is perpetuated by, and also harms, men and boys, as well as women, girls, trans and gender nonconforming people.
We are heartened by donors, like you, whose generosity makes it possible for us to continue our core research, grantmaking and training and education programs. We look forward to your ongoing partnership and support again this year.
In the meantime, may you take heart, as together we build toward a love-based politics rooted in gender justice and healing.
With gratitude,
Sarah Ghiorse, Executive Director
and the NewMexicoWomen.Org Team
Art by Gabriela Hernandez
“In my art, I illustrate the relationships between our planet, community, and identities. In this
piece, the marigolds uplift the wisdom of our ancestors, and remind us that together we can
heal from the injustices that we face.”