Jahajee

Founded in 2007, 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.

The Problem

During the period of Indian Indentureship under British rule (1838-1917), Indians replaced Africans on Caribbean plantations. Life was brutal and dangerous for women. Far outnumbered by men, women were abused and many were murdered by men in fits of jealous rage. The barbaric violence is reflected in reports from that time, where common words describing abuse were “dismembered,” and “hacked” — brutal murders by cutlass, the plantation tool used by laborers to chop sugarcane. The legacy of violence against women among our people continues today.

Violence against women is a grave problem in New York City’s Indo-Caribbean community, and we are the only organization dedicated to addressing this issue among Indo-Caribbeans. Jahajee Sisters was born in 2007, after the murders of two Indo-Caribbean women in New York City. There was no outcry from our community’s traditional leaders, so we became the leaders we needed. Since then, we have continued to witness Indo-Caribbean women being killed by abusive partners, including Stacy Singh, whose murder was the first of 2018 in New York City.

Our Theory of Change

1. Transformational Leadership Development: Through healing work and political education, Indo-Caribbean girls and gender-expansive youth are supported to become whole, resilient, and skilled social justice leaders. We have a community of practice that allows members to continue their growth and build our leadership pipeline.
2. Community Organizing: We work to build a progressive and politically powerful Indo-Caribbean community and use that power to win gender justice for the most marginalized. We support young people to identify and fight for systems change that will impact them, including getting Asian American history into public school curricula. 
3. Art for Social Change: We use the arts and culture as a tool to inspire young people to uproot long-standing patriarchal values and imagine a new world. Tapping into their creativity, young people are encouraged to build the future. 

4. Direct Services: Through emotional support, free or low-cost mental health care, groceries and emergency economic assistance, we help young people to be well. We especially offer these services to LGBTQ+ youth and survivors of gender-based violence.

Our Team

Co-Directors: Simone Jhingoor and Shivana Jorawar

Direct Services Manager: Lalita Duke

Program Manager: Chaday Emmanuel

Advisory Board Members:
Priya Florence Dadlani
Sarah Bhagudas, M.D.
Nikita Boyce
Nadia Khan-Roopnarine, PhD
Lisa Maria Ramadhar, MPH
Latchmi Devi Gopal
Natasha Rupan
Vesna Naidoo Chinsammy
Nathalie Jaikissoon, MSW

Contact information

Simone Jhingoor
simone@jahajee.org