AAPI Women Lead

Our ED Connie had the opportunity to chat with the fierce and brilliant Amanda Seales! They talk about ANHPI survivors, solidarity, and the holistic approach we take at AAPI Women Lead to ending gender violence. Watch the full episode at https://lnkd.in/eUNDGfpd.

Last Friday, our team partnered with Fabletics, Fab Kids and the Alameda County Assessor’s office for our first ever Clothing Drive. Together, we distributed over 1500 articles of clothing and shoes to families across 5 different cities and across more than 6 organizations! All of the clothes and shoes went to multiple under-resourced community groups in the Bay Area, including Oakland Unified School District Schools, Rudsdale Continuation School, Oakland Academy of Knowledge, BRAVE Bay Area (BAWAR), Raising Leaders at Hayward Adult School, Daily Bowl, Centro De Servicios, and others. Thank you to Fabletics, Fab Kids for the donations, and the Alameda County Assessor's Office and the Daily Bowl for lending their delivery trucks and support. For inquiries about future donation drives, email us at community@aapiwomenlead.org.

Did you know that less than 1% of philanthropic dollars goes to funding AAPI causes? You can help to change that. Consider donating to AAPI Women Lead for Giving Tuesday. We are grateful for you and your commitment to building new worlds with us. ❤️ www.aapiwl.org/donate

"I write to remind us that we are a powerful community. Since our inception, our AAPI Women Lead community has met challenges and catastrophes head on, and we have done this together - with you. We’ve done this through the unapologetic leadership of our Asian, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander women, girls, and non-binary communities. At the center of our work is our commitment to and our holistic approach to ending gender violence against our ANHPI communities. We are survivor-led and survivor-powered. This is how we build our new worlds." Read the full letter by signing up for our newsletter on our website at aapiwl.org.

Did you know that up to 55% of Asian women report experiencing intimate physical and/or sexual violence during their lifetime? And 68% of Pacific women report that they have experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. The United Nations General Assembly has designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The premise of the day is to raise awareness around the world that women are subjected to rape, domestic violence and other forms of violence; furthermore, one of the aims of the day is to highlight that the scale and true nature of the issue is often hidden. As an organization working to end racial and gender-based violence with a survivor-centered approach to research and education, we need your support. We are raising $50,000 until the end of the year, so join our movement to end racial and gender-based violence by donating to us at aapiwl.org/donate.

Dear Community, We are with you. And we are more clear about our vision and responsibilities than we have ever been. With the current political climate and elections, our organization strengthens our commitment to ending violence against our communities in the US and across the globe. This period does and will not lead us to despair. It strengthens us. The lessons fuel our determination to build new worlds where our communities are safe, free, and liberated. We call on all community members to strengthen their commitments to keep each other safe and to build new worlds alongside us. We have always needed one another. And we are stronger together. Let us build on what we know, have experienced, and the growing global movement to resist violence against us and to build new worlds. We must and will keep each other safe. And as always, solidarity is a verb. Take good care of yourselves and each other. Rest to reflect and keep building. In community, AAPI Women Lead

Domestic violence can look like so many things and is impacted by so many factors. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In our inaugural report on racial and gender-based violence in ANHPI communities, our researchers identified climate crises and linguistic violence as factors that impact domestic violence. As a organization working to end gender-based violence, AAPI Women Lead is addressing the gap in the data on violence in ANHPI communities through our newly launched research institute and community driven research initiative. Read our full report on our website at https://lnkd.in/euSHR6cT, and please continue to donate to help to continue our work and to support our next research cohort at aapiwl.org/donate. Swipe to read more from their research projects "Understanding the Interactions of Climate Crisis and Gender Based Violence” by Alana Wilson (Empowered Pacific Islander Communities) and "Linguistic Injustice & (Re)Victimization of Vietnamese Women DV Survivors in Massachusetts by Minh Nghia Nguyen (Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence). ➡️

Last week, our team held in person and virtual trainings to Fabletics in Los Angeles and Downtown Music online. Thank you to these groups for partnering with us and giving us the opportunity to teach your teams about the history of violence in ANHPI communities. Our trainings on violence for groups like Fabletics and Downtown Music are part of our work to ending racial and gender-based violence. For more information on our trainings for 2025, email our team at community@aapiwomenlead.org.

An Exciting Announcement! Earlier this summer, our Executive Director and co-founder Dr. Connie W. was announced as a member of the inaugural movement-centered Advisory Council for the Collective Future Fund! The Collective Future Fund (CFF) is a philanthropic intermediary fund that brings together social justice movements, survivors, and donors to heal, resource, and mobilize toward a future free from violence. As part of CFF’s commitment to transnational survivor-led movements, the Advisory Council members will guide high-level direction and programs for CFF and will also serve as ambassadors in key policy and donor advocacy spaces. We are so proud of Connie and her new position, and we are honored to be part of the transnational movement against racial and gender violence with CFF. Connie is joined by Joanne Smith (Girls for Gender Equity), and Monica Ramirez (Justice for Migrant Women), plus donor partners Adeline Azrack (Fondation CHANEL) and Celiné Justice (Pivotal Ventures). Read more about CFF’s Advisory Council here: https://lnkd.in/egRwEBUG

Today marks AAPI Women Lead's first anniversary as a 501(c)(3)! 🥳 As we reflect on the past year to honor the official day, we have so much gratitude for our team and our community for showing up. AAPI Women Lead started in 2018 and proceeded as a fiscally sponsored organization until last fall, when we became an official nonprofit organization 501(c)(3). Our work is made possible with your support. Thank you for making it possible. To continue our education and research work, donate at aapiwl.org/donate.