In 1982, a student from Hunter College’s School of Social Work organized a group of passionate community activists to address the lack of services available to immigrant Chinese women experiencing domestic violence in New York City. History was made when the New York Asian Women’s Center was born--an organization for Asian women by Asian women during a time when nothing of its kind existed on the East Coast. Renamed to Womankind in 2017, we have been passionately doing the work to build a gender-based violence-free world for over 4 decades.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month was created only a year before Womankind. What started as a single day to honor domestic violence survivors and advocates has blossomed into a month of remembrance, awareness, and activism to unite against gender-based violence.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, domestic violence increased as people were spending more time at home--it was called the "shadow pandemic." Anti-Asian hate crimes spiked across the country. Many people were feeling vulnerable and disempowered. Womankind began Hear Our Voices during this difficult period. We worked with survivors to gather stories, empowered community members to stand in solidarity with each other, and encouraged everyone to connect meaningfully through all the strife.
On the 5th anniversary of Hear Our Voices, our theme is “Rebirth”! As seasons change, there comes a time when all the leaves fall. In the spring, the foliage is renewed. As allies, community members, and survivors, we go through similar periods of growth and release. These stories, visions, and worlds can be shared in a myriad of ways whether it’s photography, painting, dance, poetry, or other mediums. At Womankind, we intentionally chose the image of a phoenix to symbolize renewal, that something beautiful can rise from the ashes of trauma. We invite you to explore what rebirth looks like to you and bring all expressions of solidarity, gratitude, and understanding to our exhibit.
We welcome you to navigate this exhibit at your own pace, and hope these stories can connect us to one another to continually create space for survivors and allies.
This page is sponsored by Womankind and all the art is contributed by survivors and community members, who own the copyrights. We hope that this page can serve as a reminder that there is always a safe space to create and liberate.
Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed on this page represent the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Womankind.
Who We Are
Womankind was founded in 1982 as the New York Asian Women’s Center. We use the multidimensionality of our Asian heritage to work alongside survivors of gender-based violence as they build a path to healing. We are working tirelessly to create a future where we Rise Above Violence and our communities can innovate towards collective well-being, restoration, and social justice.
Contact Us
42 Broadway, Suite 1836
New York, NY 10004
24/7 Helpline Voice: 1.888.888.7702
Helpline Chat: iamwomankind.org
Helpline Text: 929.207.5907 (English) / 929.207.5901 (Chinese)