South Queens Women's March opens new office

Members of the South Queens Women’s March opened a new office in Richmond Hill.  Photo via South Queens Women’s March

By Rachel Vick

Members of the South Queens Women’s March celebrated the opening of their new office in Richmond Hill over the weekend.

Leadership of the nonprofit were joined by dozens of community members and local officials who came out in support of the next step for the community organization founded more than two years ago to promote gender equity in Queens.

“We shouldn’t just mobilize during tragedy, we should also cultivate inclusive and intersectional mechanisms to empower women on these streets - the streets that raised us - in the name of justice for women, girls and gender expansive people,” said Aminta Kilawan-Narine, SQWM’s founder and director. “For too long, a space like this did not exist in our community. For the first time, today it does.”

“This work isn’t glamorous. It is hard. It is grueling. But we genuinely enjoy doing it… Not for personal gain, or for accolades and praise or for social media followers,” she added. “This isn’t charity work, it is solidarity work, and you see that in the way we treat people.”

Kilawan-Narine was inspired to found the organization following the 2019 stabbing death of Ozone Park resident Donne Dojoy by her husband, reminding Kilawan-Narine of the number of women facing gender-based violence who could use a safe space.

The offices will serve as a hub for the organization’s community services including pantry services and future programming across cultural and civic topics.

Member Debora Chaitlall said the organization has been “the best thing that happened” to her, allowing her to find a community of support and opportunity to do the same for other women.

Council Speaker Adrienne Adams was joined by Councilmember Selvena Brooks-Powers and Borough President Donovan Richards at the ribbon cutting, expressing her pride in the “critical” impact the group has had on the local community.

“I want to let you ladies know how proud I am to be your sister. How proud of you I am to have watched you grow over these years… to know where your heart has always been, and now look where you are,” Adams said. “South Queens Women’s March has made enormous contributions to the civic and community life right here in Southeast Queens and right here in the Great 28. You have empowered and amplified the voices of diverse women across this borough, connected neighbors to important resources and advocated fiercely for gender and racial justice.”