National ACE’s Statement on International Women’s Day
[Washington, D.C. March 8, 2022] On this International Women’s Day, we at the National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (National ACE) mark our commitment to ensuring the safety and thriving of women in every space. In the past two years, the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community has experienced a surge in hate crimes. The overwhelming victims of these attacks have been Asian and Pacific Islander women, who are closest to the violence within our communities. We commemorate and honor the six women killed in Atlanta one year ago, Christina Yuna Lee, Michelle Go, and those whose stories escaped headlines. We also recognize that violence against women, and particularly AAPI women, long predates the pandemic, fueled by centuries-old, harmful stereotypes and structural inequality.
National ACE joins a community of advocates in recognizing that violence is uneven–that racism and sexism cannot be disentangled. In the struggle towards equality, we affirm a world in which women, and especially women of color, do not fear violence in their homes, being attacked in the streets, or the immeasurable losses of climate change or war. We affirm a world in which women at all intersections have the resources and foundational support to be protected, free, and flourish.
Aligned with this year’s International Women’s Day theme, we are dedicated to breaking the bias that disproportionately targets AAPI womens’ bodies and livelihoods. Alongside legislation addressing hate crimes and violence against women, National ACE supports increased representation of AAPI women in economic and political decision-making, broader civil rights protections, and public health measures. We stand by the changes required to achieve sustainable gender equality and eliminate racism. Lastly, we honor the long history and ongoing activism of AAPI women, without whom the equality we imagine would not be possible. We commit to #BreakTheBias and continue the fight.
PDF here.